Marine Environment Protection

Reporting Ship Sourced Pollution

National Plan

Place of Refuge Guidelines

Educational resources and information

Major Oil Spills in Australia

Prevention of Pollution from Ships

National Maritime Emergency Response Arrangements

AMSAs Role in Maritime Environmental Issues

Register of Local Fuel Oil Suppliers

Torres Strait PSSA

Executive Summary

National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and other Noxious and Hazardous Substances
Annual Report 1997/98

Background to the National Plan

The grounding of the Oceanic Grandeur in the Torres Strait in 1970 led to the implementation of the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil (the National Plan) to ensure that Australia would be prepared to respond to ship-sourced pollution incidents.

The National Plan came into operation in October 1973 and represented primarily a combined effort by Commonwealth and State/Northern Territory (NT) Governments, with some assistance from the oil industry, to help provide a solution to the threat posed to the coastal environment by oil pollution from ships.

The original concept of the National Plan was to provide dispersant spraying equipment for deployment from small craft, such as fishing vessels; dispersant material at nine locations around the Australian coastline and a central stockpile of ship-to-ship transfer equipment. This concept was later augmented by the Commonwealth Government’s acquisition of a much wider variety of equipment and resources, placed on long term loan to State and Northern Territory authorities. A major review of the National Plan was undertaken in 1992, resulting in a refocussing of the National Plan and the integration of government and industry activities.

In April 1998 the National Plan incorporated the new arrangements for responding to chemical spills, resulting in the Plan's new title: the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and other Noxious and Hazardous Substances.

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National Plan Advisory Committee (NPAC)

The National Plan Advisory Committee (NPAC) provides assistance and advice to the AMSA Board in managing the National Plan. NPAC held two meetings during 1997/98, in Fremantle on 14 November and Melbourne on 17 April.

Membership of NPAC comprises:

Additional representation is sought from agencies on an ad hoc basis when there is a need to address a particular issue.

The November 1997 meeting of NPAC endorsed a new three year education program. The program features new material on responding to chemical spills, identifying oil on water and a National Plan equipment manual. It will also update existing promotional material. A paper summarising disposal options for oily waste was adopted at the meeting. Initial consideration was given to potential difficulties for the National Plan arising from the process of Port Corporatisation/Privatisation.

At its April meeting, NPAC agreed that the internationally recognised Incident Control System (ICS) would be adopted as the National Plan oil spill response management system. The system will be progressively implemented over a three year period commencing on 1 January 1999. Changes will be required to most National Plan contingency plans at national, regional and local levels. Work on revising the National Contingency Plan will begin shortly. An ICS Working Group will oversee the implementation on the system and report on the progress at each meeting of NPAC.

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1997/98 National Plan Highlights

Finance

National Plan income totalled $3.89m, a reduction of 1 percent compared with 1996/97. Expenditure increased by 16 percent to $4.60m due to the increase in depreciation, and materials and services. Depreciation increased due to the upward revaluation of plant and equipment. Materials and services increased as provisions were made for slow moving dispersant stock. Incident revenue and expenditure decreased, as there were no significant spill responses during the reporting period. Accumulated surpluses at the end of the 1997/98 financial year were $1.99m, a reduction of 25 percent compared with 1996/97.

Equipment

The rolling program of equipment acquisition to ensure all ports have a basic set of equipment incorporating booms and skimmers as well as support equipment continued during the reporting period. Items purchased included 585 metres of general purpose boom, 920 metres of shoreline protection boom and 14 recovered oil tanks. Further details of the program are under Equipment.

Oil Pollution Incidents

AMSA received 254 reports of oil discharge sightings, both confirmed and unconfirmed during the reporting year. Ten incidents required involvement by AMSA under National Plan arrangements. Almost 71 percent of discharge sighting occurred within port limits and appropriate clean up or monitoring action was undertaken by the relevant State/Northern Territory authority or oil terminal. The actual source of 146 reported sightings could not be determined, while the remainder were confirmed as vessel sourced.

Training

During 1997/98 the National Plan’s comprehensive training program continued. For details of courses held see Training. The States and the Northern Territory continued to provide a variety of training courses and the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) in Geelong maintained its training program during the period. The overall National Plan training program provided quality training to personnel requiring skills in responding to marine pollution incidents.

The training program was extended to include a new course - the Advanced On Scene Coordinator. Two were held during 1997/98 in December and April, both in Canberra.

Fixed Wing Aerial Dispersant Capability

At the beginning of 1998 the contract between AMSA and Australian Maritime Resources for the provision of the Fixed Wing Aerial Dispersant Capability was reviewed.

Among the objectives was to determine whether the contract arrangements best met the needs of the National Plan and whether any amendments should be made so as to improve the service delivery. The review also examined whether additional aircraft should also be used and coverage expanded.

All stakeholders were satisfied with the contract in its current form and with the level of performance and management of the contract.

Training Review

At the November meeting of NPAC it was agreed that a Review of National Plan (AMSA, State and Industry) Training should be undertaken in order to review the objectives of the National Plan courses and to determine their relevance to current and proposed objectives. The review will recommend measures as appropriate for rationalisation and improvements in content and cost effectiveness.

Capricorn Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd were awarded the contract to perform the review. The report is expected to be given to NPAC during 1998/99.

Port Reform

The April 1997 meeting of NPAC identified the States/NT port reform process as having the potential to impact on the continuing effectiveness of the National Plan and, as a result, NPAC recommended that a study of the potential impacts of port reform be undertaken.

A project brief was prepared with the input of NPAC members and circulated to potential tenderers in February 1998. After assessment by a steering group comprising AMSA, the Chair of the Tasmanian State Pollution Committee and AAPMA, the contract was awarded to Thompson Clarke Shipping. The Consultancy Report is expected to be tabled at the September 1998 NPAC meeting.

Scientific and Environmental Issues

The National Plan Advisory Committee was represented at a number of forums where major issues involving the marine environment were given priority. These included:

In late 1997 AMSA was advised it would be provided with $1 million from the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT). This funding is for the fast tracking, integration and establishment of a National "Oil Spill Response Atlas" based on the current National Plan Coastal Resource Atlas Program, which has been in place for a number of years. AMSA will direct the NHT funding to the States and Northern Territory so as to assist them in data capture, data processing and hands-on development of the response atlas. AMSA has completed a final project outline and management plan. A draft has been provided to Environment Australia for review. It is planned to have the new Atlas completed by the end of 1999.

Marine Environment Protection Services is developing a Search and Rescue/Oil Spill Trajectory Model, in conjunction with AMSA's Search and Rescue Centre, AusSAR. This will use near real time meteorological and oceanographic data and provide drift and trajectory modelling capabilities for Australian waters.

Work continued on the development of the National Wildlife Response Plan and Bioremediation R&D programs.

National Plan on the Internet

In September 1997, AMSA began the process of replacing the National Plan Management Manual, with the relevant documents being placed on the AMSA web site. The access to some of these documents has been restricted by password.

Other information on the site includes:

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last updated:
18 June 2001