Brisbane River News

In the middle an intense training and systems check period, HMAS Darwin slipped into the Brisbane River and berthed across from Navy’s home in southern Queensland, HMAS Moreton. The frigate’s arrival in Brisbane coincided with the first anniversary since the local base was re-commissioned. On arrival, Commanding Officer Darwin Commander Phillip Henry was met by the Commanding Officer Moreton, Commander Mark McConnell, who welcomed the ship to the city. After taking care of all the necessary ship-keeping duties, the crew, who had a surprising number of family connections in the area, ventured ashore for some well-earned rest and relaxation.

Brisbane Navy base, HMAS Moreton, recently hosted 60 Army Assault Pioneer Platoon personnel for a three-week intensive Advanced Small-Craft Operations Course. Situated on the Brisbane River at Bulimba, the base became the home to 30 trainees and 30 support staff from 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment. The Platoon conducted a series of tactical insertions at Bribie and Moreton Islands as well as surf negotiation on the Gold Coast. The course develops skills for pre-landing force operations from Navy's amphibious ships, HMA Ships Canberra and Adelaide. A number of zodiac boats are required to insert the Battalion’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance elements prior to the arrival of the main landing force.

Pilots in the Port of Brisbane, one of Australia’s fastest growing container ports, are using the word “unmatched” when describing the performance of new navigational equipment from electronic navigation specialist Simrad, a brand within the Navico group. Installed during the recent refit of the pilot boat Amity, the equipment installations include an NSS12 evo2, 12-inch chart-plotter and multifunction display with GPS positioning, supported by a Simrad GS25 GPS antenna, as well as the recently-launched Simrad Halo 3ft Radar operating with the latest Pulse Compression technology.

BMT WBM’s Brisbane-based Graduate Scientist, Danielle Udy, was recently awarded the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland 2014 Kevin Smith Prize for her honours research. The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland presents medals to the highest achieving student majoring in geographical science at three major Queensland universities – James Cook University, The University of Queensland and the University of the Sunshine Coast.  Danielle’s research identified atmospheric circulation patterns that were linked to recent flood events within the Brisbane River Basin to enhance flood forecasting potential.  She will be presenting this research at the upcoming annual Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society conference in July.

BMT WBM (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, is delighted to announce that it has won the bid to provide a Comprehensive Hydraulic Assessment as part of the Brisbane River Catchment Flood Study (BRCFS) for the Queensland Government. Given the significant logistical challenges and technical complexities, BMT has tailored a bespoke and innovative, industry leading approach underpinned by international best practice. The project forms part of a broader framework of the Brisbane River Catchment Floodplain Studies currently being undertaken by the Queensland Government in response to the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry to provide a comprehensive plan to manage the Brisbane flood risk.

Seven men have been issued a $2,040 infringement notice after deliberately jumping from a moving domestic commercial vessel into the Brisbane River, informs the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Queensland Water Police Senior Sergeant Warren Francis, said this was an extremely dangerous stunt and the men were lucky to escape injury. “The risk of injury or death is very high with this type of activity and it was an extremely reckless and dangerous stunt. The Queensland Police Service reminds people that any report of unsafe action on the water will be fully investigated and reported to the appropriate authority for prosecution,” Senior Sergeant Francis said.

In the early evening hours twenty years ago in a shipyard in Brisbane, Australia the sleek hull of the 192 foot motor sailing yacht The Other Woman effortlessly slid down the launch ways into the Brisbane River. The Owner, Ed Cantor, told his guests as he watched his "Other Woman" hit the water "she looks so beautiful without the masts, do we really have to put them on?”. The evening and festivities went on with the question looming, was Ed Cantor serious? That question is now at rest. The 192 foot motor yacht Islander has emerged out of that statement, twenty years later.

According to AAP, Brisbane’s new cruise ship terminal has been plagued by problems on its opening day. The $750 million Portside Wharf and Brisbane Cruise Terminal development on the Brisbane River at Hamilton welcomed its first vessel today – P&O's Pacific Star. The ship had been due to sail at 2pm but when passengers eventually boarded, the delay continued due to a problem with the vessel's holding tank. P&O spokesman John Richardson said the Pacific Star could not leave until a minor leak was fixed. Another 48 liners are due to berth at the terminal in the next 12 months – four times the number that visited Brisbane in 2003 when work on the development started. Source: AAP