HMAS Yarra

THE navy has been called in to find chemical-filled containers lost overboard from the cargo ship responsible for the massive oil spill off the Queensland coast. Deputy Premier Paul Lucas said the navy mine hunter HMAS Yarra would use its high-tech equipment for the operation after government efforts to find the dumped cargo using its own vessel and a Dornier aircraft had failed. “HMAS Yarra will arrive here in the next few days to locate the 31 containers that went over the side of the vessel when it had its incident last week,” Mr Lucas said. “Obviously there's a real concern to make sure that we can find these containers. There has been strong public concern about the ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser that can be used to make bombs, and its environmental impact, which causes algal bloom in high concentrations. The retrieval would also prevent trawlers becoming “snagged” on the six-metre containers. The clean-up hit its own snag today when workers ran out of bags to dispose of the oil. Mr Lucas said he was at a loss to explain the situation but 20,000 bags would arrive by barge to Moreton Island tomorrow morning. “I don't know how they could run out of bags and I've asked that question myself,” Mr Lucas said. Despite the hiccup, about 50 per cent of the spill had been cleaned from the 60km of spoiled coastline. But the effects were already felt, with droves of tourist bookings cancelled after images of the oil-laden beaches were transmitted around the globe. Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said once the beaches were in the clear a mass campaign would give visitors the message that the Fraser Coast, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay were open for business. The Federal Government has pledged $2 million for local community groups and natural resource management bodies to continue cleaning up the Moreton Bay wetlands and coast. “There is significant effort being made right throughout this region to get the clean-up concluded and to ensure that we protect the environment as best we can from significant, long-term damage,” Environment Minister Peter Garrett said in a statement. Meanwhile the captain and crew remain on board the Pacific Adventurer, which is docked at Hamilton in the Brisbane River. Maritime authorities, accompanied by police, handed the captain legal papers on Sunday directing him to remain on the ship while investigations continue. The shipping company, Swire Shipping, is facing a multi-million dollar clean-up bill in addition to possible fines of up to $2 million. The ship is to stay in dock until there is an outcome to the investigation.