Swire Shipping to pay Australia A$25m for spill
UK-based Swire Shipping said on Saturday that it had reached a deal with the Australian government on compensation for an oil spill this year which hit pristine tourist beaches in north-eastern Australia.
The shipping firm will pay A$25 million (S$30.3 million) in compensation for the spill from the ship Pacific Adventurer, which spread 270 tonnes of fuel oil onto beaches north of Brisbane, in Queensland state's picturesque Sunshine Coast.
The disaster occurred when a cyclone hit the area in March.
A massive clean-up was mounted involving 2,500 people, which enabled the beaches to reopen within nine weeks.
'We very much regret the accident, caused by Cyclone Hamish, that resulted in the oil spill - and also the effect of the spill on the Queensland coastal environment and the people of Queensland,' Swire's chairman in Australia, Bill Rothery, said in a statement.
The company said the A$25 million compensation was well above its legal obligations and was in addition to A$2 million it had already spent on the clean-up. It would also ensure that private businesses affected would receive more than they otherwise would have, the company said.
'It has always been our aim to ensure that small businesses with valid claims are fully compensated. We are also concerned that the safety of the fishing industry is maintained,' Mr Rothery said.
Tourism is one of Australia's largest industries.
At the time of the accident, Swire agreed to pay all the clean-up costs. However, last month Queensland Premier Anna Bligh accused the company of trying to backtrack on that commitment and leave taxpayers with much of the bill.
Ms Bligh on Saturday hailed the deal as fair for taxpayers. 'Queensland will not be out of pocket for the reasonable costs of this incident,' she said.
The shipping firm will pay A$25 million (S$30.3 million) in compensation for the spill from the ship Pacific Adventurer, which spread 270 tonnes of fuel oil onto beaches north of Brisbane, in Queensland state's picturesque Sunshine Coast.
The disaster occurred when a cyclone hit the area in March.
A massive clean-up was mounted involving 2,500 people, which enabled the beaches to reopen within nine weeks.
'We very much regret the accident, caused by Cyclone Hamish, that resulted in the oil spill - and also the effect of the spill on the Queensland coastal environment and the people of Queensland,' Swire's chairman in Australia, Bill Rothery, said in a statement.
The company said the A$25 million compensation was well above its legal obligations and was in addition to A$2 million it had already spent on the clean-up. It would also ensure that private businesses affected would receive more than they otherwise would have, the company said.
'It has always been our aim to ensure that small businesses with valid claims are fully compensated. We are also concerned that the safety of the fishing industry is maintained,' Mr Rothery said.
Tourism is one of Australia's largest industries.
At the time of the accident, Swire agreed to pay all the clean-up costs. However, last month Queensland Premier Anna Bligh accused the company of trying to backtrack on that commitment and leave taxpayers with much of the bill.
Ms Bligh on Saturday hailed the deal as fair for taxpayers. 'Queensland will not be out of pocket for the reasonable costs of this incident,' she said.