CAL 2 Module 4 Assessment 3 Part 2: The Emergency Summit
Wicked Problem Briefing – Emergency Summit
The Incident
• Two hours ago, an oil tanker full of oil destined to be used in Adani’s construction of the
railway line between the Carmichael mine and Abbot Point ran aground on the southern tip
of the Great Barrier Reef before it could get to the port.
• Oil is leaking directly into the Reef itself and the Coast Guard is doing what it can to limit the
damage.
• The potential damage is huge.
• The weather was poor (5 metre swells and high winds).
• The ship was an Indian ship travelling from Singapore
• There is no indication of malfunction, poor maintenance or inexperienced crew.
• The captain, Rohit Patel, has a history of drinking but never while on duty.
• The ship is 20 years old but recently passed a safety inspection in India at one of Adani’s
main ports.
A Similar Case
• Clean-up costs for a vessel that ran into the reef in 2010 were estimated at 120 million by
the Queensland government.
• After a legal challenge, the company (Shenzhen Energy Transport) and its insurer ultimately
paid 39 million, arguing that the reef was “self-healing”.
• This ship was not an oil tanker. The pollution was predominantly toxic paint particles from
the hull of the ship.
Points to Consider (what is unknown)
• Why Adani was using its own ship to transport the oil
• Why the ship strayed off course in the bad weather without contacting the coast guard until
it ran into the reef
• How long the oil spill will continue
• The clean-up costs
• The ultimate damage to the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is already suffering its
own natural ecological disaster – coral bleaching due to climate change.
• The damage to the local tourism industry
• The impact on the future of the Carmichael Mine and Rail Project
Current Developments
• The Coast Guard is currently responding by sending emergency response teams.
• Oil clean-up ships are racing to the area from New South Wales and New Zealand.
• Damage will be severe, and it may take this part of the Reef years to recover.
• After blood tests, it has been determined that the Captain, Rohit Patel, had a high level of
alcohol in his blood and had fallen asleep. He is currently being detained by the Australian
Coast Guard.
Assessment Task – The Emergency Summit
An emergency summit has been called. All stakeholders impacted in the problem have been asked to
attend. A negotiated action plan is urgently required. A press conference to announce the
negotiated response will be held in less than 2 hours. Points for discussion and negotiation at the
emergency summit include:
• the oil spill clean-up in the Great Barrier Reef
• the future of the Carmichael Mine and Rail Project
• the future of the port of Abbot Point