Press Releases
Friday 3rd June 2011
Debris on Avoca Beach
“If debris found on Avoca Beach is from the Adelaide it is likely to have been dislodged from within the ship during the scuttling” said Sue Dengate, Secretary of the Central Coast Artificial Reef Project.
“We have now had a long period of high seas and even water spouts and it is not surprising that anything that was dislodged during the scuttling have finally surfaced” Said Sue “and the high water energy environment that occurs during scuttling is extreme”. “Whilst some items were dislodged during the scuttling and found in the initial surveys, it is very possible that other dislodged items were propelled out and away from the vessel”
“The debris that was found is not from external walls of a ship” said Sue “It is obviously internal and quite ‘flimsy’ and therefore not structural”
“It is surprising that this debris ended up on Avoca Beach if it did come from the Adelaide, as the buoys and moorings (some deliberately cut) have all floated north” Said Sue Dengate
“I dived the Adelaide on Sunday and I can say for certain that both the hull and the superstructure are in fine condition and haven’t changed since I first dived her a week after the scuttling” said Sue Dengate “ In my dive I started mid-ships, went to the Bridge, out, down and in to the Ward Room and towards the Stern. Then I came out on the port side into a huge school of large bait fish, along to the port helicopter hangers, into the starboard hanger and then out and up to mid-ships again and there were no issues.”
“Not only didn’t I see anything untoward, I heard whales singing and later found out that 3 whales were close in to ‘First Point’ between Copacabana and Avoca” Said Sue “and a dolphin and a large seal were seen playing nearby too”
“As far as the debris is concerned, members of the No Ship Action Group (NSAG) took it and were refusing to give it to the representative from the Lands Dept who had come to pick it up for investigations” said Sue “ Surely if NSAG wanted to really find out what had happened as they claimed, they would want Lands Dept to take it for proper and thorough investigation”
“We would also like to re-affirm the ex-HMAS Adelaide’s motto”
“United for the Common Good”
For further information please call Sue Dengate on: Ph. 0417 028286
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