Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek your indulgence on a matter relating to New Zealand and Australia's assistance with the laden container ship Rena which has run aground at speed onto a charted reef off New Zealand's North Island. This week I have had a number of conversations with the New Zealand government, in particular my colleague the Minister of Transport, Steven Joyce. We have 30 officials from Australia in place assisting our friends in New Zealand. Unfortunately, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Australia's support staff gained some expertise with the Pacific Adventurer and Shen Neng 1 incidents.

I have been invited to go to New Zealand this weekend by the New Zealand government and I intend to have discussions with them. I have indicated on behalf of the Australian government—and I am sure it is something that is supported by both sides of the House—that any assistance that Australia can give to our friends in New Zealand in what is already its worst ever maritime disaster will be made available. Whilst we might be opponents at Eden Park on Sunday night, we are certainly good friends and always there to assist each other.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: I am pleased that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Australian officers are in New Zealand assisting with the maritime disaster that New Zealand is endeavouring to deal with. I made some comments about this issue in the Main Committee in debate on a bill earlier this week. This is the kind of situation where friends need to be able to help one another. This is already regarded as the most serious maritime environmental disaster in New Zealand's history and it sadly has the potential to get significantly worse. Some of the television pictures we have seen of the angles on some on the containers on board the vessel and of oil already on the beaches demonstrate that this has the capacity to become a marine disaster of substantial proportions.

Australia has had experience in this field, unfortunately. A not dissimilar incident in some ways occurred near Cape Moreton not very long ago. A large number of containers went overboard on a vessel there which damaged the ship and led to oil leaks along the beaches of the Sunshine Coast. As a representative of that area, I was very conscious of the fact that this was a blot on the local communities and that it was most unwelcome in the holiday time. New Zealand are the centre of the world's attention at the present time. For that reason, as well as for our desire to be good neighbours, it is appropriate that Australian officials are there. I wish them well and hope they will be kept safe during what is potentially a very dangerous and difficult operation.