The week in review

Good news at last this week – very long last – for the family, friends and colleagues of Michael Jurman, the rope access technician who was tragically killed while working on Woodside's North Rankin Complex.

As reported, on Wednesday in Canberra the CEO of the government's offshore energy regulator – the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) – announced their brief of evidence – the result of a three year investigation - is now with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

Addressing the economics committee, Sue McCarrey explained their investigations are "practically completed" and that her team is liaising with the DPP to provide any clarity or further information that might be needed.

One thing that struck me as I watched the hearing and listened to the words of McCarrey (for whom – in another life - I was actually working at the time of the incident in June 2023), was the impact of these kinds of events on the people in the wider industry.

The vast majority of people only ever go to work to earn a daily crust. If you can find a job which is enjoyable and fulfilling then all the better, but ultimately it's about earning a decent pay cheque, coming home and living your life with those you care about.

And so when someone doesn't come home at the end of the day, the ramifications and impact of that loss can be profound.

We haven't heard much from Michael's family - they are of course entitled to their own privacy and time and space to grieve.

But this week McCarrey gave some insight into how much tragedies of this sort impact the teams tasked with investigating them.

Referring to the fact she was speaking the day after the third anniversary of Michael's death, McCarrey this week said: "We at NOPSEMA are very aware of the anniversary when it comes around each year, particularly those who have been directly involved in investigating – we were offshore very quickly after that incident - so we're very aware."

It was also reassuring to hear McCarrey say her team has been in frequent contact with Michael's family, keeping them abreast of developments.

So, what now? The DPP will be reviewing the presumably sizeable dossier to decide whether there are reasonable prospects of securing a conviction and whether it is in the public interest to prosecute.

Here's hoping the DPP's deliberations are swift and efficient and the appropriate next steps are taken soon, whatever they may be.

Yours,

Russell Yeo

Editor Energy News Bulletin

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