[Greens-Media] Greens ask: Was NZ oil spill ship Rena checked in Melbourne? - Pennicuik

[Amanda.Sharp at parliament.vic.gov.au]

14 October 2011

Greens ask: Was NZ oil spill ship Rena checked in Melbourne?

Victorian Greens spokesperson on Ports, Sue Pennicuik MLC, has put 
questions in parliament to the Minister for Ports on whether the container 
ship Rena was checked for deficiencies when it visited the Port of 
Melbourne on 19 and 20 September.

"The questions I have asked the Minister for Ports are: 'Was the Rena 
inspected while it was in the Port of Melbourne? If not, why not? If, so 
what was the result of that inspection?"'

"I am also still waiting on an answer to my questions of the 1st September 
regarding a Port of Melbourne notice to mariners restricting ship 
movements at Port Phillip Heads at certain tides," Ms Pennicuik said. 
"That notice implies that instead of making it easier and safer for large 
ships to navigate Port Phillip Heads as the public was told, it seems that 
it is now hazardous to shipping at certain tides following channel 
deepening."

"The Rena was inspected in China before it arrived in Australia. It was 
inspected and detained by Port State Control in Fremantle in July and 
allowed to sail after some of the defects were rectified and it was given 
time to rectify the rest," said Ms Pennicuik. "It then visited the Port of 
Melbourne on 19 and 20 September, but was also allowed to sail apparently 
because the risk of the Rena running aground and breaking up in Port 
Phillip Bay was 'high consequence, low probability.'" *

"So a ship with known defects was allowed to sail in and out of Port 
Phillip Heads," Ms Pennicuik said. "It was inspected again in Port Botany 
before sailing on to New Zealand."

"The Rena has now leaked tonnes of fuel oil into the Bay of Plenty, 
affecting thousands of birds and mammals and washing up on nearby 
beaches," Ms Pennicuik said. "It's a terrible disaster for New Zealand and 
we need to know if Post Phillip Bay is being properly protected from the 
same kind of catastrophe."

For further comment: Sue Pennicuik  0409 055 875 / (03) 9530 8399

* The Age 14 October 2011

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Parliament of Victoria                                                                                                                    . 
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