Australian authorities yesterday accused shipping company Swire Shipping of trying to renege on a promise to cover the cost of an oil spill around pristine tourist beaches earlier this year. The spill from the ship Pacific Adventurer in March spread 270 tonnes of fuel oil onto beaches to the north of Brisbane, in Queensland state's picturesque Sunshine Coast. A massive cleanup was mounted involving 2,500 people, which enabled the beaches to reopen within nine weeks. At the time, Swire Shipping said it would pay for the damage, but Queensland's state government, backed by the federal government in Canberra, has accused it of trying to use a legal loophole to avoid full payment. Swire Shipping said in a statement it had asked to meet the state and federal governments to come a "mutually acceptable solution", and denied it had committed to paying the full cost. Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the daily Emirates Business 24|7 newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here .