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Output 1.3: A capability to respond to maritime pollution incidents

AMSA, 15th Annual Report, 2004 - 2005

This output covers AMSA’s responsibility for managing the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances, including provision of oil and chemical spill preparedness and response capabilities in consultation with State/Northern Territory Governments, port corporations and authorities, the shipping, oil, exploration and chemical industries and emergency services.

It comprises the following Sub-Output:

Sub-Output 1.3.1: Provide a level of response capability consistent with National Plan requirements.

This Sub-Output covers AMSA’s activities in providing a level of response capability consistent with National Plan requirements and particularly participating in meetings of the National Plan Management Committee, which provides strategic management of the National Plan and monitors provision of National Plan services, and the National Plan Operations Group ensuring the availability of trained personnel, support resources and equipment to respond to marine pollution.

AMSA’s Emergency Response Division and Maritime Safety and Environmental Strategy Divisions deliver this output by:

Managing the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances (the National Plan) providing oil and chemical pollution preparedness and response services, in consultation with State/Northern Territory Governments, port corporations and authorities, shipping, oil, exploration and chemical industries and emergency services.
Participating in the National Plan Management Committee (NPMC) to strategically manage the National Plan by setting broad policy directions, recommending funding arrangements to Ministers and monitoring provision of services by National Plan participants in accordance with the National Plan Inter-Governmental Agreement.
Chairing the National Plan Operations Group (NPOG) and participating in its three working groups on oil operations, chemicals and environment, as well as discharging the Group’s responsibility for the ongoing day-to-day operational aspects of the National Plan.
Contributing to environment protection initiatives and education and information sharing on marine pollution prevention.

Operating environment in 2004-2005

During 2004-2005, AMSA’s delivery of Output 1.3 in relation to preparedness and response to marine pollution incidents was influenced by the following external factors:

Implementation of the Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances, 2000.
Implementation of the relevant recommendations from the 2001 Review of Great Barrier Reef Ship Safety and Pollution Prevention Measures, including :
- The regional chemical spill assessment for the Reef region;
- Testing the National Maritime Place of Refuge Risk Assessment

Guidelines for disabled and damaged vessels.

Conduct of national chemical spill risk assessment for areas outside the Great Barrier Reef region.
Provision of nine National Plan regional response equipment stockpiles.
Australian Government support for development of long-term arrangements for national Emergency Response Division towage capability.
Corporatisation and privatisation of port services by State and Northern Territory Governments in relation to the impact on maintaining marine pollution response capabilities.
Ongoing change in Australia’s marine pollution risk profile with new and expanded port developments and increased importation of oil and chemical cargoes.
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AMSA’s response to the operating environment

In response to the external factors in the operating environment, AMSA identified the following portfolio objectives and underpinning responses and priority actions to focus its work during 2004-2005 on achievement of the portfolio outcome of a better transport system for Australia.

Sub-Output 1.3.1: Provide a level of response capability consistent with National Plan requirements

Portfolio Objective: A better transport system for Australia by Australia maintaining effective Emergency Response Division arrangements to shipping incidents and to combat ship sourced marine pollution.

AMSA’s response 1.3.1-1: AMSA to manage the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances.

Priority actions in delivering sub-output 1.3.1 during 2004-2005

Manage response to any marine pollution incidents coming within the National Plan jurisdiction

During 2004-2005, there were no major ship-sourced marine pollution incidents in Australian waters. However, AMSA National Plan equipment was involved as part of contingency arrangements in response to four relatively minor shipping incidents.

The National Plan held its major biennial oil spill response simulation exercise, Exercise James Cook, in Botany Bay, New South Wales, in September 2004 to test both State and national contingency plans. It involved more than 20 local, State and national organisations and over 150 personnel participated in responding to the oil spill scenario or as observers. The exercise identified opportunities to strengthen communications, command and control and to document administration and reporting. The recommendations of the Exercise Management Team report are being actioned.

There were 10 training programs attended by 169 people conducted by AMSA under National Plan arrangements in 2004-2005. AMSA officers attended and/or participated in a range of National Plan exercises conducted by State and industry authorities. All were designed to test a range of plans, procedures and arrangements associated with oil and chemical spill preparedness and response.

Participate in the National Plan Management Committee (NPMC) consideration of strategic management issues in consultation with major stakeholders in the National Plan

The eighth meeting of the NPMC was held in Hobart on 14 April 2005. The major agenda items included the draft budget for 2005-2006, competency based training and progress against the NPMC’s work program and key performance indicators.

The NPMC made a final report in February 2004 to the Australian Maritime Group advising that the 17 recommendations of the 2000 Review of the National Plan had been addressed within the work programs of the NPMC and the National Plan Operations Group. The AMG meeting in August 2004 referred the report to the Australian Transport Council Ministers’ meeting in November 2004, which noted the report and agreed that the Inter-Governmental Agreement underpinning the National Plan should continue.

Participate in the National Plan Operations Group (NPOG), including Working Groups, on operational issues in consultation with major stakeholders in the National Plan

AMSA chaired two meetings of NPOG in November 2004 and June 2005, which considered a diverse range of operational issues. These included:

Formulation of NPOG’s work program.
Development of an Oil Spill Monitoring Background Paper and Handbook and revised Field Manual for Rescue and Rehabilitation of Oiled Birds.
Implementation of competency based training for skills based training held at the IMO Level 1 equivalent.
National chemical risk assessment.
Extension of the Fixed Wing Aerial Dispersant Capability Contract for a further three years.

NPOG’s Oil Operations Working Group (OOWG) is responsible for addressing operational, technical and administrative issues delegated to it by NPOG and to provide an operational forum to facilitate discussion and interaction between parties to the National Plan. Chaired by AMSA the OOWG met twice in September 2004 and March 2005. The most significant issue addressed by OOWG was Competency Based Training and its adoption on a national basis by National Plan agencies. Significant work has been undertaken on progressing the training framework with a view to introduction and use on a national basis during 2005-2006.

The National Plan Environment Working Group is responsible for oversighting the National Plan Research, Development and Technology Program, which aims to undertake research into improving the effective practicable response to oil and chemical pollution incidents in Australia. Two projects are being undertaken in 2004-2005, with the first involving research into bunker fuel oil spill weathering and fingerprinting and the second examining the impacts of oil spill dispersants on sea grasses. AMSA is managing contracts for these projects and assisting the research teams with technical advice and providing materials such as samples of bunker fuel and dispersants. Final reports are expected from these projects late in 2005.

The Group also produced a training video entitled Safety First in Oiled Wildlife Response, which received international recognition at the United States’ International Oil Spill Conference held in Miami in May 2005. The video won the conference Best Film award, known as the Oilscars. It focused on the recognition of occupational health and safety issues in taking care of wildlife affected by an oil spill. The production involved assistance from AMSA, Taronga Park Zoo, New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney Ports Corporation and South Australia Parks and Wildlife.

Participate in State/Northern Territory marine pollution committees

AMSA attended meetings in all States and the Northern Territory during 2004-2005. Attendance at the meetings provided AMSA with an overview of State/Northern Territory issues and allowed AMSA personnel to update their colleagues on national and international issues of interest.

Respond to recommendations and feedback from incident response assessment reports and National Plan exercise reports
There were no significant pollution spills in 2004-2005 that warranted preparation of an assessment report in relation to recommendations to enhance existing response arrangements. The recommendations from Exercise 2004 Exercise James Cook held in September 2004 on Botany Bay in Sydney are being actioned by relevant parties.

Regularly review and assess risk profiles in consultation with the States and Northern Territory and industry

AMSA maintains an overview of changes in the profile in the States and the Northern Territory through attendance at various forums, including State Committee meetings. The major activity in 2004-2005 was the ongoing establishment of regional equipment stockpiles to support a response to Tier 2/3 spills (ie those more than 10 tonnes).

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AMSA’s response 1.3.1-2: AMSA to promote international cooperation in improving responsiveness to ship sourced pollution.

Priority actions in delivering sub-output 1.3.1 during 2004-2005

Involvement in exercises and training programs to give effect to international cooperative agreements with the South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP), New Zealand, Indonesia, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.

SPREP is based in Apia, Samoa, and was established by Pacific administrations to promote environment protection in the region. During 2003, AMSA participated in a joint oil spill equipment assessment in Fiji with Maritime New Zealand on behalf of SPREP to assist in its preparation of a draft Regional Oil Spill Equipment Strategy. AMSA then conducted oil spill equipment assessments in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Kiribati, with the audit report presented to SPREP in July 2004. This work provided guidance to SPREP member countries on the minimum response equipment that they need to ensure their preparedness for oil spills incidents at both national and regional levels. SPREP is considering funding arrangements and prioritisation of the report recommendations. AMSA and Maritime New Zealand have offered to assist with evaluation, commissioning and operator training for any equipment purchased.

SPREP has purchased oil spill response equipment valued at around $A105,000, which was located in the Cook Islands and Tonga in late 2004, with further purchases for other locations to be made in the coming years. The purchases are from a Canadian funded marine pollution project and have resulted from savings made by SPREP undertaking certain activities themselves or in conjunction with partners such as AMSA and Maritime New Zealand, rather than hiring consultants.

Participate in relevant IMO working groups, including the Technical Group for the International Convention on Oil Spill Preparedness Response and Co-operation (OPRC) and the Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances (OPCR-HNS Protocol) and contribute to their implementation.

Australia’s instrument of accession was lodged with the IMO in March 2005 to the Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances 2000 (OPRC HNS Protocol). The Protocol was concluded by the IMO in 2000 and provides a global framework for international cooperation in combating major incidents or threats of marine pollution by substances other than oil.

Accession to the Protocol strengthens Australia’s existing response arrangements under the National Marine Chemical Spill Contingency Plan (CHEMPLAN) by giving Australia access to overseas assistance in the event of an emergency involving pollution from hazardous and noxious substances other than oil. It also authorises IMO to take a range of measures in relation to such pollution incidents. It will enter into force 12 months after the date when at least 15 States have accepted it. Australia’s accession brought to 13 the number of States that had acceded to the Protocol.

As part of the National Plan arrangements, a chemical spill risk assessment is being undertaken in 2005-2006, which will assist in ensuring implementation of Australia’s obligations as a signatory to the Convention.

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AMSA’s response 1.3.1-3: AMSA to contribute to the ongoing improvement of Emergency Response Division arrangements aimed at reducing the risk of ship-sourced marine pollution.

Priority actions in delivering sub-output 1.3.1 during 2004-2005

Ongoing testing of the National Maritime Place of Refuge Risk Assessment Guidelines for determining places of refuge for disabled and damaged ships and promoting the practical application of the Guidelines with relevant parties

The National Maritime Place of Refuge Risk Assessment Guidelines are intended to assist Australian maritime administrations, ship masters and owners and the maritime industry in identifying places of refuge, in circumstances where an emergency cannot be dealt with at sea, and provide appropriate procedures to access a place of refuge. A place of refuge is a place where a ship in need of assistance can find favourable conditions enabling it to take action to stabilise its condition, protect human life and reduce the hazards to navigation and to the environment.

The Guidelines complement existing State/Northern Territory arrangements, and are to be applied in a manner consistent with the principles of international law, in particular those relating to the balance of interests between a ship in distress and Australia’s national interest.

During 2004-2005, the operation of the Guidelines was tested in exercises and simulated pollution incidents that are regularly conducted under the National Plan. The Queensland National Plan State Committee is planning a place of refuge desktop exercise in August 2005 with representatives and observers from high-risk areas invited to participate. AMSA also is conducting a series of workshops in regional centres designed to strengthen understanding of the application of the Guidelines.

Testing of response arrangements through a major biennial exercise

The National Plan held its major biennial oil spill response exercise on Botany Bay New South Wales on 15 September 2004. Exercise James Cook is the sixth such exercise to be conducted since the inception of the National Plan. The main objective of the exercise was to test the arrangements of both the State Waters Oil and Chemical Spill Contingency Plan and the National Plan.

The exercise management team also identified a number of other objectives designed to test specific administrative and operational arrangements under both contingency plans. These included the exercising of: State response arrangements and the State Oiled Wildlife Response Plan, notification procedures for public health issues, National Fixed Wing Aerial Dispersant Capability, key Government and industry response personnel, communications within incident responses and test systems and procedures for assessing environmental considerations.

The exercise scenario was based on an accident with a tanker approaching the oil refinery at Kurnell resulting in a spill of between 2,000-3,000 tonnes of oil. The exercise scenario included an oil spill impacting several sensitive areas around Botany Bay and adjacent foreshores. A large amount of oil spill response equipment owned by both the National Plan and Sydney Ports Corporation was deployed during the exercise. This allowed response personnel to exercise and train with the larger equipment located in Sydney as part of the National Plan’s Tier 2/3 equipment stockpile.

More than 20 local, State and national organisations with over 150 personnel were involved in either responding or observing the exercise. The key organisations included: the Sydney, Newcastle, and Port Kembla Port Corporations; New South Wales Maritime Authority; major oil companies; the New South Wales Fire Brigade; Office of Emergency Services; Department of Environment and Conservation; Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC); and AMSA.

The exercise was highly successful with participants, umpires and observers strongly committed to ensuring that the exercise was realistic and meeting all exercise objectives. Some opportunities for improvement were identified in communications, command and control, document administration and reporting.

A full exercise report was prepared under the direction of the Exercise Management Team and all recommendations are being actioned. The next exercise is planned for 2006 in Launceston, Tasmania. To ensure continuity, a representative from the Launceston Port Authority was part of the Botany Bay exercise management team and will chair the exercise management team in 2006.

On completion of Exercise James Cook an exercise management team was established for the Tasmanian exercise. The team first met in early 2005 and is currently undertaking work associated with the development of the Exercise 2006 scenario and associated issues.

Promote improved management of all aspects of oil spill response by the sharing of information and expertise

In conjunction with the Australian Institute of Petroleum, AMSA organised the 10th International Oil Spill Conference, Spillcon 2004, which was held in Brisbane from 23 to 27 August 2004 with its associated on-water display and Response Issues Seminar.

Spillcon is internationally renowned as the premier oil spill conference in the Asia Pacific region. It ranks with the two other major international conferences in this area, the United States’ International Oil Spill Conference and the Europe’s Interspill conference. It provides participants with a comprehensive review of the latest information on the causes of marine pollution and its prevention, preparedness and response management. At Spillcon 2004, a range of national and international speakers spoke on issues relating to prevention, preparedness, response, prosecutions and oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.

The Hon Warren Entsch MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, and the Hon Paul Lucas MP, Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads, jointly opened the conference. Almost 300 delegates participated in the conference, with 70 international participants.

The next conference, Spillcon 2007, will be held in Western Australia in March 2007 to bring the Australian conference into line with the United States International Oil Spill Conference being held in Florida in May 2005 and Europe’s Interspill being held in London in 2006. AMSA already is involved in planning for Spillcon 2007.

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Contribute technical/ operational advice to governments’ consideration of long-term arrangements for Emergency Response Division towage capability

The Australian Maritime Group (AMG) has been considering the issue of emergency towage since 2002 when it commissioned a consultant’s study on salvage availability around Australia. AMSA has contributed operational and technical advice in the consideration of ship safety and environment protection issues involved with emergency towage capacity.

The AMG meeting in August 2003 established a Working Group on Emergency Towage and Salvage Capacity chaired by DOTARS and including Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and AMSA to consider the best means to advance the issue. The Working Group produced a discussion paper, Emergency Towing Vessels – Options for Australia, which was circulated in April 2004 to relevant stakeholders with the request for feedback within three months.

In June 2004, The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Transport and Regional Services presented a report from its inquiry into maritime salvage in Australian waters. It made eight recommendations envisaging a significantly wider role for governments in ensuring the provision of emergency towage and salvage capacity and providing subsidies for standby capability and training of towage crews.

The AMG Working Group continued to progress the AMG emergency towage work program intersessionally with the aim of providing a report to the AMG meeting in March 2005. This included the convening of a number of workshops in Fremantle, Brisbane and Sydney in February 2005 to consult with industry stakeholders, in which AMSA participated.

DOTARS and AMSA also commissioned a consultant to undertake a structured risk assessment for emergency towage and salvage around the Australian coast to inform the work of the AMG’s Working Party and taking account of the Parliamentary Committee report. The consultant’s study was based on the 2000 Risk Assessment of Pollution from Oil and Chemical Spill Risk in Australian Ports and Waters for the National Plan review.

It modelled the effects of changes in salvage capacity for any significant changes in risk profiles and undertook a costing exercise for maintaining salvage capacity commensurate with the 2000 baseline risk assessment. The consultant’s final report was presented in October 2004 and published on the AMSA Internet site at www.amsa.gov.au/Publications/index.asp

The consultant demonstrated that overall risk of an incident for all parts of the Australian coast is relatively low and declining with higher risk areas corresponding to the major port areas. The range of incidents (ie drift groundings) in which emergency towage intervention may assist in preventing a shipping incident is small and unlikely to justify the maintenance of standby capacity around the coast. There are both towage and salvage capabilities currently existing at high-risk areas around the coast. Nevertheless, a risk remained of a one-off event with perceived exposure for governments, particularly if tugs capable of emergency towage are withdrawn from service in future.

In June 2005, the Australian Transport Council Ministers’ meeting agreed in-principle to the introduction of a national approach to maritime emergency towage around the Australian coastline with the details to be finalised later in 2005. This should involve an integrated package of measures to ensure a minimum level of emergency towage coverage in strategic regions and provide an appropriate regulatory framework. The approach will include a vessel for the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait, which currently has no port-based emergency towage services.

The AMG Working Group is now developing details of the scheme for consideration by AMG and then submission to the ATC later in 2005.

In the 2005 Federal Budget, the Australian Government announced that it would provide funding in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 to ensure the maintenance of the current maritime emergency towage capability and services around the Australian coastline. The funding was made available on a competitive basis under the Maritime Emergency Towage Program administered by DOTARS. [Details about the program are available on DOTARS’ Internet site: www.dotars.gov.au/]

The Program’s objective is to maintain the overall level of ocean-going maritime emergency towage capacity around the Australian coastline on an interim basis, pending the outcome of the current review of the long-term provision of emergency towage services by the ATC expected later in 2005. Under the Program, the Australian Government is not involved in the actual provision of emergency towage or other services using the available towage capability. When required, provision of services will be a matter for agreement between the provider of the capacity and the owner, operator or other party requiring services.

Following completion of a competitive selection process in which AMSA provided technical advice to DOTARS, the offer, subject to negotiations, of Australian Government funding was made to United Salvage Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Adsteam Marine Limited, and RiverWijs Pty Ltd, a joint venture between SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage Group and Riverside Marine.

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Performance Review 2004-2005

Portfolio Outcome: A better transport system for Australia

AMSA Outcome 1: Minimising the risk of shipping incidents and pollution in Australian waters.

Output Group 1: Ship Operations, Safety and Marine Environment Protection Program

Output 1.3: Capability to respond to marine pollution incidents: AMSA manages the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances, which involves providing oil and chemical spill preparedness and response capabilities in consultation with State and Northern Territory Governments, port corporations and authorities, shipping, oil, exploration and chemical industries and emergency services.

Sub-Output 1.3.1: Provide a level of response capability consistent with National Plan requirements.
Measure	Performance 2004-2005
Availability of support resources and equipment. (Quality) Target: 95% availability	During 2004-2005, the availability of support resources and equipment was 95%.
Implementation of recommendations from reviews of exercises and responses to spills. (Quality) Target: 100% implementation of accepted recommendation	During 2004-2005, all accepted recommendations from National Plan exercises had been actioned.
Number of trained and adequately equipped personnel. (Quantity) Target: 40 national response teams/200 support personnel each two year cycle.	During 2004-2005, more than 40 National Response Team personnel were available and 363 personnel were trained in each two-year cycle.
Cost of maintaining a response capability. (Price) Target: 2004-2005 estimates: $4.712 million	During 2004-2005, the cost of maintaining a response capability was $4.036 million.

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November 2005