The Department of Industry and Resources is abandoning its accreditation system for hydrostatic testing of bulk tankers due to the absence of a legal basis. The department will request the National Transport Commission to prescribe maintenance duties in more detail.

AnsweredQoN 984Legislative Council
Asked
16 November 2004
Portfolio
State Development

QuestionView source ↗

(1) Is it correct that the Department of Industry and Resources is to abandon the accreditation system for the hydrostatic testing of bulk tankers; and, if so, why? (2) When will the system be abandoned, and what will take its place? Hon KEN TRAVERS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that there is no legal basis to underpin the accreditation program. As such, it would be wrong to give the impression that accreditation was somehow legislatively sanctioned. On this basis, the accreditation program is not continuing. (2) There is no legal basis to support such a scheme. However, the current regulations for the transport of dangerous goods require prime contractors and consignors to ensure that bulk tankers are hydrostatically tested and visually inspected every five years. The Department of Industry and Resources will write to the National Transport Commission to request that the maintenance of such duties is prescribed to a higher level of detail as part of the current reform of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code. To date, the issue has been discussed with only those companies that were accredited to do such testing and the companies have been advised that a meeting with representation from across all stakeholder groups will be arranged to explore other options to ensure that the good safety record experienced in Western Australia is maintained.
(2) When will the system be abandoned, and what will take its place? Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that there is no legal basis to underpin the accreditation program. As such, it would be wrong to give the impression that accreditation was somehow legislatively sanctioned. On this basis, the accreditation program is not continuing. (2) There is no legal basis to support such a scheme. However, the current regulations for the transport of dangerous goods require prime contractors and consignors to ensure that bulk tankers are hydrostatically tested and visually inspected every five years. The Department of Industry and Resources will write to the National Transport Commission to request that the maintenance of such duties is prescribed to a higher level of detail as part of the current reform of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code. To date, the issue has been discussed with only those companies that were accredited to do such testing and the companies have been advised that a meeting with representation from across all stakeholder groups will be arranged to explore other options to ensure that the good safety record experienced in Western Australia is maintained.
Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that there is no legal basis to underpin the accreditation program. As such, it would be wrong to give the impression that accreditation was somehow legislatively sanctioned. On this basis, the accreditation program is not continuing. (2) There is no legal basis to support such a scheme. However, the current regulations for the transport of dangerous goods require prime contractors and consignors to ensure that bulk tankers are hydrostatically tested and visually inspected every five years. The Department of Industry and Resources will write to the National Transport Commission to request that the maintenance of such duties is prescribed to a higher level of detail as part of the current reform of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code. To date, the issue has been discussed with only those companies that were accredited to do such testing and the companies have been advised that a meeting with representation from across all stakeholder groups will be arranged to explore other options to ensure that the good safety record experienced in Western Australia is maintained.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The minister has been advised that there is no legal basis to underpin the accreditation program. As such, it would be wrong to give the impression that accreditation was somehow legislatively sanctioned. On this basis, the accreditation program is not continuing. (2) There is no legal basis to support such a scheme. However, the current regulations for the transport of dangerous goods require prime contractors and consignors to ensure that bulk tankers are hydrostatically tested and visually inspected every five years. The Department of Industry and Resources will write to the National Transport Commission to request that the maintenance of such duties is prescribed to a higher level of detail as part of the current reform of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code. To date, the issue has been discussed with only those companies that were accredited to do such testing and the companies have been advised that a meeting with representation from across all stakeholder groups will be arranged to explore other options to ensure that the good safety record experienced in Western Australia is maintained.
(1) The minister has been advised that there is no legal basis to underpin the accreditation program. As such, it would be wrong to give the impression that accreditation was somehow legislatively sanctioned. On this basis, the accreditation program is not continuing. (2) There is no legal basis to support such a scheme. However, the current regulations for the transport of dangerous goods require prime contractors and consignors to ensure that bulk tankers are hydrostatically tested and visually inspected every five years. The Department of Industry and Resources will write to the National Transport Commission to request that the maintenance of such duties is prescribed to a higher level of detail as part of the current reform of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code. To date, the issue has been discussed with only those companies that were accredited to do such testing and the companies have been advised that a meeting with representation from across all stakeholder groups will be arranged to explore other options to ensure that the good safety record experienced in Western Australia is maintained.
(2) There is no legal basis to support such a scheme. However, the current regulations for the transport of dangerous goods require prime contractors and consignors to ensure that bulk tankers are hydrostatically tested and visually inspected every five years. The Department of Industry and Resources will write to the National Transport Commission to request that the maintenance of such duties is prescribed to a higher level of detail as part of the current reform of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code. To date, the issue has been discussed with only those companies that were accredited to do such testing and the companies have been advised that a meeting with representation from across all stakeholder groups will be arranged to explore other options to ensure that the good safety record experienced in Western Australia is maintained.

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