Friday, June 24, 2022

'Climate bomb': Bid to halt $16.5 billion Scarborough gas project over Great Barrier Reef fears

The Australian Conservation Foundation has asked a court to halt progress on the Scarborough gas project off Western Australia until reef impacts are assessed.



The ACF is seeking a pause on the Scarborough gas project until its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is assessed under environmental laws. Source: AAP / J Sumerling

The Federal Court has been asked to halt Woodside Energy's offshore Scarborough gas project until its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is assessed under environmental laws.

The Australian Conservation Foundation is fighting the $16.5 billion project in court, calling it a "climate bomb" that will amplify climate change harms including repeated coral bleaching events.

Woodside plans to exploit gas fields off Western Australia but ACF said because it would happen offshore, the project had not been approved under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.


Great Barrier Reef could be destroyed by coral bleaching events without drastic climate action, report warns

It said the act included an exemption for projects like Scarborough that are assessed by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA).

But it said the exemption did not apply if an offshore project was likely to have a significant impact on the world or national heritage values of the reef, something ACF would seek to show in court.

"If it goes ahead, the Scarborough gas mine and its Pluto extension will produce vast quantities of climate-heating gas through until 2055," ACF chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said.

"We will demonstrate to the Federal Court that Scarborough is likely to have a significant impact on the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef if it proceeds."

The case was filed in the Federal Court in Melbourne on Tuesday. ACF says a victory could establish an important precedent that could affect how other projects are assessed in the future.

'Today Australia turns the climate corner': Chris Bowen

Late on Tuesday, Woodside confirmed ACF had sought an injunction to restrain offshore activities associated with the project.

It said Scarborough had been the subject of rigorous environmental assessments by a range of regulators including NOPSEMA, the federal environment department and WA's Environmental Protection Authority.

"The Scarborough project is underway and proceeding to schedule after receiving all primary environmental approvals," Woodside CEO Meg O'Neill said in a statement.

"Woodside will vigorously defend its position in these proceedings."

It's not the first legal challenge Scarborough has faced, after the Conservation Council of Western Australia lost a Supreme Court bid earlier this year to overturn the project's environmental approvals.

WHAT'S THE GOOD OF GOVERNMENT THEN


Australian government has no duty of care to protect children from climate harm, court rules

Before the court threw out the challenge, WA Premier Mark McGowan flagged his government could intervene if the court case threatened the state's energy supply.

The Scarborough field, about 375km off the WA coast, is estimated to contain 11.1 trillion cubic feet of gas that will be transported via a 430km pipeline to the mainland to the Pluto LNG plant.

Much of the gas will be exported, but some will supply domestic markets.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked if he was comfortable with the Scarborough project when climate scientists are pleading for an immediate end to new fossil fuel projects.


'Cleaner, cheaper energy': Anthony Albanese submits more ambitious 2030 emissions target to UN



"I'm comfortable with making sure that we transition over a period of time in an orderly way (and) fixing our environment by reducing emissions and heading to net zero by 2050," he replied.

"That's a target that's shared by companies like Woodside and BHP and Rio Tinto. We need to make sure, in the meantime, that people do have access to energy."

A report by the Conservation Council of Western Australia and the Australia Institute last year found the project would release 1.6 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in its lifetime, or the equivalent of 15 coal-fired power plants.

But Woodside disputes that, saying total scope one and three emissions will be significantly less.


Conservationists Seek Halt of Major Australian Gas Project

June 23, 2022 7:09 AM
Phil Mercer
VOA
 This undated handout photo received on April 6, 2020 from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, shows coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.

SYDNEY —

Conservationists are launching a federal court challenge against a major gas project off Western Australia’s coast. Campaigners insist the plan would be, in their words, a “really, really big carbon bomb,” although the company involved says it has passed rigorous environmental scrutiny.

The Scarborough gas field is a natural gas field located in the Indian Ocean, hundreds of kilometers off Australia’s west coast.

Woodside Energy, an Australian company, wants to set up drilling platforms in the ocean to extract the natural gas from the untapped gas fields and send it by pipeline to a liquefied natural gas processing plant near the city of Karratha, in Western Australia.

Most of the liquified natural gas would be exported to Asia.

Woodside Energy says the project has “been the subject of rigorous environmental assessments by a range of regulators.” In a statement, the company’s chief executive, Meg O’Neill, said the plan would boost jobs, tax revenues and ensure gas supplies’ reliability.

O’Neill said the company would “vigorously defend its position” in legal proceedings in Australia’s federal court.

The case has been brought by the Australian Conservation Foundation. It is an unusual legal challenge because campaigners have argued that the Western Australia gas project would damage the Great Barrier Reef, 3,000 kilometers away, on the other side of the country.

According to court documents, estimated emissions from the project would cause global temperatures to increase by almost 0.0004 degrees Celsius. Conservationists believe this would “result in the deaths of millions of corals” due to warmer ocean temperatures.

The ACF has applied for an injunction against Woodside Energy's Scarborough gas project. It wants it to stop until the new federal environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, can assess whether it would harm the Great Barrier Reef by exacerbating climate change.

ACF Chief Executive Kelly O’Shanassy wants the government to reconsider the plan’s approval process.

“It, sort of, went through a bit of a loophole in national environmental law and what we want the courts to do is to pull that project back and say, no, it needs to be assessed for its climate impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. That is the heart of the legal case,” said O’Shanassy.

Although committed to renewable energy, the recently elected center-left government in Canberra has said it would support fossil fuel projects that “stack up environmentally and then commercially.”

Australians have been warned of winter blackouts as an electricity shortage hits the heavily populated east coast. Various factors have caused the energy crisis, including unprecedented wet weather and a recent cold snap in eastern Australia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February has prompted a surge in global demand for fossil fuels. There have also been outages at Australia’s aging local coal-burning power stations.

The United Nations is assessing the impact of global warming on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as localized threats, including pollution and over-fishing.

Arguably Australia’s greatest natural treasure, the reef runs 2,300 kilometers down its northeastern coast and spans an area about the size of Japan.

UK
'Bullying, harassment and sexualised behaviour' at South East Coast Ambulance Service exposed in damning report

Whistleblowers who raised their concerns with the CQC were praised today for being 'brave enough to come forward'

By Mary Harris 22 JUN 2022
South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

"High levels of bullying and harassment and inappropriate sexualised behaviour" became normal at South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust because leaders failed to take action, a damning report from a watchdog has found.

The report from the Care Quality Commission contains searing criticism of the trust, which is known as SECAmb. Inspectors were called in after a "high number of whistleblowing concerns" from staff.

 Workers asked to describe the culture to inspectors frequently used the word "toxic", said the report

The shocking findings exposed a culture in which staff were scared to speak out because they feared reprisals. And those who alerted the CQC were praised today (June 12) for being "brave enough to come forward".

While frontline staff were described as "doing their utmost to provide safe and effective care" for patients across parts of Hampshire as well as Kent, Sussex and Surrey, it was the leaders who were described by inspectors as "out of touch" and not always aware of the challenges their staff faced.

The CQC said:

The inspection was undertaken after CQC received a high number of whistleblowing concerns relating to culture and leadership, including inappropriate sexualised behaviour, bullying and harassment, leaving staff feeling scared to speak out, and a failure by the trust leadership team to address concerns raised.But while staff were doing their very best to provide safe care to patients, leaders often appeared out of touch with what was happening on the front line and weren’t always aware of the challenges staff faced. Staff described feeling unable to raise concerns without fear of reprisal - and when concerns were raised, these were not acted on. This meant that some negative aspects of the organisational culture, including bullying and harassment and inappropriate sexualised behaviour, were not addressed and became normalised behaviours."

The findings mean the trust will receive the "highest level of support" to improve its leadership. It has been given an action plan it must carry out to make it improvements. Inspectors in this latest visit have rated the emergency operation centre and NHS 111 as "good overall".

The CQC has suspended the overall ratings for the trust while it carries out further checks. The last inspection in July 2019, rated the trust good in all five areas.

Amanda Williams, CQC’s director of integrated care, said: “We carried out this inspection of South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust in response to concerns raised with us around culture and leadership.

'Fear of reprisal'

”Our inspectors found that staff on the front line were doing their utmost to provide safe and effective care and treatment of patients across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. They were doing a good job, especially in light of the additional pressures on the service caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“But while staff were doing their very best to provide safe care to patients, leaders often appeared out of touch with what was happening on the front line and weren’t always aware of the challenges staff faced. Staff described feeling unable to raise concerns without fear of reprisal - and when concerns were raised, these were not acted on.

"This meant that some negative aspects of the organisational culture, including bullying and harassment and inappropriate sexualised behaviour, were not addressed and became normalised behaviours. I want to praise those staff who were brave enough to come forward, as speaking up in these circumstances is not easy, but it is important that it happens.

“There was a clear disconnect between leaders and staff, leading to a poor and unsupportive culture, As a result, the leadership for the trust as a whole has been rated inadequate, while the emergency operation centre, and NHS 111, was rated as good overall.

“It’s clear the trust needs help to ensure significant improvements in leadership are put in place to give hardworking staff the support they need and deserve to deliver good care. I am therefore recommending to NHS England and Improvement that South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust should be placed in segment four of the system oversight framework and receive additional support via the recovery support programme.
UK
Queen hails Windrush pioneers as monarch marks Windrush Day for the first time

The head of state issued a written message in recognition of the unveiling of the new national monument at Waterloo station.



By Laura Elston, PA Court Reporter
June 22 2022

The Queen has paid tribute to the “profound contribution” of the Windrush “pioneers” as the monarch marked Windrush Day for the first time.

The 96-year-old head of state described a new national monument, unveiled at London’s Waterloo station on Wednesday, as a “fitting thank you”.



In a written message, the monarch said she hoped the statue – of a man, woman and child in their Sunday best standing on top of suitcases – will inspire present and future generations.

Buckingham Palace said it was the first time the Queen had marked the day, which was first observed in 2018.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the unveiling, with William using his speech to highlight the racism black men and women are facing in modern-day Britain.




The National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station (John Sibley/PA)


The Queen’s message read: “It gives me pleasure to extend my congratulations on the creation of the National Windrush Monument.

“The unveiling at Waterloo station on Windrush Day serves as a fitting thank you to the Windrush pioneers and their descendants, in recognition of the profound contribution they have made to the United Kingdom over the decades.

“It is my hope that the memorial will serve to inspire present and future generations, and I send you my warmest good wishes on this historic occasion.”

The message was signed Elizabeth R.

Jamaican immigrants are welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship HMT Empire Windrush landed them at Tilbury (PA)

Next year marks 75 years since the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948, bringing 500 passengers from the Caribbean, at the invitation of the British government, to help rebuild the UK in the aftermath of the Second World War.

From the late 1940s to 1971, thousands of men, women and children left the Caribbean for Britain.

But in the Windrush scandal, members of the Windrush generation and their children were wrongly detained and even deported – and others denied access to official documents, healthcare, work, housing benefits and pensions – despite living legally in the UK.

The Duchess of Cambridge speaks to children at the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo station (John Sibley/PA)

A report into the scandal, published in 2020, found it was “foreseeable and avoidable”, with victims let down by “systemic operational failings” at the Home Office.

The department demonstrated “institutional ignorance and thoughtlessness” towards the issue of race and the history of the Windrush generation, the review found.

William’s speech on Wednesday highlighted the racism faced by those who travelled to live in Britain from the Caribbean, and the discrimination black people continue to experience today.

“Discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022,” he said.

He added: “Every part of British life is better for the half a million men and women of the Windrush Generation.”

But William warned: “it is also important to acknowledge the ways in which the future they sought and deserved has yet to come to pass.”

The duke vowed: “I want you to know that you can count on mine and Catherine’s continued support in helping us achieve a future they would be proud of.”

In 2020, the Prince of Wales, in a video message marking Windrush Day, spoke of the “debt of gratitude” the nation owes the Windrush generation as he heralded Britain’s diversity as its “greatest strength”.

William praised the “spirit” of the Windrush generation in a speech during the Cambridges’ tour to Jamaica in March.

The Government, which has provided £1 million in funding for the new monument, said it ”symbolises the courage, commitment and resilience of the thousands of men, women and children who travelled to the UK to start new lives from 1948 to 1971”.

The royal family: Slavery, colonialism and race

In the Caribbean, some people are calling for the Queen to be removed as head of state, and for the royal family to pay reparations for their role in slavery. We explore the royal family's uncomfortable links to slavery, colonialism and race in the countries where the Queen remains the head of state.

WANKER CRIES CLASS WAR
Dominic Raab Says Government 'Can't Allow Unions To Win' Rail Strikes

Deputy prime minister accuses RMT of "militant" demands over pay and conditions.


By Ned Simons
22/06/2022 


SKY NEWS

Dominic Raab has said the government “can’t allow” the unions to “win” the argument over rail strikes.

Talks are set to resume on Wednesday a bid to resolve the bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

Around 40,000 members of the RMT union at Network Rail and 13 train operators are involved in the industrial action. RMT members on London Underground also went on strike on Tuesday.

Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday morning, Raab said there had to be “pay restraint” in the public sector to stop inflation spiralling higher.

“That will only undermine the pay packages of workers, particularly the most vulnerable workers, for a longer period of time,” he said.

“We can’t allow, I’m afraid, the unions, in this very militant way they have proceeded, to win this argument.”

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the turnout at picket lines had been “fantastic” and had exceeded expectations in the union’s campaign for job security, defending conditions and a decent pay rise.

“RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and government policy,” he said.

“Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.”

The rate of inflation rose again in May, remaining at 40-year highs and deepening the squeeze felt by households across the UK, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.

The rate of consumer prices index (CPI) inflation rose from 9% in April to 9.1% in May.
UK

RMT's Mick Lynch Praised By Hugh Laurie For 'Cleaning Up' During His Media Rounds

The Union boss delivered some killer lines on TV while defending this week's strike action.

By Kate Nicholson
22/06/2022

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has won over praise for his no-nonsense approach during interviews
STEFAN ROUSSEAU - PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

Mick Lynch has been praised by none other than celebrated actor Hugh Laurie for his straight-talking attitude in broadcast interviews this week.

The general secretary for RMT – the main union leading the rail strikes – has been thrust into the spotlight in recent days to explain why 40,000 workers are refusing to operate train services over pay, working conditions and job losses.

And Lynch has not disappointed viewers. Laurie tweeted last night: “I don’t know enough about the rail dispute. I only observe that RMT’s Mick Lynch cleaned up every single media picador who tried their luck today.”

Here are a few snippets which Laurie may have been referring to, starting with Lynch’s cutting response of questions from Good Morning Britain’s Richard Madeley.

The host asked Lynch if he was a “Marxist” – as his critics have accused him of being – to which the RMT boss laughed and said: “Richard, you do come up with the most remarkable twaddle sometimes.”

Madeley replied by saying this was not his assessment of the situation, but he was “merely quoting” Lynch’s critics.

He also clashed with Labour’s shadow cabinet office minister Baroness Jenny Chapman on BBC Politics Live over her background.

She claimed Lynch was denying that she came from a working class background as they clashed on live TV.

“I don’t even know who you are,” Lynch replied. “I didn’t tell you you weren’t working class. I don’t even know your name!

Lynch used a similarly direct tactic in conversation with Sky News’ Kay Burley, where he asked her: “Do you not know how a picket line works?”

As the presenter continued to ask what the strikers’ picketing involves, he said: “You can see what picketing involves, I can’t believe this line of questioning. Picketing is standing outside the work place to try to encourage people who want to go to work not to go to work.”

When Burley attempted to draw comparisons with the miners’ strike from the 1980s, Lynch claimed she seems “to have gone off into the world of surreal”.

“Your questions are verging into nonsense,” Lynch said.

The night before, Lynch had also interrupted technology minister Chris Philp repeatedly with the word “lies” when they were both sharing a panel for BBC Newsnight.

Philp was explaining why the government appeared reluctant to get directly involved in the dispute between striking workers and their employers, as the RMT boss called him out again and again over the minister’s version of events.

Another Tory MP, Jonathan Gullis, accused Lynch of “undermining the rail network” by pushing back against modern technology, impacting the UK’s climate crisis and raising prices of travelling on trains. The backbencher also called on him to apologise to everyone affected by the strikes.

Lynch replied: ”I think Jonathan should apologise for talking nonsense. None of that is true.”

He also claimed Gullis had just “learnt it off a script” from the Conservative head office.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

12 of the best Mick Lynch memes as RMT General Secretary becomes viral star

Greg Evans

We all know that rail strikes aren't exactly the sexiest of subject matters but somehow, someway the RMT's general secretary Mick Lynch has managed to make this summer's biggest strike the talk of the town.

It's fair to say that many of us had probably never heard of Lynch until last week but the calm, astute and resolute 60-year-old has quickly become a minor celebrity thanks to his ruthless interviewing style.

While the strike has been happening, Lynch has been making the media rounds to make the case for the RMT and has been leaving no prisoners in his wake, when presenters and Tory MPs have tried to trip him up.

The likes of Piers Morgan, Kay Burley, Richard Madeley and Robert Jenrick to name but a few have all been left licking the wounds after trying and failing to grill Lynch.

Piers Morgan grilled RMT general secretary on Facebook profile picture

Thanks to this Lynch has become a working man's hero of sorts and the affection for the man has translated into some pretty hilarious memes. Here are some of our favourites.



If you thought this was good then wait until you learn that Lynch is appearing on Question Time on Thursday night.


UK
Summer of discontent as teachers, nurses and NHS workers could join rail workers on strike

Rail workers begin three days of staggered strike action today (June 21)


By Aletha Adu
Enda Mullen
21 JUN 2022
The National Education Union said unless teachers received a pay offer closer to inflation it would plan to ballot its 450,000 members (Image: PA)

As Britain braces itself for the biggest rail strike in more than 30 years, the signs are pointing towards a summer of discontent with the prospect of teachers, nurses and NHS workers following in their footsteps. Union bosses have said those who work in schools and the health service could be the next to stage walkouts.

The stark warning was issued by health service and teachers unions, the Mirror reports. It comes as the UK faces a week of disruption on the rail network due to strike action.

Unless teachers receive a pay offer that gets closer to matching the soaring inflation rate, the National Education Union has said it plans to ballot its 450,000 members. The NASUWT, which has around 300,000 members, has also warned it is considering balloting members over strike action if a significant pay rise is not offered.

READ MORE: Coventry rail strikes - what it means for our rail lines, key dates and why it's happening

And Unison chief Christina McAnea said the Government had a simple choice; to make a “sensible pay award... or risk a potential dispute” in hospitals. Unison represents workers across the NHS, including science, therapy and technical staff.

It has been reported that nurses could strike too. Teachers and nurses have been offered pay rises of three per cent.

Meanwhile, the Bank of England has said it expects inflation to hit 11 per cent this year. The Labour party has accused the Government of failing to do its job as ministers again refused to intervene in a bid to halt the rail strikes due to begin today (Tuesday June 21).

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps dismissed the prospect of negotiations and branded the rail strike a “stunt”. Thousands of public sector workers attended a rally in Parliament Square on Saturday to call for more support to cope with the cost of living crisis.

West Midlands Railway is one of 13 operators affected by striking staff this week
 (Image: Birmingham Live/Darren Quinton)

Shadow Levelling Up Secretary Lisa Nandy called on ministers to “listen seriously” to workers’ concerns. She said: “It’s not about whether workers go on strike, it’s about the fact we have a Government that’s currently on strike and not doing its job. This is a Government that in 2019 came to power on a promise to level up and instead what they’ve presided over is absolute chaos.

"Chaos at the ports, chaos on the railways, chaos at airports, chaos everywhere you go, and that is because this is a government that is not doing its job.”

From Tuesday, rail services across the country and on the London Underground will grind to a halt amid the biggest walkout in the industry for more than 30 years in a row over pay, jobs and conditions. Strikes at Network Rail and 13 train operators will go ahead today, Thursday and Saturday, and on the London Underground on just Tuesday.

The National Education Union said unless teachers received a pay offer closer to inflation it would plan to ballot its 450,000 members
 (Image: PA)

The National Education Union has said unless teachers receive a pay offer closer to inflation, it would plan to ballot its 450,000 members, the Observer reported yesterday. Unison warned there could be industrial action in hospitals without a pay deal close to inflation.

Christina McAnea, Unison general secretary, said: “The Government has a simple choice, either it makes a sensible pay award, investing in staff and services and reducing delays for patients, or it risks a potential dispute, growing workforce shortages and increased suffering for the sick.”

Chairman of the NHS Confederation Victor Adebowale warned a real-terms pay rise for the lowest paid NHS staff was needed to avoid “a worsening of the NHS workforce crisis”.

TUC boss Frances O’Grady called for the Government to intervene in the rail dispute. She said: “Rather than working in good faith to find a negotiated settlement, ministers are inflaming tensions.

"Instead of threatening to do a P&O on workers and rip up their rights, ministers should be getting people around the table to agree a fair deal.”

Frances O'Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, says pay has to rise across the board
 (Image: PA)

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies said demands for pay irises were “understandable”, but the Government had done enough to help lower-paid workers.

He said: “Any group of workers are going to try, quite understandably, quite reasonably, to get pay rises going up in line with prices But if everybody does that, it will mean the inflation becomes embedded in the economy, so we would all be better off if we all took the low inflation pay rises.”

The Department for Transport said: “Strikes should always be the last resort, not the first. It is hugely disappointing and premature that the RMT is going ahead with industrial action.”

Mystery deepens over fate of Hong Kong’s Jumbo Floating Restaurant


June 24, 2022

Mystery over the fate of Hong Kong’s Jumbo Floating Restaurant deepened Friday after its owner stirred confusion over whether the financially struggling tourist attraction had actually sunk while being towed away from the city last week.

On Monday Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises released a statement saying the vessel had capsized on Sunday near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea after it “encountered adverse conditions” and began to take on water.

“The water depth at the scene is over 1,000 metres, making it extremely difficult to carry out salvage works,” it added.

On Thursday night, Hong Kong’s Marine Department put out a statement saying it had only learnt of the incident from media reports, and had immediately requested a report from the company.

The department said the report was delivered on Thursday, saying the restaurant had capsized but that “at present, both Jumbo and the tugboat are still in the waters off Xisha islands,” using the Chinese name for the Paracels.

Hours later an AFP journalist was contacted by a spokesman representing the restaurant who said the company had always used the word “capsized” not “sank”.

Asked directly if the boat had sunk, he said again the statement had said “capsized”, and did not explain why it had referred to the depth of the water when mentioning salvage.

The South China Morning Post reported a similar conversation with a spokeswoman for the company, in which they insisted the boat had “capsized”, not “sank”, but refused to clarify whether it was still afloat.

The newspaper said it had been told by the Marine Department that the company might have breached local regulations if it had not notified the authorities of a sinking incident within 24 hours.

Widespread reporting in both local and international media at the beginning of the week that Jumbo had sunk was not contradicted by the company. 

AFP has requested a formal statement from Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises on the status of Jumbo, as well as a detailed explanation of what happened. 

The company previously said marine engineers had been hired to inspect the floating restaurant and install hoardings on the vessel before the trip, and that “all relevant approvals” had been obtained.







Financial woes

The tourist attraction closed in March 2020, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as the final straw after almost a decade of financial woes.

Operator Melco International Development said last month the business had not been profitable since 2013 and cumulative losses had exceeded HK$100 million ($12.7 million).

It was still costing millions in maintenance fees every year and around a dozen businesses and organisations had declined an invitation to take it over at no charge, Melco added. 

It announced last month that ahead of its licence expiration in June, Jumbo would leave Hong Kong and await a new operator at an undisclosed location.

The restaurant set off shortly before noon last Tuesday from the southern Hong Kong Island typhoon shelter where it had sat for nearly half a century.

Opened in 1976 by the late casino tycoon Stanley Ho, in its glory days it embodied the height of luxury, reportedly costing more than HK$30 million to build.

Designed like a Chinese imperial palace and once considered a must-see landmark, the restaurant drew visitors from Queen Elizabeth II to Tom Cruise. 

It also featured in several films — including Steven Soderbergh’s “Contagion”, about a deadly global pandemic.

Hong Kong's iconic Jumbo floating restaurant, which hosted Queen Elizabeth & Tom cruise as guests, sinks in sea


This popular and unique restaurant had also featured in several films.

The restaurant was reportedly making losses since 2013

ET Online Last Updated: Jun 22, 2022, 

The iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant of Hong Kong, that had been attracted celebrity guests like Queen Elizabeth II and Tom Cruise recently capsized in the South China Sea. The incident happened less than a week after it was towed away from the city. This restaurant was a very popular tourist destination in Hong Kong, and had over the years attracted over 3 million guests.

This popular and unique restaurant had also featured in several films. The most memorable of them is the James Bond film called ' The Man with the Golden Gun' in which Roger Moore, who plays the role of the British spy can be seen gambling. Apart from that, it also featured in the popular comedy 'The God of Cookery' that had Stephen Chow in the titular role of celebrity chef, cooking a bowl of “Sorrowful Rice”


The water entered the vessel, and it tipped.

The restaurant was reportedly making losses since 2013, but the final blow came with the pandemic. According to Associated Press, the restaurant encountered "adverse conditions" on Saturday as it was passing the Xisha Islands, also known as the Paracel Islands, in the South China Sea.

The water entered the vessel, and it tipped. Since the water depth at the place was over 1,000 meters, it made it extremely difficult to carry out salvage works.

The owner of the company said that "is very saddened by this accident."


The company was planning to move it to a lower-cost site where maintenance could be done more conveniently

AP states that the restaurant, which was almost 80 meters (260 feet) in length, had been a landmark in the city for over four decades. The restaurant, in its last days, had become a financial burden for all stakeholders and was therefore, towed last Tuesday.

The company was planning to move it to a lower-cost site where maintenance could be done more conveniently. The aforementioned media report claims that before being moved, marine engineers had inspected the ship, and found it to be in good condition.

The company is currently in the process of getting more information about the mishap from the towing company.