Oil spill in Botany Bay: short term effects and long term implications.

Abstract

Botany Bay supports wetlands along its southern shores which include about 190 hectares of mangrove woodland, 180 hectares of saltmarch and 88 hectares of freshwater wetlands (State Pollution Control Commission, 1979). These wetlands were formerly more extensive but large scale clearance has occurred since European settlement, and urban and industrial development since 1950 has resulted in the loss of 4 hectares of mangroves and 218 hectares of saltmarsh and freshwater wetlands. The remaining wetland complex is regarded as one of the most important in New South Wales (Australian Littoral Society, 1977). Since 1978 there has been no significant loss of wetlands to development, however, about 5 hectares (two percent) of the remaining mangroves have been lost in die-back following oil spills in 1979 and 1981 (Allaway et al., 1985). A major oil refinery operates at Kurnell (Australian Oil Refining Pty Ltd – A. O. R.) and is supplied with crude oil by pipelines connected to an oil transfer terminal off Kurnell (Fig. 1). The Kurnell terminal comprises a seven-point mooring which holds tankers in a fixed position while oil is transferred to shore via a submerged pipeline. Submerged crude oil and refined product pipelines also traverse the Bay to facilitate the exchange of product between the refinery and other installations on the northern shore.