Authorities are continuing to monitor the arrival of a suspected asylum seeker boat off Western Australia's north coast.
A spokesman for oil and gas sector contractor MODEC yesterday said the boat was spotted off Dampier by workers on a tanker and Premier Colin Barnett says the matter is being handled by state police before the navy takes over.
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The boat entered the 500-metre exclusion zone around an oil rig, some 140km off the coast.
Mr Barnett said it was always concerning when asylum seeker boats got close to shore, but the matter was under control.
It has been reported that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority would fly out to assess the situation, but AMSA declined to comment.
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