A cement carrier ship that crashed into and sank two tugboats in Tasmania's north-west last year also experienced engine failure this week, prompting authorities to briefly ban it from entering Tasmanian waters.
The Tasmanian Harbour Master denied the ship, the Goliath, access to Tasmania on Wednesday after an incident that saw the ship's engine fail after it departed Devonport on Monday.
TasPorts chief executive officer Anthony Donald said "human error" was to blame for the engine issue and the decision to ban the ship was made after it was reported by a TasPorts' marine pilot.
"The protection of human life, marine assets and the environment are critical considerations for all vessel movements in Tasmanian waters," he said.
However, the ban has now been overturned after the company provided a report detailing remedial actions following the incident.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Canadian-based shipping company CSL, said the Goliath "experienced a minor technical issue that was resolved within 24 hours".
"All required documentation was provided to the authorities. The vessel has resumed normal operations," it concluded.
The Goliath is currently near Melbourne and is due to arrive in Devonport on Friday.
Government minister Michael Ferguson said the incident had the potential to impact human life.
"It could have been significant," he said.
"It could have been something that we'd be talking about for a long time to come.
"That's why, when there are safety episodes, it's important that the Harbour Master is fully supported to be able to deal with those risks … and make sure the waterways and the harbour are kept safe."
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it was not investigating the latest incident as "it was not deemed likely an investigation would uncover any systemic safety issues" but the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has confirmed it is aware of reported issues with Goliath's main engine and is looking into it.
Investigation ongoing
This latest incident comes after the same ship rammed and sank two stationary tugboats in Devonport last year, causing millions of dollars' worth of damage.
No-one was injured but the collision resulted in months of disruptions.
A preliminary report on the incident from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found an incorrect steering setting was selected on the cement carrier, and the ship's speed increased by more than three knots as it navigated a tight turn in the Mersey River.
The Goliath was travelling from Melbourne on a routine trip with 17 crew members on board when the master of the ship felt it was "not swinging as expected".
In a dramatic few seconds, the master tried to stop the ship from moving forward by changing the steering setting, while being informed of the "rapidly decreasing clearances" between the ship and the tugs.
The tugs had a combined 69,000 litres of diesel fuel and other oil on board.
While much of the oil and diesel was contained, people and their pets were urged to stay out of the water between Devonport and Latrobe.
The operation to salvage the tugs and remove them — which was described as one of the most-complex retrievals undertaken in Australia in recent years — took almost seven months.
TasPorts last year started legal proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia against the Goliath's owner, with a hope of reaching an "acceptable settlement" with the company in the short-to-medium term.
A final ATSB report into the 2022 collision is due this month.
