Community Consultation

Defence is listening to the Central Queensland community.

Like all good neighbours, Defence is listening to the community and the concerns raised about its current and proposed use of the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

One of the main avenues for consultation is the SWBTA Environmental Advisory Committee. This committee meets bi-annually to be informed of upcoming exercises and other plans for the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

Members are made up of delegates from:

  • The Livingstone Shire Council;
  • The Darumbal-Noolar Murree Aboriginal Corporation for Land and Culture;
  • A regional conservation group's delegate;
  • The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority;
  • Neighbouring property owners' representative;
  • Fishing organisations' representative;
  • The Queensland Environmental Protection Agency;
  • The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service;
  • The Queensland Department of Primary Industries - Forestry, and;
  • The Department of Defence.

Additionally, Defence is in regular contact with residents adjoining the Training Area and its access roads.

Defence recognises that consultation with State and local Governments and local communities is important. Even though at the time, some details of the Joint Combined Training Capability were yet to be finalised - Defence conducted community information meetings in late November/early December 2004. These meetings gave the Central Queensland community key information, known at the time, on the Joint Combined Training Capability concept and other aspects of Defence's use of the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

Since that time, detailed planning has been done and the Government has formally agreed to develop the Joint Combined Training Capability to provide the enhanced training capability. Click here to see a copy of the Defence Minister's media release making the announcement.

As promised by Defence at the 2004 meetings, the Department is meeting its obligations under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. A draft Public Environmental Report (PER) on the planned Joint Combined Training Capability enhancements at Shoalwater Bay Training Area was prepared by HLA-Envirosciences Pty Ltd. This PER was made available in February 2006 for review and comment by interested members of the public.

The community was also provided with another opportunity in 2006 to comment on the facilities upgrade required in Shoalwater Bay Training Area for the Joint Combined Training Capability. The Joint Statatory Committee on Public Works (also commonly known as the Public Works Committee) accepted public submissions on the construction of the Exercise Control Building and Urban Operations Training Facility. On Friday 28 July the Joint Standing Committee on Public Works heard evidence in Rockhampton from Defence and interested members of the local community.

On Wednesday 13 September 2006, the Joint Standing Committee on Public Works tabled its report Facilities Upgrade to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Rockhampton, Queensland.

Details of the committee's inquiry and report can be found here. In meeting its promise to keep the community informed about significant events and milestones in the development of the Joint Combined Training Capability and Urban Operations Training Facility at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, in February 2007 Defence issued a Media Release and inserted paid advertisements in local and State newspapers to advise the community of the movement from Brisbane to Shoalwater Bay Training Area of the 350 shipping containers used to create the Urban Operations Training Facility.

In April 2007, Defence invited local media to Shoalwater Bay Training Area to see on behalf of the community Defence's environmental management practices and the Urban Operation Training Facility in its final stages of construction. The (Rockhampton) Morning Bulletin reported on the Urban Operations Training Facility on April 4 (page 7) and April 7 (page 4). ABC radio also ran stories on air across Queensland and included two reports on their website: Defence Force builds training 'city' at Shoalwater Bay; and Environmentally Responsible Military Training.

In the lead up to Exercise Talisman Sabre 07 and the first use of the Joint Combined Training Capability facilities, Defence commits to continue to keeping you informed.

Community information meetings on TS 07 were held in Rockhampton and Yeppoon in December 2006. Community leaders and stakeholder organisations are being given additional information on the TS07 exercise to ensure they can appropriately plan.
For more information on the TS07 exercise is available here.

If you have a query on the Joint Combined Training Capability please email the JCTC or send your query to:

Query on JCTC
Department of Defence
Building 47
68 Western Street
Rockhampton QLD 4700