HomeCouncilUS Naval Attaché assesses Port of Bundaberg

US Naval Attaché assesses Port of Bundaberg

US Naval Attaché
US Naval Attaché Captain Matt Ort (centre) travelled to the Bundaberg Region to explore opportunities for defence investment at the Port of Bundaberg, meeting with (from left to right) Bundaberg Regional Council industry investment advisor Helen Swanson, Pacific Tug planning manager Jim Lawley, VAXA Group managing partner Todd Crowley and Gladstone Ports Corporation Port of Bundaberg manager Jason Pascoe.

The suitability of the Port of Bundaberg for defence investment was the subject of an official visit to the region by US Naval Attaché Captain Matt Ort.

Captain Ort met with Council and Gladstone Ports Corporation to learn more about the Bundaberg Region and the Bundaberg State Development Area, which incorporates the port.

He said it had been a productive visit.

“I got to check out your port facility and see if at some point it could be conducive to US Navy interest and I think it certainly is,” Captain Ort said.

“I think there is definitely potential.

“For a lot of reasons — geographically being able to avoid the [Great] Barrier Reef for environmental concerns is huge.

“But it’s going to need a lot of work before we are able to utilise it like it could be utilised.”

Defence investment attraction is one of Bundaberg Regional Council’s 2020 Advocacy Priorities.

Mayor Jack Dempsey said Captain Ort’s input had been helpful to ensure further investigations into defence investment attraction were focused in the right direction.

“We learnt that while the US Navy may not immediately look to construct new US Navy infrastructure here, it has in the past contributed towards the construction of appropriate infrastructure that enables them to use international ports,” Mayor Dempsey said.

“If the necessary port infrastructure was in place they could bring ships here on regular exercises such as the biennial Talisman Sabre exercise that our region already hosts.

“We now know we need to do a series of investigations into what infrastructure is required to attract US Navy usage.”

US Naval Attaché
Mayor Jack Dempsey with US Naval Attaché Captain Matt Ort.

Mayor Dempsey said Council had already undertaken significant work in this space to make the region more attractive to defence investors.

“Council has been working in recent years to make the region as commercially attractive for investment as possible.

“This has involved a range of studies and analysis and most recently saw Council help to upskill 80 local small to medium businesses to increase their chances of securing defence contracts.”

Council is now hoping the State and Federal Governments will undertake a joint investigation into the feasibility of the Bundaberg State Development Area, including the Port of Bundaberg, for future defence and security uses.

1 COMMENT

1 COMMENT

  1. we do not want them people anywhere near this town they can stay in Townsville, what are you trying to do with this town, it was a nice small town nice and quiet attracting lots of retirees and you are all making it busier and bigger and basically just polluting the whole area, with noise and exhausts and more crime, why have you got to try and make it like Brisbane its bad enough making elliot heads bigger and nastier and now poor burnett heads, why not leave things as they are in this beautiful little area.

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