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Swire shipping boss wipes hands...
Charles Miranda, Peter Morley and Michael Madigan
July 10, 2009 12:00am THE wealthy shipping boss at the centre of Queensland's worst environmental disaster is "not interested" in discussing the $34 million clean-up bill. Sir John Swire yesterday shrugged off inquiries about compensation. Traced to his country estate in Kent, England, the life president of the Swire group said: "I'm not interested, thank you very much." Sir John, 82, is one of Britain's wealthiest men and has contributed funds to keeping the sport of fox hunting alive in Britain. He also enjoys fishing Swire is baulking at paying a $34 million bill after the Pacific Adventurer lost more than 270 tonnes of heavy fuel oil off Moreton Island in March. The ship at the centre of the spill has been renamed in a bid to distance it from the environmental disaster that blackened beaches across the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Island. The Pacific Adventurer has become the Pacific Mariner, just as the Exxon Valdez – which spilled 40 million litres of crude oil into Alaskan waters in March 1989 – became the Exxon Mediterranean. The Pacific Mariner is now sailing from New Zealand to the Middle East and will be deployed on worldwide trade routes understood to exclude Australian ports. A Swire spokesman said: "It was renamed the Pacific Mariner because it received worldwide negative publicity as a result of the accidental oil spill during Cyclone Hamish. "This was a commercial decision. It is not uncommon in the shipping industry to rename a ship when it goes into dry dock before subsequently being redeployed." Sir John's response was no surprise for the cash-strapped Sunshine Coast Regional Council, which spent more than $1 million cleaning up. Full report at Swire shipping boss wipes hands of oil spill bill | The Courier-Mail |
The ship at the centre of the spill has been renamed in a bid to distance it from the environmental disaster that blackened beaches across the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Island Lets hope all SO's get renamed to JFO soon too. |
Renaming Ships
Isn't it considered extremely bad luck to rename a ship? Perhaps Cap'n Draper has the answer.
Neppie :confused: |
Bligh to bar public service from dealing with Swire
The move is being seen as a moral stance against the company and would ban public servants from flying Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong-based airline in which Swire holds a majority shareholding. How will Tony explain this one? |
Sign here: - Online petition: Make Swire pay the bill
Oil spill shipping firm Swire a tax target Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/source...ouriermail.gif Michael Madigan July 15, 2009 12:00am THE council that bore the brunt of the March oil spill has moved a motion calling for a tax to be slapped on shipping giant Swire until it pays its clean-up bill. Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland also wants Swire to pay for the advertising campaign his council helped fund to lure tourists back to the region. Cr Sutherland accused the shipping giant of "firing a double-barrel shotgun" in to his region after the spill wreaked havoc on the southeast Queensland coastline. In a strongly worded resolution passed late yesterday, the third-largest local government in Australia "formally condemned Swire Shipping for the way in which the company has reneged on its obligations to the people of Moreton Bay, its residents and visitors". "We reject any suggestion the Queensland taxpayer should pick up the tab for the costs associated with the clean-up of the oil spill in Moreton Bay caused by Swire Shipping." The Moreton Bay Regional Council agreed that, if Swire did not agree to pay the $30 million-plus clean-up bill, its ships should be taxed. "A surcharge (should) be applied to Swire Shipping whenever they dock in the Port of Brisbane – or any Queensland port – in order to recoup the costs incurred by Moreton Bay Regional Council and the Queensland Government in cleaning up the company's environmental hazard." Cr Sutherland also wants compensation for the tourism campaign his council helped fund to convince tourists the place was still pristine. Redlands Shire, at the other end of Moreton Bay, also had to pay to lure visitors back to its beaches. Redland City Mayor Melva Hobson said that, while Redland City was fortunate to escape the effects of the oil spill, "we would encourage Swire Shipping to set a moral and ethical example to all shipping companies that ply the precious Australian coast line". Meanwhile, Cr Sutherland said Swire Shipping – which wants to limit its compensation offer to the $20 million it's legally required to pay – had caused an immense amount of pain to his region. "The recklessness of their captain fired a double-barrel shotgun in to our region, ruining our beaches and wildlife with one shot, and the local tourism industry with the other," he said. |
Another round of SLS to pay for the clean up?
:E |
I wonder what would happen if the Australian warfies either:
A - went very very very slow on Swire shipping or B - refused to touch them - period? I would not put it beyond them......... :eek: |
Solution is easy!!!
Someone has to send a letter to that lesbian Premier.. Just refuse entry into any QLD ports any ship owned by the Swire!!!... In other words cut off the Swire Shipping income a lil bit and watch Sir John make a phone call quick as a flash asking where to send a cheque!:ok::ok: |
Weds 22nd July
From the Australian press Bill Rothery, chairman of ship owners John Swire and Sons, told reporters he had put an offer on the table during talks with the premier in Brisbane on Wednesday. "We have put a proposal to the state government - it's a substantial offer, which will exceed the $14.5 million in legal responsibilities that we have at this stage," Mr Rothery said. The offer includes compensation for small businesses affected by the spill. Valid claims would be paid in full, Mr Rothery said. Ms Bligh told reporters the Swire offer was not good enough. She said the government would now consider an across the board shipping levy to protect the environment and "flat bans" on Swire interests, including Cathay Pacific. "Frankly it's an offer that is just not good enough," Ms Bligh said. "We have a long way to go before the Queensland taxpayer can be adequately reimbursed. "We shouldn't settle for second best." The cost of the clean-up to the state government and local councils has been estimated at $34 million. Miz Anna Bligh is after all, allegedly a descendant from someone (dis!)connected with a little known boat called the Bounty a couple of hundred years ago. Won't be a surprise to hear of an increased offer from Bill You can just imagine the telephone call: Bill : I'm sorry to bother you while you are hunting Sir, but we've got a bit of a problem in Queensland. Sir John : Eh, speak up man - speak up godamit. Bill : Queensland sir, you know, in Australia? Sir John : Yes, yes man, I know exactly where it is, its where the kangaroos are. Now what's the problem son, pesky natives revolting again? Bill : Err not exactly sir, we had a bit of an oil spill from one of our boats. Sir John : Just ignore it man! or did someone know it was you? Bill : Erm, well only half of Queensland, we did trash a lot of their beaches, and now they want us to pay. Sir John : Good god man, don't these pesky colonials realise how lucky they are still to have the Queen on their coins? And what's with this 'we' anyway, last time I checked the big fat bonus list, you were the Chairman Bill! Bill: Well sir, they are now threatening to ban Cathay Pacific from Queensland now as well as our other interests. Sir John : Damn it all man, what exactly are they demanding, $100 or $200 million or what? Bill: Well actually sir, they only wanted the $34 million to cover the clean up. Sir John : Is that all?? Godamit man, why don't you just pay them. Looks like no bonus for you this year eh Bill? Can't afford to agitate them too much, they'll just start throwing spears again. Bloody natives! Anyway, must go old boy, hunt's on you know (click)............... |
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