Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to advise the Federation Chamber of the proposed scuttling of HMAS Tobruk in the coming weeks. This is a project which has taken more than five years to come to fruition, but we are nearly there. Unfortunately, the planned scuttling this week has been delayed by the weather, but we are taking the utmost care in the sinking of this ship around Hervey Bay and Bundaberg. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service have extended the first window until Thursday, 28 June. If the weather is not favourable, they will move to a second window, between Tuesday, 3 July, and Tuesday, 10 July. Mr Deputy Speaker Hogan, I know you're very passionate about our coastal regions. If you're available, the scuttling will occur approximately 22 nautical miles from Bundaberg and 25 nautical miles from Hervey Bay, in around 29 metres of water.

I was lucky enough to attend a farewell service for the HMAS Tobruk this month, on 5 June. Those who attended and organised the event believe it is the first time that a ceremony of this type has been held to farewell or commemorate the service of a ship. It was organised by the HMAS Anzac/Tobruk Association, which is a volunteer, community based, ex-service group. Their aim is to help reduce social isolation by encouraging ex-service colleagues to get together in a safe, friendly and supportive environment with comfortable facilities. They are very passionate, they are very proud of their country and they are incredibly proud of this ship. My thanks go to President Bert Boyd and Secretary Jim Cunningham for organising the service. It was organised and run by Rear Admiral retired Kenneth Doolan, the original commissioning Commanding Officer of HMAS Tobruk L50, who spoke at the service. I was absolutely humbled to have in attendance Mr Gordon Wallace, one of our last living Rats of Tobruk from World War II. What began as an idea way back in 2012-13 has almost come to fruition. HMAS Tobruk served this nation for many years; it will continue to serve the people of Australia, albeit in a different role.

I thank the people of the electorate, and I thank all of those who were involved in the work that was necessary not only to prepare the ship but also to get a commitment of funding to get the ship committed to the project, including of course the advisory group, which did a lot of the background work. In particular, I thank Scott Rowe; the state MP for Hervey Bay, Ted Sorensen; the member for Burnett, Stephen Bennett; Senator James McGrath; the former Labor MP for Bundaberg, Leanne Donaldson; councillors Rolf Light and Darren Everard; the mayors of Bundaberg and Fraser Coast; and all of those members of the advisory committee who actually put their hard earned on the table to do ground-level surveys, so we knew what the bottom looked like, and we could put up a real submission to demonstrate that this would work.

HMAS Tobruk will begin its next life of service in just weeks. There are already hundreds of people who have registered to dive HMAS Tobruk when it is available. I congratulate all of those involved, and can I say that we will treat it with the utmost respect. The prep crew wouldn't even put their names on the wall; they put them on a chalkboard to respect the ship.