Building Trust on the Bridge: Australia’s Evolving Maritime Safety Culture

When two former marine pilots trade the wheelhouse for a whiteboard, the result isn’t theory — it’s transformation. Matt Shirley (CEO) and Marco Blanco (CFO) of Safe Harbours Australia are redefining how bridge teams think, act, and communicate in one of the world’s most complex maritime environments.

Sea Views hosts Julia Gosling and Adam Parnell from CHIRP Maritime sat down with them to explore how lessons from the past — and a renewed emphasis on communication — are shaping the future of maritime safety culture.

“Within minutes of walking onto a ship, you have to build rapport, earn trust, and become part of a team that has never met before.”— Matt Shirley, CEO, Safe Harbours Australia

From Pilots to Pioneers

Shirley and Blanco began their careers with BHP, one of the largest mining companies on the planet. Their early years were spent navigating the immense bulk carriers transporting Australia’s iron ore, coal, and bauxite — vessels so vital they form the “workhorses of the sea.”

Over decades of piloting, they observed a recurring truth: safety isn’t merely procedural — it’s relational. That realization inspired the creation of Safe Harbours Australia, a consultancy built on over 140 years of combined seafaring experience and 70 years as qualified marine pilots. Their mission: to bridge human factors, leadership, and communication in pursuit of a safer maritime industry.

“Communication is the key to overcoming complexity. If you’re not talking about risk, you can’t understand how others see it — and you can’t overcome it.”— Matt Shirley

Lessons from the “Ships of Shame”

In the early 1990s, Australia faced a crisis. A series of bulk-carrier losses led to the landmark Ships of Shame Report, which exposed structural failures and aging fleets that should have been scrapped. The report triggered sweeping Port State Control reforms and turned Australia’s maritime authority, AMSA, into one of the toughest regulatory bodies in the world.

“Between 1989 and 1991, 50 bulk carriers were lost globally — nine from Australia. Those tragedies changed everything.”— Marco Blanco, CFO, Safe Harbours Australia

Blanco credits those reforms — and later, independent inspections from organizations like RightShip — with dramatically improving fleet standards. Yet, he and Shirley argue that true progress lies not in the number of regulations, but in how crews communicate, comply, and collaborate.

The Human Factor

Whether steering a bulk carrier through Tasmania’s narrow channels or managing bridge teams from across continents, the duo insists that leadership and inclusion are central to maritime safety culture.

“If you can create a culture where everyone wants to be safe, you’re not only creating a safe culture — you’re creating an efficient one.”— Matt Shirley

From involving every officer in the bridge exchange to empowering helmsmen to speak up, their philosophy redefines hierarchy at sea. When communication flows freely, decisions are faster — and disasters are fewer.

Adapting to a Changing Sea

As technology races ahead, new challenges emerge. Artificial intelligence, autonomous navigation, and digital oversight have transformed how ships operate — and how crews are supervised. But with progress comes risk.

Shirley recalls a vessel where an AI system was installed “without anyone understanding what it did.” The crew had data, but not knowledge — a modern echo of old mistakes.

“Technology can help us, but without training and trust, it’s just another layer of noise on the bridge.”— Matt Shirley

Leading Beyond Regulation

Both pilots agree: regulations alone won’t save lives. Cultural change will. By fostering open dialogue between inspectors, operators, and seafarers, Australia has become a global model for collaborative safety enforcement — one rooted in trust rather than fear.

“Port State Control inspectors aren’t the enemy. They want the same thing — for everyone to go home safe.”— Matt Shirley

Blanco adds that more leadership and management training is essential for officers at every level. True safety, he argues, depends on empathy, competence, and shared ownership.

Trust: The Ultimate Safety System

“When people feel trusted, they choose to be involved. And involved people are safer, more efficient, and more committed.”— Matt Shirley

For Safe Harbours Australia, the mission extends beyond compliance. It’s about empowering seafarers to think, speak, and lead with confidence — from the bridge to the boardroom.

As the maritime world faces the twin tides of decarbonization and automation, one truth remains: safety begins with culture, and culture begins with communication.