The Royal Darwin Hospital Children’s ward has received a $70,000 boost thanks to the generosity of workers from the Castoro 8, a gas pipe laying ship on the Black Tip Gas project located off the northern coast of Western Australia.

Representatives of the Castoro 8 workers visited the Darwin hospital today to see first-hand the extraordinary work done to help the lives of children.

The hospital is one of five charities selected to benefit from donations which came as a result of a serious breach of health and safety policies during a tropical cyclone three months ago.

“The Castoro 8 workers were seriously exposed to Tropical Cyclone Billy, when the ship’s cyclone procedure failed, leaving it too late to evacuate the ship of all 283 construction personnel, said AMWU State Secretary, Steve McCartney. 

“The workers faced life-threatening storms as some of the vessel’s wire anchor ropes snapped under the strain of the cyclone,” Mr McCartney said. 

Following the ordeal, a series of meetings occurred where agreement was reached that made significant changes to the cyclone procedure.

The workers said that while they felt their lives were at risk during the ordeal they were going to use this opportunity to help the lives of others.

The Castoro 8 workers voted to donate their compensation payments to charity, saying it wasn’t about the money but about making the job safe in future.

Other charities selected by the workers included the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.