CSL Australia fined $7,000 for sinking tugboats in Mersey River
CSL Australia was fined $7,000 for sinking two tugboats in Devonport. The company had already paid $1.75 million for cleanup work.
CSL Australia was fined $7,000 after its cement carrier MV Goliath sank two tugboats in Devonport in 2022. The crash released diesel fuel and other hydrocarbons into the Mersey River.
This caused environmental damage. The company pleaded guilty to causing an environmental nuisance.
This was a reduced charge from the more serious accusation of environmental harm. Magistrate Duncan Fairley gave the penalty and ordered a conviction be recorded.
CSL Australia had already paid $1.75 million plus interest to Tasmania's Environment Protection Authority. The money was for wreck removal and river cleanup.
The company's clean record in Tasmania helped lead to the lighter penalty.
- $7,000
- Fine
- $1.75 million plus interest
- Cleanup cost paid
- $21,300
- Maximum fine available
- Devonport, Mersey River
- Location
Why it mattersEnvironmental penalties make shipping companies pay for accidents. These accidents damage waterways and cost a lot to fix.
AustraliaTasmanian ports depend on safe shipping operations; incidents like this highlight the importance of vessel operation standards.
Corroborated bytheadvocate.com.au
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