John Watkinson
Executive Director, Queensland Transport

John Watkinson is the Executive Director of the Maritime Division of Queensland Transport. He is a Master Mariner and a member of the Chartered Institute of Transport, The Nautical Institute and the International Harbour Masters' Association.

Captain Watkinson's career at sea began in 1966. He rose to Master in 1977 and subsequently has held numerous appointments with the Maritime Services Board New South Wales, as a marine Pilot and Harbour Master with the then Queensland Department of Harbours and Marine before moving into executive management in Queensland Transport.

He was appointed Executive Director (Maritime) in Queensland Transport in 1997.

In his present role, Captain Watkinson is responsible for forming and delivering the Department's Maritime Program in Queensland. This means that he has responsibility for a range of functions related to:

safety for trade, commercial and recreational vessels and their users
Vessel Traffic Management
Aids to navigation
Marine Pollution and emergency response
Port Pilotage; and
Maritime Services including Hydrographic survey and cartographic activities.

The Maritime Division is also responsible for implementing the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and other Noxious and Hazardous Substances. Captain Watkinson is also the State Oil Spill Controller for Queensland; a role he played recently (November 2000) during the grounding and refloat of the Malaysian container ship, Bunga Teratai Satu, at Sudbury Reef, offshore from Cairns.

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