MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA
MEDIA RELEASE
24 September 2025
Australia's Decommissioning industry gouged by hazardous waste loopholes
The Maritime Union of Australia is urging the government to act immediately to fix loopholes that have allowed offshore oil facilities to be exported for dismantling overseas without the hazardous waste permits normally required.
Floating Production, Storage and Offloading facilities (FPSOs) - are enormous floating oil and gas ships. They sit offshore for decades, processing and storing oil before it is shipped to market. At the end of their working life they must be dismantled, cleaned of asbestos, radioactive scale, contaminated sludge, heavy metals, and then recycled.
Today the Northern Endeavour departed for Denmark via Singapore for dismantling. Despite containing hazardous materials - including asbestos, radioactive scale, contaminated sludge and heavy metals - no hazardous waste export permit has been issued. Instead, the Commonwealth has invoked the OECD Control System for the first time in relation to an FPSO.
This follows the Ningaloo Vision, which was sent to Indonesia last month with no permit whatsoever. In fact, up to ten FPSOs have already been exported under this permitting gap. With at least ten more to come, the MUA says Australia needs to fix the law now to avoid repeating the mistake.
MUA Assistant National Secretary Thomas Mayo said the issue is straightforward.
"Australia is a global citizen and has international obligations under the Basel Convention yet we run no permit system on the disposal of FPSOs. We are sending hazardous waste offshore under a legal vacuum and missing the chance to build local industry capacity," Mr Mayo said.
Workers, Environment and Economic Opportunities
The issue is not just legal.
"FPSOs contain toxic materials that must be responsibly dealt with as we do in Australia. When they are sent overseas without proper permits, foreign workers and communities are left to face the health and environmental risks," Mr Mayo explained.
"At the same time, Australia loses the opportunity to develop a safe and skilled decommissioning industry at home. Closing the loophole would mean these vessels are dismantled responsibly, protecting people and the environment while creating local jobs and economic opportunities," Mr Mayo added.
The MUA is calling on the Federal Government to:
- Stop the Northern Endeavour from leaving until the permitting requirements are met,
- Explain why FPSOs including the Ningaloo Vision have been allowed to leave without checks and balances, and
- Amend the Hazardous Waste Act to close the loophole and bring FPSOs within Australia's permitting framework.
