2009 southeast Queensland oil spill
| Southeast Queensland oil spill | |
|---|---|
| Location | Coral Sea, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 27°24′40″S 153°29′20″E / 27.411°S 153.489°E |
| Date | 11 March 2009 |
| Cause | |
| Cause | MV Pacific Adventurer spilled oil and cargo during a storm |
| Operator | Swire Shipping |
| Spill characteristics | |
| Volume | 100,000 litres |
| Shoreline impacted | 60 kilometres (37 mi) |
The 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill occurred off the coast of southeast Queensland, Australia on 11 March 2009, when 230 tonnes of fuel oil, 30 tonnes of other fuel and 31 shipping containers containing 620 tonnes of ammonium nitrate spilled into the Coral Sea, north of Moreton Bay during Cyclone Hamish. It happened after unsecured cargo on MV Pacific Adventurer damaged other cargo, causing the spillage. Over the following days, the spill washed ashore along 60 kilometres (37 mi) of coastline encompassing the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Bribie Island and Moreton Island.
The ship proceeded through Moreton Bay and docked at the Port of Brisbane where it continued to spread a 500 m (1,600 ft) long slick in the mouth of the Brisbane River.
The Queensland government declared a state of emergency. Premier Anna Bligh described the spill as the "worst environmental disaster Queensland has ever seen." It took over 1,425 people 16 months to clean up the affected areas.