Media Release

INVITATION TO BRIEFINGS ON THE JINDALEE OPERATIONAL RADAR NETWORK PROJECT

The Defence Project Office and contractors for the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) will hold public briefings on the Project in Longreach next week.

The Project Office is responsible for the development of an over-the-horizon radar capability to provide continuous, real-time surveillance of Australia's northern coastline and approaches, to become an important element in the national defence strategy.

One of the two sites involved in the network is situated about 35 km and the other about 200km south-west of Longreach.

Representatives of the Jindalee Project Office and RLM Management Pty Ltd (a Lockheed-Martin and Tenix Defence Systems Joint Venture company) will be in the Longreach region from next Tuesday to Thursday (Jun 22-24).

As well as visiting the sites, where electronic equipment is now being installed in buildings, Project officials will conduct a briefing with audio-visual displays to which community leaders and all other members of the public interested in the Project are invited. The team will be at the Longreach Town Hall at 6pm next Tuesday (22/6).

Interested members of the public with their own transport are also welcome to join public tours of the transmitter and receiver sites, respectively 35 km and 135km south-west of Longreach.

"We look forward to meeting all people from the Longreach area and providing them with an update on the work so far, what's to be done and the contribution this important project will make, in due course, to the defence of our country and shipping lanes," the Director General of Strategic High Frequency Systems, Air Commodore Dick Hedges, said today.

"The JORN Project Director, Gordon McElroy, and I are happy to discuss any aspects of JORN and answer any concerns citizens might have.

"If you do want to speak to people from the Project but are unable to attend the meeting, all you have to do is leave a telephone message with Vicki Ussher at the council office on 4658 4108 and one of us will give you a call."

Further information:
Tony Underwood : (02) 6265 2703 or 0419 213885

Issued by the Defence Public Affairs Organisation, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT, 2600

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