Charity vows fight as deteriorating ship seized from Sydney Harbour
Authorities seized the deteriorating MV Cape Don. It posed risks to Sydney Harbour. The charity restoring it plans to appeal.
Authorities seized the MV Cape Don, a 2000-tonne ship. The ship is rotting at Balls Head near Sydney Harbour's busiest shipping zone.
Expert inspections found the hull severely rusted with football-sized holes. If left to decay, this threatens environmental and safety damage.
Transport NSW Maritime acted under new marine safety reforms. These reforms strengthen powers to seize derelict vessels.
The Sea Heritage Foundation is a charity attempting to restore the 1963 ship. They vowed to appeal, saying the vessel is not at risk of sinking.
Community groups welcomed the seizure. The Save Our Sydney Harbour campaign has long lobbied to clean up derelict vessels.
These vessels leak toxic chemicals. Disposal of the fragile Cape Don will be complex and costly.
- 2000 tonnes
- Ship weight
- 1963
- Year built
- Stuart King
- Convenor of Save Our Sydney Harbour
- CJ Manjarres-Wahlberg
- Chair of Sea Heritage Foundation
Why it mattersA vessel this deteriorated near busy harbour traffic risks environmental spill. It creates collision hazards. It blocks a major waterway.
AustraliaImproves safety and water quality in Sydney Harbour and sets a precedent for removing other derelict ships clogging Australian harbours.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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