With Pasha gone, the finger pointing begins

The 40,000 tonne bulk carrier was towed off a sandbar at Nobbys Beach on Monday night, 25 days after stranding there during a severe storm. The cost of the salvage operation, which included three attempts during evening high tides since last Thursday, has been estimated at about $5 million. The Sydney lawyers representing the ship's owner, Fukujin Kisen, have so far declined to comment about the incident or the salvage operation, including who is going to pay the bill. The NSW Opposition's ports spokesman, Duncan Gay, yesterday called for an inquiry into why the Pasha Bulker and two other vessels appeared to have ignored directions to move out to sea in the hours before the $35 million ship ran aground.

He said the Minister for Ports, Joe Tripodi, needed to answer a number of questions.

"How did this ship get onto the beach?" Mr Gay said.

"How did others nearly get onto the beach? Who is going to pay the cost?"(Sydney Morning Herald)