Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the coalition, I welcome the announcement of an inquiry into the oil spill on the Montara oilfield in the Timor Sea. I thank the Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism for making sure that the House is kept up to date on this case. It is essential that this is a full and comprehensive inquiry that analyses the full range of events leading up to and after the oil leak, as well as the actions of government ministers and government departments.

Australia’s offshore exploration industry has an outstanding safety record. The incident off the coast of Western Australia was the first blow-out offshore in 25 years. In that time, around 1,500 wells have been drilled safely. It is essential that the integrity and accountability of the industry is maintained and that the full findings of this inquiry are reported in a transparent and timely manner. We also welcome the fact that the commission will have the powers and authority of a royal commission, along with its stated commitment to take submissions from a broad range of sources, including the public. Inquiry head, David Borthwick, will bring his experience as Secretary of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts in the Howard government to the role, and I have full confidence in his ability to oversee the inquiry.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the professionalism of the agencies which responded to the oil leak under the guidance of NOPSA, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority. NOPSA was established to deal with incidents such as these and I believe that, in the execution of its duties, NOPSA has vindicated that decision of the Ministerial Council on Mineral and Petroleum Resources. I also note the minister’s assurance that PTTEP Australasia is cooperating with the commission of inquiry.

Offshore exploration has long played a critical role in contributing to our national economy and it will continue to do so. But the process of, firstly, intersecting with the drill stream and the later process of extinguishing the fire on board that platform was a highly complex and technical effort. It must not go unnoticed by this parliament that the technical expertise displayed by those whose task it was to locate that drill casing, 2.6 kilometres below the seabed, was much more complex than finding a needle in a haystack.

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