The broad ranging terms of reference and Royal Commission powers of the West Atlas oil leak inquiry announced by Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson have been welcomed by WWF- Australia."We are pleased by the wide ranging powers and scope of this inquiry," said WWF-Australia Conservation Director Dr Gilly Llewellyn.
"It will create an opportunity to tighten the regulatory framework controlling resource exploration and production operations in these fragile and vulnerable tropical habitats. This inquiry should shine a spotlight on the extraordinary environmental values of this region which for too long have been out of sight and out of mind for many of us.
"In many ways this disaster has awoken Australians to the rich environmental treasures that abound off the north-west coast and which are under pressure on all sides from the infrastructure that accompanies resource development.
"The resources minister has said that it is vital that we learn from this incident and take any necessary steps to prevent it from happening again.
"Not only do we need to find ways to prevent future massive oil spills, but we also need to ensure that regulatory framework is tightened to restrict access to sensitive, vulnerable and fragile habitats such as coral reefs in this region."
