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Organisation
Exercise
"Barossa" - Adelaide
11 June 1998
2.1 Mobilisation
Advice of the incident was first received by the harbour control tower at 0257 hrs (CST) June 11 and news of the casualty was relayed at 0303 hrs (CST) to Captain Walter Stuart Chair of the South Australian Marine Pollution Committee and the State Oil Spill Commander. Captain Stuart then advised the other State Combat Committee Members and afterwards proceeded to the Adelaide Passenger Terminal, which was designated as the Incident Control Centre.
Captain Stuart arrived at the Incident Control Centre at 0400 hrs (CST).
At 0440 hrs (CST) Captain Stuart briefed the assembled persons regarding the incident and outlined his role as the State Oil Spill Commander, introduced Captain Peter Shipp as Deputy Spill Commander, Captain Phil Hammond as On Scene Co-ordinator and Captain Graham Wilson as officer in charge of the casualty. The Environment and Science Co-ordinator was Peter Pfennig. Ron Hoey was appointed as Manager of the Incident Control Centre.
Four areas of concern were expressed, namely:
- Monitoring of the oil spill and establishing its size.
- Local environmental concerns such as mangroves in the river and affected beaches.
- Safety of the vessel.
- Torrens Island Power Station cooling intakes.
2.2 South Australian Oil Spill Contingency Plan
Standard Operating Procedures SOP 1, response to a report of oil spill at sea.
South Australian Oil Spill Contingency Plan (draft dated 8 April 1998) which includes:
- South Australian Response and Clean up Priorities.
- South Australian Oil Spill Contingency Plan Checklists.
- South Australian Safety Guidance Material, Communications Plan, Field Sitrep Proforma and Wildlife Proforma.
2.3 Commonwealth Arrangements
AMSA-Marine Environment Protection Services (MEPS) in Canberra received initial advice of the incident at 0415 hrs EST (0345 hrs CST) and within one hour the MEPS team had assembled in the Canberra office for briefing.
By 0530 hrs (CST) the team had moved into high level briefing mode advising AMSA senior officers and government officials of the situation.
By 0600 hrs (CST) five of the MEPS staff were en route to Adelaide by air in response to the Oil Spill Commanders request to assist the response team as NRT members. Five additional NRT members were mobilised by AMSA to proceed to the response scene; three from Queensland Transport and one each from Newcastle Port Corporation and Gippsland Ports. The AMSA Canberra operation then moved into logistics mode notifying and/or activating the following organisations and personnel:
- Australian Maritime Resources (fixed wing aerial response capability).
- East Asia Response Ltd.
- Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre Ltd.
- Media, legal, finance and administration personnel.