General News
11 October, 2025
Fears oil spill may have spread further
LAST week’s bitumen and kerosene spill from Boral’s Smiths Creek asphalt plant has sparked alarm among environmental groups, with concerns that the contamination has spread through Trinity Inlet to the Marlin Marina and potentially further afield.
Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) Great Barrier Reef campaigner Tanya Murphy described the spill as “absolutely devastating,” warning that the substances involved contain a cocktail of toxins that are harmful to both marine life and humans.
“Bitumen can contain a variety of toxins, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury, which are extremely toxic and can lead to adverse health effects in plants, animals, and humans through ingestion and skin contact,” she said.
Ms Murphy said that kerosene could poison wildlife, damage the lungs and immune systems of mammals, disrupt growth and reproduction in fish, and smother the roots of mangroves, while also blocking sunlight for seagrass and lingering in sediment for years.
She said she visited the marina on Tuesday morning and saw “blobs of black bitumen stuck to the hulls of some of the boats,” indicating the spill had travelled downstream.
“If any recreational or tourism vessels head out to the Reef without realising they have some bitumen stuck to their hull, there’s a risk of spreading those toxic substances out on the Great Barrier Reef,” she said.
AMCS has called for those responsible to bear the cost of the cleanup, warning taxpayers should not be left with the bill.
“When there is so much investment being made in protecting the Reef, it absolutely beggars belief that something like this can be allowed to happen,” Ms Murphy said.
“We need a review of what regulations are in place to prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again.”
A Boral spokesman said the company was working closely with authorities, including the Department of Environment, Science, Tourism and Innovation (DESTI), Maritime Safety Queensland and Cairns Regional Council, as part of the cleanup effort.
“Members of our team have been involved directly in the cleanup, and we’ve provided technical product advice to assist DETSI, which is managing and leading the response,” the spokesman said.
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