House debates

Wednesday, 3 June 2009

Constituency Statements

Bonner Electorate: Moreton Island Oil Spill

9:57 am

Photo of Kerry ReaKerry Rea (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Last week I had the opportunity to speak in the adjournment debate on a most significant and tragic event that occurred in my electorate—that is, the oil spill on Moreton Island on 11 March. Unfortunately, with only five minutes to speak I could not possibly paint a picture of the incredible effort that was made by so many people involved in that clean-up. So I would like to take the opportunity this morning to put on the record my further thanks and congratulations to everybody involved. A number of state authorities and local community organisations as well as the federal government, through the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, were involved in this clean-up.

I want to give members an idea of what occurred. A significant amount of oil washed up on one of the most pristine beaches in this country in cyclonic conditions. This occurred on a beach which does not have a bitumen road to enable easy access. It is not just part of the normal coastline. It is on a major sand island and the only access is via two very difficult sand tracks, one of them leading into the beach and one of them leading out. In that climate, 300 volunteers had to be relocated to the island. They were put up at the Tangalooma resort. I give thanks to Trevor and his team, who provided meals and accommodation and all the added support that goes with accommodating so many people in a resort which is probably not used to having that many people there at the one time.

In order to clean up the beach, the volunteers had to be transported by bus across a very difficult sandy track—and, as you can imagine, one bus getting bogged would have put the logistics of the whole day out of action because it would effectively have meant that the only form of transport was cut off. When they got to the beach, it was covered by men who looked like something out of Star Wars. These men were in fully contained decontamination suits. The only way they could get the oil off the beach was by physically digging it with a shovel and sifting through it by hand.

There was much criticism of the slowness of the clean-up. People said the state and federal governments should have just brought in big trucks to dig up the beach and get rid of the oil as quickly as possible. But unfortunately oil sinks. So as soon as you put a heavy vehicle on sand, the oil sinks lower and the clean-up becomes more difficult. I want to pay tribute to the 300 people who painstakingly cleaned up one of the most magnificent parts of our country by hand. I thank them for that.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 193 the time for constituency statements has concluded.