Minister orders inquiry into 'Wunma' incident

A board of inquiry will be established to investigate the circumstances surrounding a ship abandoned in the Gulf of Carpentaria during a tropical cyclone last month, Minster for Transport and Main Roads Paul Lucas told State Parliament today.

On February 7, the 5140 tonne ore barge Wunma was disabled after taking on water during Tropical Cyclone Nelson. The crew had to be rescued by helicopter, and the ship was later towed safely into the Port of Weipa.

“While this incident ended with the safe rescue of the crew and salvage of the ship, it highlighted a number of concerns about the safe operation of vessels in cyclonic conditions,” Mr Lucas said.

“This is one of those incidents that could easily have ended in tragedy and I think it is beholden on all parties concerned to consider the circumstances leading up to and during this incident, to identify ways to reduce the risks of similar incidents in the future.”

Mr Lucas said the board would be made up of independent experts to investigate the probable causes of the incident, and prepare a report with recommendations to be tabled in Parliament. The appointees will be finalised in the coming weeks.

“Boards of Inquiry aren't about playing a blame game, and the aim is not to point fingers at individuals,” Mr Lucas said.

“However, while you can't stop cyclones from occurring, it is important that there are stringent procedures and practices for ships that operate in these environments. The board will look at all of the facts and make recommendations that will hopefully have safety benefits for the whole of the marine industry operating in far north Queensland.”

Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said the inquiry would help ensure continued safe operations of the Port of Karumba.

“The vessel operations from Karumba are important from both a mining and shipping perspective,” Mrs Kiernan said.

“An independent and proper examination of the issues surrounding the incident will help make sure the operations continue to be safe.”

Media inquiries: Robert Hoge: 3237 1942