Swire tactics blow up
July 5, 2009 - 4:43PM
Premier Anna Bligh has threatened to sue the owners of a ship responsible for Queensland's biggest environmental disaster.
The cyclone-buffeted Pacific Adventurer leaked 270,000 litres of fuel into Moreton Bay in March, triggering a $34 million clean-up of Moreton and Bribie islands and Sunshine Coast beaches.
Hong Kong company Swire Shipping's lawyers has written to the premier refusing to cover those costs, siting an international maritime convention that caps clean-up payments to US$17 million.
Ms Bligh has attacked the company for trying to shirk its responsibilities after making repeated public assurances in the disaster's aftermath that they would do the right thing.
"I am very angry that Swire ... have just notified myself and the federal government that they will only be making payments up to the cap of $17 million," she told reporters today.
"We'll be taking advice on what further legal action we can take against the company, but there is an international convention on the cap for repaying costs.
"The really disappointing thing about this is that this company wrote to both myself and the federal government some months ago and said they would pay above the cap and pay to clean up the mess that they caused.
"It's not good enough that they now write to us and change their mind and want to do just the bare minimum.
"They caused a major environmental impact on our precious Moreton Bay and we're going to chase them."
But the company has rejected any suggestion it's not prepared to meet its responsibilities.
Swire Shipping said in a statement on Sunday it was in discussions with the state and federal governments and had asked to meet with Ms Bligh to come to a "mutually acceptable solution".
"From the beginning, the company has always promised to meet its full responsibilities under Australian law for the accident clean-up," the statement said.
"The company has not stated it would cover all costs.
"All costs are still unknown and there is a limit to the amount of claims the company and its insurers can accept."
Swire said the ship's insurer had already provided financial security for up to A$20 million and provided $2 million of assistance with the clean-up.
But the premier's not satisfied.
"This oil spill cost us a lot more than that ... and together with the federal government I'll make sure the Queensland taxpayers don't pay it," she said.
She said increased fees on international ships may be considered to help collect what's still owing.
Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the company should do the right thing.
"We expect Swire to cover the full cost of cleaning up the pollution and the environmental damage caused by one their ships," Mr Albanese said.
"Now it's their chance to put their money where their mouth is and pay the full costs of this terrible spill.
"Their reputation as a good corporate citizen is on the line."