Two employees at Dampier Port

Supporting seafarers at sea and on land

Improving the lives of international crew members with respite, community and care


Last updated: 29 May 2025

 

With 2,700 voyages annually – carried out by a mix of 17 owned vessels and 230 chartered vessels – we rely on seafarers to transport our products to customers around the world.

Their human rights – like the right to a safe and decent workplace, and freedom from discrimination – apply at sea, as they do on land. But monitoring living and working conditions on vessels, especially those we don’t own, can be challenging.

Our Modern Slavery Statement outlines the initiatives we have underway to safeguard seafarers’ human rights while they're at sea. And supporting their mental health is an important part of maintaining their safety.

Life at sea can be isolating – crew can spend up to 9 months away from home, often going weeks or sometimes months without stepping foot on land. That extended time away from loved ones, in confined spaces and demanding work conditions can take a toll on mental health and wellbeing.

Every year, thousands of seafarers pass through the Cape Lambert port in Western Australia, playing a vital role in transporting our products across the globe.

Until recently, for ships docked at Port Walcott at our Cape Lambert port, seafarers’ closest option when leaving the ship was a visit to Wickham town 10 minutes away, to visit the grocery store and rest their sea legs. But the closest dedicated seafarers’ centre was over an hour’s drive away in Dampier, which often wasn't feasible to visit considering a vessel’s limited time in port.

That changed in November 2023. We partnered with the Mission to Seafarers – a charity providing practical, emotional and spiritual support for merchant seafarers worldwide – to open a dedicated Seafarers Centre close to Port Walcott, which supports seafarers with much needed rest, care and connection.

A new chapter at Port Walcott

Around 1,200 vessels dock at Port Walcott each year, bringing more than 26,000 seafarers.

The Port Walcott Mission to Seafarers Centre offers a welcoming, safe place for these crew members to rest, recharge and reconnect with life beyond the ship. We fund free bus services to ferry crew members from the port into town, allowing them to make the most of their shore leave.

“Supporting the health and wellbeing of our seafarers isn’t just good business, it’s the right thing to do,” Paul, Port Cape Lambert’s General Manager, said.

“Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our people is the most important thing we do.

“And these people play such a crucial role in getting our resources from Australia to our global customers. This partnership helps ensure they’re supported along the way.”

The centre isn’t just about providing amenities – it’s about supporting dignity. For seafarers who have been confined to the same ship for months at a time, something as simple as walking into a shop and buying a chocolate bar can be a powerful reminder of everyday life on land.

Since opening, the centre has welcomed more than 500 seafarers, providing respite in the form of wifi, snacks, a quiet space to relax – and most importantly, human connection.

Personal connection is everything

John was Mission to Seafarers’ Transit and Centre Officer at Port Walcott, who was instrumental in setting up the new centre. He worked directly with the visiting crews and saw the impact of the program firsthand.

“One of the biggest personal challenges seafarers can face is isolation and loneliness,” he said.

“They’re at sea for months, and in some cases, they might not be able to have shore leave. We help change that, by giving them space to talk to their families, use the internet, or even just have a conversation with a random person on the street.

“They’re at sea for months, and in some cases, they might not be able to have shore leave. We help change that, by giving them space to talk to their families, use the internet, or even just have a conversation with a random person on the street.

Ace – an able seaman on one of our chartered vessels – began his career at sea as a helmsman when he was just 21 years old.

“Life on the ship is sometimes hard,” he said.

“I’m often away at sea for at least 8 months at a time. I miss my family and I get quite homesick.

“The people at the Seafarers Centre were very nice to me. It made a big difference.”

Shore leave offers a chance to reconnect with family, rest and experience life on land – helping seafarers feel grounded, valued, and more resilient. Maintaining these human connections is critical for safety, performance and retaining experienced seafarers in the long term.

And for Mission to Seafarers, supporting vessel crew while they’re on shore is a vocation and a vital service.

“This partnership has offered us not only the opportunity to start the Seafarers Centre, but the ability to make it thrive,” John said.

“We just celebrated supporting 500 seafarers in just over a year of operation, which is incredible.

“We wouldn’t have even been able to reach 10 people here if it wasn’t for Rio Tinto's support.”

Learn more about our work supporting human rights and health, safety and wellbeing.

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