Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Will the minister outline how the Australian government is responding to any environmental threat posed by the Montara oil spill?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. My department continues to work closely with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and relevant Commonwealth and state agencies to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to respond to any impact on wildlife and the broader environment that may result from this oil spill. It is a matter of great concern to me as environment minister. On Friday last week I accompanied AMSA on a flight over the site to see the extent of the spill firsthand and spoke to the officers working there who are monitoring it and responding to it. Emergency response measures have been in place since the uncontrolled release began on 21 August and, as the House has just heard, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority continues to lead the federal response to this matter.

The most immediate priority, as the Minister for Resources and Energy has just pointed out, remains to stem the flow of oil as soon as practicable by blocking the leaking well. This is a particularly complex engineering operation. To ensure that this essential operation is in no way delayed by the need to seek formal statutory approval for the necessary works, I can advise the House that last night I formally exempted these actions from the requirements of the EPBC Act on the basis that it was in the national interest to do so. Granting an exemption from the operation of the EPBC Act is not an action that any minister would take lightly, but I think there is little doubt that the environmental consequences of allowing the spill to continue whilst an environmental impact assessment is being prepared would be far worse than any impacts that might arise from actions taken to stem the flow.

Since the spill was reported my department has been working closely with AMSA and relevant Commonwealth and state agencies to put in place a plan of action to help any wildlife that might be affected by the oil spill in Commonwealth waters and to respond to possible impacts on nearby Commonwealth reserves. This plan has been developed by an expert in wildlife response from the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management who coordinated the wildlife response to the Moreton Bay oil spill earlier this year. Last week that expert carried out surveillance of the area, including the Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island Commonwealth marine reserves. The plan of action includes measures for treating any wildlife found that might be affected by oil at Ashmore and Cartier marine reserves, which are within about 80 nautical miles of the site. This includes ensuring that the appropriate response equipment is on site should it be needed. Customs and Border Protection Command officers on site at Ashmore are also regularly surveying the reserve for any identifiable impacts.

Whilst the spill is some distance from the Ashmore and Cartier reserves, my department continues to work with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to develop a response plan should any oil, including residue, reach these fragile areas. At the same time, the department will continue to work closely with the Western Australian government, which has plans in place to deal with any oil affected wildlife that might be found in state waters or that might come ashore on the Western Australian coastline. And to ensure that any longer term environmental impacts of the spill are appropriately addressed, my department is also working with the company responsible for the rig, PTTEP, to ensure that a comprehensive, long-term environmental monitoring program is put in place. The government is working to ensure that we do put in place all the necessary and practicable measures to respond to the threat presented by this oil spill to our precious environment.