Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The other thing that is extraordinarily obvious is that removing the oil from the sand is a delicate operation. I saw bulges under the oil—it is thicker than molasses—where crabs and other creatures were building up pressure to try to get out of the choking envelope. They burst out and then were faced with tens of metres of oil in all directions—no escape for them. The quicker the oil is removed from the beaches, the better for the surviving ecosystem, but it took too long to get the required number of people into place, and there were volunteers by the thousand who wanted to help.

The other question that comes is where the appropriate machinery for cleaning up Australia’s beaches is. One thing that needs to come out of this is a specialised piece of equipment which is able to take the oil off the top and remove it with minimal skimming of sand. You cannot put a grader in there. These are very pertinent questions for the Commonwealth to be responding to. I have seen no comprehensive response from either the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government or the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I am out of time here, but what we do know is that the effect of this spill is going to go on for months, if not years. (Time expired)