'Reef rat run' on the coastal coal highway
Once again, the words "resources," "exports," "China" and "controversy" feature in the same blog. But this time they refer, of course, to the grounding of the China-bound coal carrier Shen Neng 1, which rammed into a sand bar on Saturday afternoon.
For the past couple of days we have been on stand-by to head up to north Queensland, for if the ship had broken up it could potentially have caused one of the biggest environmental disasters in Australian history and done untold damage to the Great Barrier Reef.
Yet as I write, early on Tuesday morning, the maritime authorities seem much more confident that they will be able to stabilise the 230-metre bulk carrier, and prevent it from breaking apart. Officials say that a catastrophic break-up is now unlikely. Happily, chemical dispersants have also been successful in containing a 3km by 100m slick.
Three investigations will now focus on why the Chinese-owned ship veered so far off course into a restricted area, and the Queensland government has raised the spectre of hefty fines. Anna Bligh, the state premier, says she wants to "throw the book" at the Chinese shipping company. "This ship has acted illegally by being in this restricted zone," she said, "and I hope they face the full force of the law."
Brisbane's Courier Mail which speculates that the ship might have been taking an illegal short-cut - "a Reef rat run" which saves time and money on the voyage to China.
Conservationists have also complained that the federal and state governments have encouraged the growth of the resources sector but failed to acknowledge the environmental risks involved. This is the third oil spill in less than past two years, and it comes at a time when the east coast ports of Gladstone in Queensland and Newcastle in New South Wales are being expanded, which will obviously increase the traffic.
The Australian Greens say that these shipping lanes off north Queensland have become a "coal highway," and have complained that there are no laws which make it mandatory for foreign ships to use local pilots.
What I've found genuinely surprising is that there is no seaborne equivalent of air traffic control, and the maritime authorities do not track these huge ships. Whereas fishing boats are required by law to carry vessel-monitoring systems to prove that they are not operating in "no catch" zones, bulk carriers are not mandated to carry this equipment.
With the resources sector back at full throttle, has Australia got the maritime policies in place which balance the needs of the economy and the needs of the environment?
BREAKING NEWS: Some breaking political news that's big in Australia, but with not enough global resonance, I suspect, to make it onto the ´óÏó´«Ã½ website. Malcolm Turnbull, the former Liberal leader, .
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