Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank members for participating in the debate on the Protection of the Sea (Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage) Bill 2008 and the Protection of the Sea (Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008. It has been a short debate but a debate of the highest quality, participated in by those members of parliament who have significant coastal trade interests and a massive interest in the safety of our coastal shipping. This legislation will provide for compensation following a spill from a ship that is not an oil tanker. Since 1970, accidents have resulted in nine significant spills around Australia from such ships. The member for Kalgoorlie mentioned the Kirki, the Sanko Harvest and the Ships of shame report. I remember as if it were yesterday watching the Iron Baron sink off the coast of Tasmania, something I remember principally because the Iron Baron was built in my home town of Whyalla in South Australia; it was one of the last ships to have been built there. Fortunately there have not been any major spills in Australia on the scale of incidents such as that of the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989. However, there is always the possibility that such a spill may occur.

Australia has a comprehensive arrangement in place to respond to an actual or threatened oil spill, but there is still the potential for significant pollution damage. We need to ensure that prompt, adequate and effective compensation is available to all victims of bunker oil spills. These bills provide for such compensation. This legislation requires ships carrying bunker oil to be adequately insured and changes the onus of proof in regard to compensation bids relating to oil spills. It complements the high safety standards applied to ships trading on the Australian coast and entering Australian ports. It was interesting to hear the member for Kalgoorlie referring to the way in which the Kirki was secured in 1991. Having spent six or so years working for an oil company, I know that that very brave young man who jumped from the tug to the Kirki would have spent the next considerable period of time, if at my old firm of Woodside, explaining himself to the occupational health and safety officers for having undertaken that act. Safety is extremely important in our maritime industries.

This legislation is good news for people concerned about the risks to the environment from oil spills. It is also good news because, like all legislation before it, it has bipartisan support; it has been supported by all sides of both houses of this parliament. That shows not just great consideration by our parliament of the importance of these measures but also the deep level of interest and the ability to make safe our sea lanes for the environment and for those working in them. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that the bill be reported to the House without amendment.

See this speech in context