Incidents and exercises

We respond to marine pollution incidents and conduct regular training exercises for incident responders.

Incidents

We respond to marine environment incidents including oil spills, marine pollution, and vessel incidents.

Response to the Montara Wellhead Platform incident

Report of the Incident Analysis team into the response by the National Plan to Combat Pollution of…

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Response to the Pacific Adventurer incident—strategic issues report, operational and technical issues report

Following the Pacific Adventurer off Brisbane on 11 March 2009, a number of inquiries were…

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Response to the Pasha Bulker grounding—report of the incident analysis team

Following the Pasha Bulker grounding off Newcastle on 8 June 2007, three separate inquiries were…

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Global Peace oil spill—report of the incident analysis team

Following the Global Peace oil spill in Gladstone on 24 January 2006, two separate inquiries were…

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Response to the Laura D'Amato oil spill—report of the incident analysis team

This report is a comprehensive analysis of the management of the incident from an oil spill…

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Response to the Port Stanvac oil spill—report of the incident analysis team

Following the oil spill at Port Stanvac in South Australia on 28 June 1999, there was a review to…

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Response to the Iron Baron oil spill—report of the review group

Following the oil spill at Port Stanvac in South Australia on 28 June 1999, an inquiry was…

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Exercises

Regular exercises are conducted to assess the preparedness of federal, state and territory responders.

Exercise Thalassarche — Evaluation Report 2023

During 2023 Exercise Thalassarche was conducted in Hobart and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel region of…

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Exercise Kunawarra—Evaluation Report 2022

During 2022 Exercise Kunawarra was conducted in Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula region of…

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Exercise Torres—Evaluation report 2018

Exercise Torres 2018 practiced a multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional response to an oil spill in…

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Exercise Constant Bearing 2017 evaluation report

The 2017 National Plan exercise ‘Exercise Constant Bearing’ was held in Adelaide, South Australia,…

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Exercise Nautical Twilight 2016 Evaluation Report

The Nautical Twilight exercises practised field deployment, operational response management and…

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Exercise Westwind 2015 Evaluation Report

Exercise Westwind was the National Plan exercise for 2015. Exercise Westwind comprised two distinct…

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Exercise Northerly Darwin 2014 Report

The purpose of Exercise Northerly was to identify areas for improvement in our response to maritime…

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Exercise Sea Dragon Phase 2—June 2012

This exercise reviewed the effectiveness of a combined Commonwealth, Victorian and industry marine…

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Exercise Van Diemen—Davenport Tasmania

Exercise Van Diemen was conducted under the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and…

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Exercise 2002—Torres Strait

Exercise 2002 was the fifth in a series of biennial oil spill response exercises.

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Exercise James Cook post exercise report—Botany Bay NSW

Exercise James Cook was the sixth biannual oil spill response exercise to be conducted.

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Exercise 2000—Pilbara region

Exercise 2000 was designed as a two-day event to test the responding agencies abilities to plan for…

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Exercise Barossa—Adelaide 11 June 1998

Exercise Barossa was a biannual oil spill response exercise conducted in Adelaide under our…

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Exercise George Bass

Exercise George Bass, held on 5 and 6 June 1996, was the major national oil spill response exercise…

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Historical pollution and casualty incidents

Major oil spills and pollution responses in Australia, including the first recorded incident in 1903.

Major historical incidents

A summary list of major historical oil spill incidents.

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MV Tycoon, 9 January 2012

On Sunday 9 January 2012, the cargo vessel the MV Tycoon broke free from its mooring at Flying Fish…

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Shen Neng 1, 3 April 2010

On 3 April 2010, the Shen Neng 1 was traversing a well-known shipping route south of the Douglas…

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Montara Well Head Platform, 21 August 2009

At approximately 5.30 am WA time on Friday 21 August 2009 the Montara Wellhead mobile drilling unit…

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Pacific Adventurer, 11 March 2009

The cargo ship Pacific Adventurer lost upwards of 270 tonnes of heavy fuel oil when holed on its…

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Global Peace, 24 January 2006

Just before midnight on 24 January 2006, approximately 25 tonnes of heavy fuel oil was spilt from…

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Pacific Quest, 25 December 2002

The Pacific Quest was found guilty of discharging an oily mixture from a ship into the sea near…

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Pax Phoenix, 2 September 2001

Following a report to AMSA, and subsequent investigation, the Pax Phoenix was fined for illegally…

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Sylvan Arrow , 18 December 1999

The Sylvan Arrow was found guilty of discharging an oily mixture into the sea west of Wilson’s…

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Laura D'Amato, 3 August 1999

On 3 August 1999 the Laura D’Amato, a 96,121 DWT Italian registered oil tanker, was berthed…

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MV Torungen, 26 July 1999

On Monday 26 July 1999, the crude oil tanker the MV Torungen (25 tonnes), was secured in the…

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Port Stanvac, 28 June 1999

On the morning 28 June 1999, a discharge occurred from an offshore loading connection to the Mobil…

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Iron Baron, 10 July 1995

On Monday 10 July 1995, the Iron Baron chartered bulk carrier grounded on Hebe Reef at the approach…

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Era, 30 August 1992

On 30 August 1992 the fuel tank of Era was ruptured by the bow of the tug Turmoil during berthing…

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Kirki, 21 July 1991

On 21 July 1991 Greek tanker Kirki lost its bow off the coast of Western Australia, resulting in a…

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Sanko Harvest, 14 February 1991

The Sanko Harvest struck a reef off Esperance, Western Australia on 14 February 1991, and broke up…

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Arthur Phillip, 21 May 1990

On 21 May 1990 an extensive oil slick was sighted approximately four nautical miles south-east of…

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Al Qurain, 28 July 1988

On 28 July 1988, the livestock carrier Al Qurain struck a wharf heavily while berthing in Portland…

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Korean Star, 20 May 1988

On 20 May 1988 bulk carrier Korean Star grounded in the vicinity of Cape Cuvier within the port…

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Sir Alexander Glen, 6 February 1988

On 6 February 1988 the Hong Kong registered bulk carrier Sir Alexander Glen lost approximately 450…

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Nella Dan, 3 December 1987

On 3 December 1987 the Nella Dan ran aground in strong winds in Buckle Bay, Macquarie Island.

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Esso Gippsland, 22 January 1982

On 22 January 1982 at approximately 9 pm, the oil tanker Esso Gippsland was in the process of…

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Anro Asia, 29 October 1981

On 29 October 1981 the 213-metre 16,336 gross tonnage Ro-Ro container vessel, Anro Asia, grounded…

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World Encouragement, 10 September 1979

At 8.55 am on 10 September 1979, the tanker World Encouragement was conducting berthing operations…

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Princess Anne Marie, 14 July 1975

On 14 July 1975 the Marine Operations Centre in Canberra was alerted that the oil tanker Princess…

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Sygna, 26 May 1974

On Sunday 26 May 1974 the bulk carrier Sygna was involved in a major pollution incident.

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Oceanic Grandeur, 3 March 1970

The oil spill from the Oceanic Grandeur in Torres Strait in March 1970 highlighted Australia’s lack…

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Petriana, 28 November 1903

Australia’s first recorded major oil spill occurred on Saturday 28 November 1903 in Port Phillip…

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Incidents

Exercises

Historical pollution and casualty incidents

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