SWIRE Shipping, the owners of a ship responsible for an oil slick along the Sunshine Coast in March, has refused to pay the full $34 million clean-up bill.
The Queensland state government has said the owners of the infamous Pacific Adventurer have expressed they only intend to pay the $22 million required under international maritime conventions, leaving taxpayers to pay the rest.
The company has rejected the allegation, saying it is currently in discussions with the state and federal governments to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution.
In March this year, the Pacific Adventurer leaked 270,000 litres of fuel into Moreton Bay, leaving a mess along beaches across the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Island and Bribie Island.
Swire Shipping initially made repeated assurances it would cover all costs of the clean up.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the state will be taking advice on what further legal action it can take against the company, stating it is “not good enough” that Swire has changed its mind and is now offering to pay only the bare minimum.
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