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Australian minister suggests his country should follow Scottish oil and gas example

Cabinet Minister of the Government of South Australia, Geoff Brock with Steven Alexander, director of business development for SFF Services.
Cabinet Minister of the Government of South Australia, Geoff Brock with Steven Alexander, director of business development for SFF Services.

South Australia can benefit from the same kind of partnership which exists between the fishing and oil and gas industries in Scotland, a government minister for the region said yesterday.

Geoff Brock, South Australia minister for regional development and local government, was in Aberdeen to meet fishing leaders and hear about links between the Scots fleet and North Sea energy producers.

He said he would be recommending that his government follows the Scottish example when he got back home.

“The relationship between the two industries here is phenomenal,” he said, adding that he was particularly impressed by the way Scottish fishing boats supported the oil and gas industry’s operations offshore.

SFF Services, the commercial arm of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF), arranges for vessels and their crews to provide protection for vulnerable subsea infrastructure under construction.

It also provides vessels for environmental surveys, including acoustic monitoring and seismic support.

As well as benefiting the offshore energy sector and marine environment, the tie-up has also helped secure the future of Scottish fishing by keeping the fleet viable after years of savage cuts to quotas and days at sea in the name of conserving at-risk fish stocks.

Yesterday’s visit by Mr Brock to the SFF offices was arranged by oil giant BP, which is due to start drilling tests in the Great Australian Bight off South Australia next year.

Mr Brock was keen to explore whether the Scottish model could be a blueprint for Australia’s rapidly developing offshore energy industry.

He said: “I was delighted to accept an invitation from BP and the federation to hear first-hand how both parties had worked together and how this might be applied in South Australia.

“BP’s plan to construct an air base at Ceduna on South Australia’s far west coast and its planned exploration drilling activity in the Bight has the potential to significantly impact on economic activity and regional growth in the region.”

SFF Services business development director Steven Alexander said: “Our operational work has brought immense benefits to the offshore energy sector and our fishermen.

“From modest beginnings, SFF Services now provides professional vessel and offshore personnel services throughout the Scottish sector of the UK continental shelf and beyond.”