Melbourne, Australia  - Agility, a leading global logistics provider, has announced that it will commence operating an Australian domestic shipping service between Melbourne, Victoria and Bell Bay, Tasmania in early August. The service will be operated by Agility Shipping Pty Ltd, a joint venture between Agility Logistics Pty Ltd. and Transworld Marine Express Pty Ltd. The joint venture agreement between the two parties was signed in Melbourne on July 23.

The three times a week service will be served by Australian-flagged and Australian crewed vessels, with the first being a 516 TEU multi-purpose self-geared container ship, the MV Tassie Bridge. Depending on customer demand for the new service, a second vessel might be added to the service later in the year, which would add additional sailing frequency.

The launch of the new service is a significant step for Agility into Tasmania and reflects the importance that the company places on this market. Agility is committed to providing a full range of supply chain solutions to its customers across Australia and the introduction of this latest service is essential to this. To support further growth, an agreement has been reached in principal between Agility and Tas Rail to launch an intermodal service from Bell Bay to the Tasmania capital city of Hobart in the last quarter of 2010.

The new service has been strongly supported by the market and contractual commitments have been received from a core group of customers who have welcomed the options that this new service offers.

“This is a major step for Agility in Australia to meet growing demand from our customers for a reliable scheduled service across the Bass Strait connecting Melbourne and Bell Bay, Tasmania. We are also very proud that we will be supporting the national maritime sector as the vessels will be flying the Australian flag, with an all Australian crew,” said Mick Turnbull, CEO, Australasia and North Asia.

“The partnership with Agility means that we can leverage their international expertise in freight and logistics. When combined with Transworld’s strong maritime industry credentials, we will be able to deliver a world-class service to Australian customers across the Bass Strait,” said Captain Ivan Colaco, managing director of Transworld Marine Express Pty Ltd.

Agility Shipping will operate from offices in Prohasky Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria. Paull Van Oost, who was formerly Agility projects manager, will head up the new company and will be joined by Captain Glen Colaco, along with a number of other industry-experienced professionals in the near future.

Agility Shipping’s vessels will operate on fixed berthing windows at Webb Dock 4 in the Port of Melbourne and Bell Bay in Tasmania.  Stevedoring and container depot operations will be conducted by Patrick Stevedores in Melbourne and by ANS Stevedores in Bell Bay, both under long-term agreements.