Southern Shipping Ignores Impotent Minister Yet Again
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today called on Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges to immediately intervene and prevent the Southern Condor being loaded with logs from Flinders Island in direct contravention of a recent Deficiency Report from Marine And Safety Tasmania (MAST), and to explain why he has allowed this blatant breach of workers’ safety requirements to occur again today. [report attached]
Greens Member for Bass, Kim Booth MP, said the MAST Deficiency Report specifically notes that “under no circumstances may the wheel load exceed 6 tonnes using the existing ramp should it be necessary to carry heavier loads,” yet the loaders being used to carry logs onto the Condor already exceed the 6-tonne wheel load when empty.
Mr Booth also said that once again Minister Sturges is asleep at the helm on the issues plaguing the Flinders Shipping service, despite being the Minister responsible for virtually every aspect of this latest breach, and despite being warned about this very issue by the Greens in Parliament just ten days ago. [1]
“Graeme Sturges is responsible for the Lady Barron port facility, he is responsible for the shipping service and he is the responsible Minister for MAST. This latest in a series of oversight blunders from Minister Sturges is placing workers’ lives at risk, not to mention the safety of the vessel itself,” said Mr Booth.
“This Minister must take responsibility for this situation, and also explain why he ignored concerns raised by the Greens just ten days ago in Parliament about this very issue.”
“Southern Shipping are walking all over this impotent Minister yet again, raising serious questions about Graeme Sturges’ ability to oversee marine safety in Tasmania.”
“The Greens are calling on Minister Sturges to take immediate action to prevent workers’ safety being placed at risk by today’s loading of logs onto the Southern Condor in direct contravention of a MAST Deficiency Report, and the Minister must also explain why he is allowing Southern Shipping to defy this direct order from MAST,” said Mr Booth.
ATTACHED:
MAST Deficiency Report No.9043, Southern Condor, issued 10 September 2009.
Photograpgh of Southern Condor being loaded with logs, taken earlier today, 24 October 2009.
REFERENCE: [1] “HAS SOUTHERN SHIPPING ALREADY BREACHED CONTRACT? Minister Sturges Should Hang his Head in Shame,” Media Release, Kim Booth MP, 14th October 2009,
http://mps.tas.greens.org.au/News/view_MR.php?id=4101
Oct24_MASTdeficiencyreport_K Booth_ATTACH.pdf
Kim Booth MP Greens Member for Bass
