AAD’s RSV Nuyina diverts to refuel in Burnie with ship full of expeditioners before heading to Antarctica
The Australian Antarctic Division’s RSV Nuyina – with scientists and expeditioners packed in like sardines, is making an overly long, and expensive, detour after being banned from Hobart’s port. Details
Tasmania
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A ruling which prevents the Australian Antarctic Division’s icebreaker from travelling under the Tasman Bridge to refuel is likely costing hundreds of thousands in extra dollars.
The RSV Nuyina has departed full of scientists and expeditioners – detouring to Burnie to refuel before travelling to Antarctica for the start of the summer season.
Dozens of expeditioners left on the $529m vessel on Monday to travel to the North-West Coast. The research vessel travelled via the East Coast, berthing at Burnie on Wednesday evening. It follows the 160m ship being refused permission by TasPorts to refuel at Selfs Point because it is deemed unsafe to travel under the Tasman Bridge.
Nuyina will be refuelling in Burnie for the summer despite Hobart being the home port – adding more pressure to the AAD’s budget.
Liberal senator Jonathon Duniam said he was confident the state government and AAD would introduce measures for Nuyina to refuel in Hobart.
But at a recent Senate inquiry, Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said TasPorts made the state government aware in 2018 that RSV Nuyina was too big to safely pass under the Tasman Bridge to refuel.
“Refuelling the Nuyina in Burnie – hundreds of kilometres away from the Hobart port originally planned – will not only be environmentally detrimental but will also mean financial cost savings will have to be found elsewhere, most likely from the AAD’s science programs,” Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said.
“It seems inevitable that the more time the ship spends having to refuel means the less time our scientists will spend doing field work.
“This is an embarrassment and reveals a staggering level of incompetence in the AAD’s governance. In 2021 the head of the AAD said refuelling barges would be a better option than the Nuyina going under the bridge – it seems strange that the AAD wouldn’t have pursued this option further either as a back-up or legitimate alternative given it was stated publicly.”
A 2011 regulation impact statement estimated a diversion of the AAD’s previous vessel, the Aurora Australis, would cost about $100,000 USD ($155,000) a day.
It isn’t known how much extra it will cost for the Nuyina to divert to Burnie to refuel during the summer period.
The AAD was contacted for comment but could not meet the deadline.
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