Continuing Support for Vietnam’s Peackeepers

OPV show of strength

The first of 12 Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPV) – NUSHIP Arafura – was launched at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia in December.

First Assistant Secretary Ships Division Sheryl Lutz said the Arafuraclass offshore patrol vessels was one of the foundation projects in the 2017 Naval Shipbuilding Plan.

“Luerssen Australia is contracted to build 12 offshore patrol vessels – two at Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia and 10 at Henderson Maritime Precinct in Western Australia,” Ms Lutz said.

Building the first two OPVs in South Australia enabled experienced shipbuilders from the Hobart-class destroyer to be retained and then transitioned to the new Hunterclass frigates, setting the foundation for a continuous sovereign naval shipbuilding industry.

The 80-metre long OPVs will primarily undertake constabulary missions and maritime patrol and response duties.

They will incorporate state-ofthe art sensors and command and communications systems, improving operational capability alongside Australian Border Force vessels, other ADF units and Australia’s regional partners.

Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said the functions undertaken patrol boats were becoming increasingly important.

“As we enter a period of unprecedented regional instability and uncertainty, we again forge ahead with this new capability and with new confidence,” Mr Dutton said.

“By 2030, the shipbuilding workforce will grow to over 2000 here at Osborne as part of the 15,000 workers directly employed under the government’s Naval Shipbuilding Plan.

“These numbers speak obviously of our commitment to building our Navy’s strength to develop our sovereign industrial capabilities and to grow our Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise.”

Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel, NUSHIP Arafura, at Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.

Seabin not a waste

Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment, is shown how a Seabin functions by CEO and Co-founder of the Seabin Project, Mr Pete Ceglinski at Garden Island Sydney. Photo: LSIS David Cox

Trials of the Seabin Smart Technology at Sydney Harbour Defence sites have removed 2920kg of plastic, fuels and detergents from Sydney Harbour in the past 12 months.

The Garden Island seabin has been removing 140kg of waste per week, including one item of plastic every 40 seconds.

Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the Defence trial exceeded all expectations and three permanent units would be maintained at Garden Island.

“Over a two-week period, the Seabins captured 6198 items of waste from Sydney Harbour, including 3500 microfibres and microplastics, and 2000 unidentifiable pieces of plastic waste,” Ms Price said.

“This is Australian technology which costs as little as $1 a day to run and which can have huge dividends for the environment.”

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley visited Garden Island on January 13.

“We can’t keep putting plastic in our oceans and it starts by getting our waste into the recycling bin where it belongs,” Ms Ley said.

Wentworth MP David Sharma said the project would have benefits for beaches across the harbour’s east.

“Sydney Harbour is one of the world’s great waterways and this technology is an important sign of our commitment to keeping it that way,” Mr Sharma said.

“Defence has always been a part of the harbour landscape, both through current sites like Garden Island and our former Defence sites now managed through the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.”