[Australia]: Australian Antarctic Program 2006-07

[Owen]

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AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC PROGRAM 2006-07​

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Objective:	Re-establish Australia's scientific presence on Macquarie Island and at the Macquarie Island Station. Re-establish the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service Macquarie Island Field Centre. Conduct scientific research on Macquarie Island.
Date:	16 April 2006 - Present
Location:	Macquarie Island (Tasmania)
Status:	Ongoing

ASSETS​

Agency:	Assets:
Australian Antarctic Division​	RSV Aurora Australis 40x Scientists 5x Honda TRX300s 2x John Deere 5055E Tractors 8x LARC-Vs 2x Peter Gormly-class Barges 3x MBB/Kawasaki BK 117s
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service​	15x Park Rangers 3x Patrol Cars

 

[Owen]

Macquarie Island was the only remaining Australian subantarctic island possession after the Global Assembly's Antarctica Resolution stripped Australia's sovereignty over the external territory of the Heard and McDonald Islands because of its location within the Antarctic Convergence (whereas Macquarie Island is not) and handed it to Sweden. At 54 degrees south compared with Heard Island's 53 degrees south, Macquarie Island was actually the farthest southern of the two islands. However, unlike most other outlying islands of Australia, Macquarie Island was not an external territory but rather directly administered by the State of Tasmania under the local government control of the Huon Valley Council which was a mere 1,542km to its northwest. Macquarie Island was notable for being the home of the entire Royal Penguin population during their nesting season as well as being one of the few places in the Southern Hemisphere with a Tundra biome, which made conservation and scientific research even more crucial on this small outpost in the Southern Ocean. While it was entering the winter months, Macquarie Island was not so far south that the temperatures were simply uninhabitable and there was still a sufficient amount of sunlight hours during the day.

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At Princes Wharf in Hobart, the RSV Aurora Australis would be prepared for its expedition. Onboard would be two Peter Gormly-class Barges and three MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 helicopters as apart of the complement of the ship. Also onboard as cargo would be five Honda TRX300s, two John Deere 5055E Tractors and eight LARC-Vs from the Australian Antarctic Division as well as three Holden Colorado four-wheel-drive patrol cars from the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service which would be transported to Macquarie Island to be permanently based on the island. There would also be 40 scientists from the Australian Antarctic Division onboard as passengers along with 15 park rangers of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. The latter would form the basis of the Macquarie Island Field Centre to be permanently based on the island as the entire island was a declared Tasmanian State Reserve. Once the ship was loaded up it would depart Hobart, heading out along the Derwent River, past South Arm and Bruny Island and into the Southern Ocean heading southeast towards Macquarie Island on its 1,542km journey. It would take transit route QE -> QD -> RD.

 

[Owen]

By now the RSV Aurora Australis would arrive off the north tip of Macquarie Island. The delicate operation to begin unloading the cargo would begin. The LARC-V's which were brought by the ship would be used to bring essential supplies and personnel to the island, landing on the beaches near the Station. The LARC-V's would remain on the island to be used for transporting supplies to and from the ship. The Peter Gormly-class barges would be used to transport the 3 Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service patrol cars as well as the Honda TRX300s and the John Deere tractors off the ship. In a similar manner they would land on the beach, unload the cargo and then would be pushed by personnel back into the water and back to the ship. Once all the cargo and personnel were unloaded on the island they would begin re-establishing themselves at the Station, ensuring food and water was stocked appropriate and fuel essential for vehicles and generators. The RSV Aurora Australis would remain in the vicinity of the island for a while before returning to Hobart. With May shortly approaching the island would begin being blanketed in snow.

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