The Queensland Greens say that the refuelling accident at Hamilton Wharves on the Brisbane River this morning is not just inconvenient for commuters and river traffic but probably lethal for a range of wildlife.
"Although the king tide was pushing against the rivermouth this morning, when the tide turns it will be extremely low and the worry is that the oil will spread north and south into Moreton Bay," Queensland Greens state spokesperson Libby Connors said today.
"I am worried about its effects on sea birds and marine life especially near the river mouth.
"Luggage Point is an important bird resting site and the Boondall wetlands are a protected Ramsar site.
"This not a minor spill and the effect on riverine and bay habitats will be awful.
"We need several answers from government ministers.
"Vicky Darling needs to explain what effect the spill will have on international environmental commitments to protect Ramsar sites.
"Craig Wallace as the minister responsible for marine infrastructure needs to tell the people of Queensland whether recommendations from past oil spill inquiries have been fully enacted.
"There has been a lack of preparedness by authorities in the past - sadly oil and shipping mishaps are becoming all too frequent in Queensland waters and are likely to increase given the massive port expansions in train.
"It is less than three years since Moreton Bay had to cope with the Pacific Adventurer spill followed by the Shen Neng in 2010.
"The government needs to restore our confidence in maritime services' ability to prevent these serious environmental disasters in our fisheries and marine habitats."
"The government needs to restore our confidence in maritime services' ability to prevent these serious environmental disasters in our fisheries and marine habitats."
Contact: Libby Connors 0429 487 110