Honing emergency response skills

Shell’s Port Jackson facility came under a mock terrorist attack in October as part of an oil spill containment exercise designed to hone the skills of a range of emergency response agencies.

The aim of the exercise was to test the response of a number of key agencies, including Sydney Ports, to a Tier 2 oil spill – a spill of up to 10,000 tonnes of oil.

The exercise replicated an emergency response to a simulated terrorist attack on Shell’s Gore Bay terminal.

Up to 30 operational personnel were involved using a range of oil spill equipment, such as containment booms, skimmers and specialised oil recovery vessels. The response also tested fire fighting capabilities and there were a number of mock medical evacuations over a period of 10 hours.

In addition to maintaining safe navigation in the ports for commercial shipping, Sydney Ports is responsible for responding to marine-based emergencies and for controlling, cleaning up and investigating any spills on Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay.

“As well as conducting regular exercises to ensure we are well prepared for emergencies and oil spills, Sydney Ports also conducts random safety audits to minimise the chance of such incidents,” said Sydney Ports General Manager, Environment, Security and Community, Shane Hobday.

During the 2007/08 financial year, Sydney Ports’ officers carried out 1,503 audits on vessels transferring bulk oil, gas and chemicals. There were 5,647 refuelling inspections and 117 container terminal audits. Last year Sydney Ports responded to 191 incidents of marine pollution. It also assisted 11 ships experiencing difficulty in bad weather and seven recreational vessels with fires on board.

Last major oil spill in Sydney Harbour was on 3 August 1999 from the oil tanker Laura D'Amato when 300 tonnes of crude oil was spilt from open sea chest valves whilst the vessel was berthed at the Shell oil terminal at Gore Bay. 

Sydney Ports prosecuted the vessel's owners and Master under the Marine Pollution  Act. The owners were fined $520,000 and the Master $120,000. At the time the maximum fine was $1,000,000. The NSW Government subsequently increased the maximum fine under the Marine Pollution Act to $12,000,000.