Press release – 18 September, 2016Brisbane, 19 Sep 2016 – Responding to the $39.3m settlement the Australian government has reached with the owners of the Shen Neng 1 Chinese coal carrier that ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef six years ago, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s reef campaigner Shani Tager said:“This settlement is woefully inadequate, given the damage this ship has caused.
“The government has said the full cleanup will cost more than $140m so to settle for such a small figure is disappointing. [1]
“While we welcome the end of this six-year saga, it has to serve as a reminder that accidents happen. It’s clear that coal and the reef don’t mix and the government needs to do more to protect this precious place.
“Coal port expansions and new coal mines would make a repeat of this accident more likely in future and must be ruled out,” she added.
[1]
Costs to remove toxic paint from Great Barrier Reef ‘triples’ to $141 million
, Brisbane Times, 7 May 2016.
$40m settlement for Chinese ship’s reef damage ‘woefully inadequate’, says Greenpeace
Greenpeace Australia Pacific is a global independent campaigning organisation that uses peaceful protest and creative confrontation to expose environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
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Greenpeace Australia Pacific
Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent direct action to expose global environmental problems.