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Equipment

National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil
Annual Report 1996-97

Primary focus during the reporting period was to continue the rolling program to ensure that all ports have a basic set of equipment incorporating booms and skimmers and support equipment to enable a first strike capability. Items delivered during the reporting period included:

1505 metres of general purpose boom for the following locations:
Mackay - 300 metres
Thursday Island - 300 metres
Townsville - 200 metres
Thevenard - 300 metres
Port Alma - 105 metres
Groote Eylandt - 300 metres

1640 metres of shoreline protection boom for the following locations:
Cairns - 300 metres
Dampier - 300 metres
Melbourne - 160 metres
Devonport - 160 metres
Hobart - 200 metres
Hay Point - 160 metres
Port Hedland - 160 metres
Darwin - 200 metres

Ten small weir type skimmer units for the following locations:
Burnie
Darwin
Hobart
Bell Bay
Port Lincoln
Esperance
Groote Eylandt
Portland
Eden
Thursday Island.

A further four small weir skimmers were ordered in June for delivery in the next reporting period.

Small boat dispersant spray system - Hobart.

110 small anchor kits for the following locations:
- Five kits - Melbourne
- Five kits each - Bundaberg, Newcastle, Port Kembla, Port Lincoln, Fremantle, Dampier, Bell Bay and Hobart
- Fifteen kits to the National Plan central stockpile - Brisbane
- Five kits each - Albany, Esperance, Port Hedland, Bunbury, Useless Loop, Geraldton, Burnie, Devonport, Portland and Eden.

34 large anchor kits for the following locations:
- Four kits - Western Port
- Six kits each - Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney, Fremantle and Dampier

One recovered oil transfer pump for the National Plan central stockpile - Brisbane

Sixteen recovered oil tanks were ordered in June for delivery during the next reporting period to:
- Port Hedland, Bunbury, Port Kembla, Burnie, Bell Bay, Hobart, Mackay and Gladstone (two for each location)

One sweep boom system was ordered in June for delivery during the next reporting period to Townsville.

Sorbent mops, pads and booms were delivered to ports in all States and the Northern Territory in March.

Portable workshop trailer purchased by AMOSC - AMOSC Geelong

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Communications and oil spill response support systems

Since 1 July 1996 AMSA has purchased a range of communications and support systems in response to lessons learned during the Iron Baron and Peacock incidents:

Three satcom mini-sat telephones to complement an existing unit for communications in remote locations and other areas without adequate mobile telephone or radio communications coverage;

One portable and two handheld GPS units to facilitate accurate plotting of oil slicks;

Eight handheld VHF sets to facilitate the co-ordination of activities during a major response;

One oil slick tracker buoy to complement an existing unit designed to track oil slicks, particularly at night and during times of poor daytime visibility.

Deploying an oil slick tracker

Deploying an oil slick tracker buoy during an exercise.

All the above are held in Canberra and are available to accompany AMSA members of the national response team when mobilised in response to a major incident.

The Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) have developed a beach flushing equipment kit and personnel decontamination kit during the reporting period.

A major refurbishment commenced on an oil recovery vessel in Brisbane during the reporting period prior to its relocation to Port Adelaide in 1997/98.

Three oil recovery service vessels were relocated during the reporting period: the Turbo from Newcastle to Gladstone, the Murexfrom Port Pirie to Port Adelaide and the Conch from Port Adelaide to Port Lincoln.

During the reporting period MEPS technicians carried out audits of National Plan equipment held at Thevenard, Port Pirie, Port Lincoln and Wallaroo in September; Adelaide in September; Newcastle and Brisbane in October; Fremantle, Bunbury and Geraldton in November; Hobart, Burnie, Bell Bay, Devonport, Port Kembla and Eden in December; Geelong in January; Sydney in February; Port Hedland in May and Darwin in June.

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last updated:
18 June 2001