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The Commonwealth and Defence Force Ombudsman, Prof. John McMillan, today released his investigation report into allegations that Defence was forewarned about safety risks to HMAS Westralia three months before the 5 May 1998 fire.

‘Our investigation does not support the view that Defence failed to act on a specific warning that could have prevented the fire’, Prof. McMillan said today.

‘My staff conducted a comprehensive investigation, examining several thousand Defence documents, formally interviewing key witnesses and considering statements of other witnesses.’

The investigation arose from allegations that were published in newspaper articles on 14 February 2007, suggesting that Defence investigators had been forewarned in February 1998 about faulty fuel lines that caused the fire on board HMAS Westralia and failed to act on the warning. The fire resulted in the death of four sailors and injured at least five other Royal Australian Navy personnel.

At the centre of the allegations was an unsigned minute dated 6 February 1998 from Defence’s Inspector-General Division investigators reporting allegations about corruption and misconduct in Navy contracting and maintenance, including the use of non-genuine and sub-standard spare parts. The minute cited HMAS Westralia as a ship that had recently suffered problems caused by the use of such parts.

On 17 April 2007 the Ombudsman commenced an own motion investigation into the allegations after receiving an internal Defence report that identified some concerns about the handling of the issues and in light of the considerable public interest in the matter. The investigation covered the allegations and Defence’s handling of those allegations including two internal Defence inquiries.

The principal conclusions of the report are:

• the allegations in the press reports of 14 February 2007 stating that Defence had been warned about safety risks to HMAS Westralia could not be supported
• concerns raised with Defence investigators at a meeting in February 1998 were about corruption, not safety, and that this is how they were understood by Defence investigators

The report is available online.

For further information or to arrange an interview with Prof. McMillan contact:

Elizabeth Courtney-Frost
Director, Public Affairs
Phone: 02 6276 0133
Email: elizabeth.frost@ombudsman.gov.au

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