Report praises response to coal carrier grounding on reef

From smh.com.au (link)

An independent review has praised the way Queensland authorities handled the grounding of a coal carrier on the Great Barrier Reef, the transport minister says.

The Shen Neng 1 ran aground on Douglas Shoal off Rockhampton in April. It remained stuck there for more than a week, crushing a large area of the reef and spilling up to four tonnes of oil.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan today tabled a report by independent consultant Graham Miller, saying his findings are favourable.
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She said the Miller report found the response was well resourced and well executed.

"An independent review of the response confirms that our response was timely and effective," Ms Nolan said.

She said the report warned there was potential for similar incidents in the future and its recommendations were being incorporated into her department's future response plans.

Recommendations include liaising with local government and district and local disaster management groups to improve the understanding of roles in joint operations, and investigating new technologies to improve communication in remote locations.

The full report will be posted on Maritime Safety Queensland's website at www.msq.qld.gov.au soon.

 

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