Port of Bell Bay reopens following vessel rescue operation

The Port of Bell Bay has reopened following the successful rescue of the MV Wyuna which became detached from its mooring early this morning.

TasPorts responded immediately to the situation sending two tugs to secure the vessel and guide it back to port to a place of safety.

The 63 metre privately owned vessel is now temporarily secured at Berth 7 at Port of Bell Bay, where inspections will be undertaken following its broken mooring, grounding on Long Tom Reef and subsequent refloating in the Tamar River.

TasPorts' Chief Executive Officer Anthony Donald said TasPorts had raised concerns previously with the vessel’s owner representatives regarding the deteriorating condition of the vessel and the integrity of its mooring.

“TasPorts’ first priority is to ensure the safety of people, environment and assets, and while private moorings are a matter for vessel owners, it is a timely reminder of the importance of ensuring they are robust and safe.

“I want to acknowledge and thank the TasPorts’ towage crews, VTS crew, pilots, marine and lines teams, who responded swiftly and safely to the incident, securing the vessel without further harm.

“While at this stage it appears the quick response has mitigated potential harm, TasPorts is prepared in the event an oil spill response is required and we have offered to undertake a hull inspection to assess the integrity of the vessel.

“TasPorts remained in communication with customers impacted during the port closure, with the incident resulting in a delay to one inbound vessel to the Port of Bell Bay.”

Following inspection of the MV Wyuna TasPorts will be guided by regulatory authorities regarding further security of the vessel to ensure the safety of the port, including Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).