Townsville News

MAN Energy Solutions and Doen WaterJets (DOEN) have agreed to join forces to offer a fully integrated propulsion system solution to the Australian Army’s LAND 8710 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel Phase 1A (LMV-M) program.The program aims to acquire a medium landing craft suitable for a range of missions in Australia’s northern waters and beyond.The cooperation spans the full product lifecycle including propulsion system design, integrated logistics support and commissioning, through…

The use of a draft voyage planning tool which included waypoint data errors plus an ongoing technical fault with the vessel monitoring and surveillance system for the Great Barrier Reef contributed to a cargo ship’s grounding on a shoal, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has concluded.The 81-meter general cargo ship Trinity Bay grounded on Harrington Shoal, a charted feature with a depth of 0.9 metres north-west of Harrington Reef, on the morning of January 19, 2021 while conducting a regular weekly passage from Thursday Island to Cairns.

For the first time in Australia, autonomous marine technology developers have a location to safely test autonomous vessels without needing to apply for a permit. The Australian Institute of Marine Science’s ReefWorks inshore test range, near Townsville in north Queensland, was granted regulatory sandbox approval for uncrewed vessels from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).It’s the first approval issued under a proposed Australian Maritime Regulatory Sandbox advocated by Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS), AIMS and AMC Search.

The Australian government has released its annual State of Hydrogen report, saying it reinforces that Australia has the foundations to become a global leader in green hydrogen.The report illustrates local industry is advancing hydrogen as a chemical feedstock and for export to generate electricity, but there’s an urgent need to speed up priority pilot projects and hydrogen hubs to compete internationally.In 2022, more than 100 Australian green hydrogen projects such as green ammonia and green methanol manufacturing were announced.

The newly launched Maggie Cat, an Incat Crowther 31, will partner with Coolgaree Cat in a refreshed Sealink line-up operating out of Townsville. Coolgaree Cat entered service in late 2020 and operates between Townsville and Palm Island. Maggie Cat will operate as SeaLink’s flagship to Magnetic Island.Both vessels were designed by Incat Crowther, developed in close collaboration with Sealink, with a goal of through-life efficiency, durability and robustness in the open waters off Townsville.

A Marshall Islands-flagged tanker helped rescue two people from the water after their boat sank in the Torres Strait.At about 7:15 a.m. AEST on Thursday, a coastal pilot on board the tanker Godam contacted Townsville Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) to report a sighting of two people clinging to a timber plank in the water.The location for the sighting was about 10 kilometers southeast of Sue Islet, Warraber Reef. Conditions were rough with two to three meter swells with around 30…

Sealink Travel Group has taken delivery of Coolgaree Cat, a newly built passenger vessel developed specifically for the Palm Island and Magnetic Island runs, operated from Townsville in Queensland, Northern Australia. The new ferry was handed over from Australian builder Aluminium Marine earlier this month ahead of its official entry into service this past weekend.The 32-meter catamaran was developed by marine engineering design firm Incat Crowther in close conjunction with the operator Sealink to offer a number of improvements over those currently in service on the run.

ITC Global, a provider of satellite communications to remote and harsh environments, has announced its three-year contract extension with Youth With A Mission Medical Ships Australia, Ltd (YWAM MSA). Under terms of the agreement, ITC Global will provide critical connectivity services to the nonprofit’s medical ship serving the Papua New Guinea (PNG) region, along with new crew welfare services for staff leisure use not previously available to the YWAM team. The all-volunteer-operated vessel based in Townsville…

Australia's largest military exercise, Talisman Saber, was officially opened on 29 June aboard the United States Landing Helicopter Dock Bonhomme Richard off the Sydney coast. Minister for Urban Development, the Honourable Paul Fletcher MP, representing the Minister for Defence, and the US Charge d'Affaires, Mr James Carouso, officially announced the start of the combined military exercise taking place thorought July. Field training will occur in Shoalwater Bay Training Area, near Rockhampton and Mount Bundy Training Area, south of Darwin. The Minister was joined by the US Pacific Forces Commander, Admiral Harry Harris, Jr and Officer Conducting the Exercise, Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral David Johnston along with other senior Australian Defence Force leaders.

More than 400 stranded guests and staff have been rescued from Daydream Island off Queensland, ravaged by Tropical Cyclone Debbie, thanks to the actions of HMAS Melville. The hydrographic ship was operating near Townsville when the cyclone hit the Whitsunday Islands, and followed the tail end of the system through rough seas as Debbie headed south. Melville’s Commanding Officer, Commander Neil Cheverton said his crew had worked with local authorities to coordinate ferry access to Thursday Island, to evacuate the resort.

HMAS Choules has sailed for northern Queensland waters in support of communities which may be affected by Tropical Cyclone Debbie. The amphibious ship, left Sydney on 27 March as part of broader Australian Defence Force support to Queensland emergency services responding to the cyclone, which is expected to make landfall early on 28 March. The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin said Defence was prepared and ready to respond with immediate assistance to local communities within the storm zone in coordination with state and local disaster management authorities. “Australian Defence Force personnel are highly trained, well equipped and experienced in providing assistance to Australian communities affected by natural disasters,” Air Chief Marshal Binskin said.

HMAS Canberra has achieved another aviation milestone embarking two Army Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters for the first time. The two Tigers, will join two MRH-90 Taipan medium lift helicopters and one MH-60R Seahawk conducting first of class flight trials onboard the amphibious giant over the next six weeks. The trials are designed to find the safe operating limits of the helicopters during a variety of weather conditions, according to Lieutenant Grant Thaler, who will oversee the trials. Lieutenant Thaler is a Flight Test Engineer from the Navy's Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit, based at HMAS Albatross, in Nowra. “I am looking forward to seeing just what we can achieve,” Lieutenant Thaler said.

MS Albatros, operated by German-based travel agency Phoenix Reisen, will visit Townsville tomorrow carrying approximately 612 passengers and 345 crew. This beautiful retro-style ship was built in 1973 by Wärtsilä Helsinki New Shipyard Finland and has been extensively refurbished over the years. She is 206 metres in length and her gross tonnage is 28,518 tonnes,   Passengers will disembark around 0830 and the ship departs at 1800.  A high proportion of the Albatross’ passengers are pre-booked on tours tomorrow (about 400), the remaining will be provided with the usual free shuttle buses to CBD and then City/Strand Loop bus throughout the day.

Australia’s lead management agency for the Great Barrier Reef will receive a $124 million funding boost over the next 10 years from the Turnbull Government. The funding commitment for the Townsville-based Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is great news for the North Queensland region and Townsville, and follows the signing of Australia’s first City Deal for Townsville earlier this month. Frydenberg said the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which has been managing this acclaimed World Heritage Area for more than 40 years, will receive an additional $34.1 million over four years from 2016-17, and $15 million each year from 2020-21.

Staff from Brisbane-based 1st Division/Deployable Joint Force Headquarters joined other Defence representatives for an amphibious force staff exercise in Townsville in October. Conducted by the Amphibious Task Group, the exercise provided an opportunity for personnel representing the key enablers of Australia’s amphibious capability to discuss the future. Joining in were personnel from HMA Ships Canberra, Adelaide and Choules, Army's Forces Command and 3rd Brigade, Director General – Land, Maritime Operations, 5th Aviation Regiment and Combat Training Centre. Colonel Terence Dunne, United States Marine Corps, who is posted to the Joint Force Headquarters and in charge of amphibious capability and development…

Vessel sales for July 2016 (as of August 1) as prepared by Shipping Intelligence, Inc., New York.

Townsville contractor CivilPlus Constructions has been awarded the design and construct tender for the primary wharf works component of Port of Townsville’s $55 million Berth 4 Upgrade project. Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the announcement was great news for the Townsville economy. “The upgrade of Berth 4 is one of the $187 million in projects brought forward as part of the Palaszczuk Government’s Accelerated Works Program for North Queensland,” Mr Pitt said. “This work, which is expected to support 100 jobs and take around 18 months, will be undertaken locally by Townsville's CivilPlus and employ local people. “Around 60,400 jobs have been created in Queensland since the election and this Government’s focus will remain squarely on seeing the positive employment story continue…

HMAS Canberra has returned  to Australia  following its successful maiden deployment to Fiji in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Winston. Following a request from the Fijian Government, HMAS Canberra was deployed to Fiji on 1 March to deliver much needed humanitarian aid and assistance. HMAS Canberra was loaded with 60 tonnes of emergency relief supplies, three MRH-90 helicopters and around 760 Australian Defence Force personnel including engineers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers.

Today Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) launched operations at MHI Australia, Pty. Ltd. in Sydney. Creation of the new entity has two overriding ambitions: 1) to strengthen ties with Australia's governmental institutions and economic and industrial sectors, and 2) to serve as a base for developing relationships with Australia's academic bodies, including universities and research institutes. MHI Australia will help drive proactive sales support as well as broad information gathering to reinforce MHI's business structure in the Australia/Oceania region as well. Australia, with its abundant reserves of energy and mineral resources, especially natural gas and coal, and its solid and sustainable economy, offers outstanding market potential for the MHI Group's diverse businesses.

WILCO Logistics Pty Ltd has been announced as the successful bid contractor on Breakwater safety works at the Port of Townsville. Minister for Ports Mark Bailey said the overall $1.5 million project will improve navigational safety at the Townsville Port by widening the entrance to the harbour, but does not involve any capital dredging works. “This project is another step towards being able to accommodate larger vessels at the Townsville Port and will also improve the navigational safety of vessels already entering our harbour,” he said. “Best of all, local North Queensland contractors will once again be engaged to complete important infrastructure improvement works, meaning more local jobs for this community.

Port of Townsville Limited (POTL) has released the 2015 Annual Seagrass Health Survey carried out in Cleveland Bay during 2015. The survey, commissioned annually since 2007 at a cost of around $70,000 per year, is carried out by James Cook University’s (JCU) Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER). JCU scientist in charge of the program Dr Michael Rasheed said that the results of the monitoring in Townsville over the past few years were encouraging, with a large scale recovery of seagrasses being recorded. “This program is part of a network of seagrass monitoring along the east and west coast of Queensland conducted with funding and support from Queensland port authorities.

Northern Australia’s largest general cargo port, the Port of Townsville, will today sign a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II (Persero) or the Indonesia Port Corporation (IPC). The agreement will be signed at the Indonesian-Australian Business Forum in Canberra, witnessed by the Australian Government’s Hon Andrew Robb AO MP, Minister for Trade and Investment, H.E. Ms Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Republic of Indonesia, and H.E. Mr Nadjib Riphat Kesoema, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia for Australia. IPC is a state-owned corporation responsible for the governance…

Port of Townsville Limited (POTL) has welcomed the announcement this morning by Treasurer Curtis Pitt and Minister for Ports and Energy and Water Supply Mark Bailey of the appointment of two new locally-based Directors to its Board. Mr Shane Hanran and Ms Megan Heywood assume their positions on the Board effective today. POTL Chair Renita Garard said that today’s announcement was a real boost to the port’s Board and that the skills and experience of the two appointees would service the business well as it embarks upon long term expansion plans. “Mr Hanran and Ms Heywood bring a vast amount of experience to the table in both the engineering and legal disciplines, which are both very relevant and critical skills to run an efficient port business,” she said.