Navy minehunter to help locate missing containers

The Queensland Government has secured the help of the Navy to find – and if possible retrieve – the 31 containers lost overboard from the Pacific Adventurer off Moreton Island last week.

Deputy Premier Paul Lucas said the Navy Minehunter HMAS Yarra would be despatched immediately and will start the search within the next few days.

The Federal Attorney-General’s office advised Emergency Management Queensland this morning of approval of the Navy’s involvement.

Mr Lucas said the Navy would provide the best chance of locating the containers, and then if at all possible, of retrieving them.

The containers, each weighing approximately 21 tonnes, were filled with ammonium nitrate.

“Our priority is to take every step to minimise the environmental risk and danger to shipping that these containers pose,” Mr Lucas said.

“This Navy Minehunter is equipped with sonar technology for deep sea survey. It provides us with the kind of specialist and technological capability required to locate the missing containers.”

The request for Commonwealth assistance was made to Emergency Management Australia under the Federal Government’s Disaster Response Plan.

Emergency Management Australia consulted with the Joint Operations Command of Australia’s defence forces.

It was agreed that a Navy vessel would be dispatched forthwith, tasked with locating the containers, while concurrently planning for their retrieval should this be possible.

There have been no sightings of the containers since they were lost overboard seven nautical miles east of Cape Moreton at approximately 3.20am last Wednesday.

Maritime Safety Queensland believes the containers have sunk in approximately 150 metres of water to the sea floor in the general vicinity of where they went overboard.

Media contact: Matthew Klar 0437 435 223