Media Room: Defence Alert

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE LOSS OF HMAS SYDNEY II PUBLIC HEARINGS – JANUARY 2009

What:              Public hearings of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the loss of HMAS Sydney II. 

Who:               The President of the Commission, The Honourable Terence Cole AO, RFD, QC, will convene a public hearing of the Inquiry.

Experts from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and the Australian division of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) will be called to provide analysis of the footage, provided by Navy and captured by the Finding Sydney Foundation, of the Sydney II wreck. Computer animated footage will be utilised to assist with the taking of evidence and a compile is available via Defence media (see contact details below).

When:             10:00am, 12 - 16 January 2009.

Where:            Hearing Room 1, Level 5, 55 Market Street, Sydney.

Media Notes: 

The DSTO animated computer graphics of the DSTO evidence provided at the Inquiry will be provided via networks at Parliament House on 12 January 2009. High resolution images will be made available via the Defence website: www.defence.gov.au. Further information and transcripts are available on the Defence Inquiry’s website at: www.defence.gov.au/sydneyii/.

No television cameras will be granted access inside the hearing room.

Further hearings are presently planned for 19-22 January 2009 in Sydney. Additional dates will be confirmed and advertised on the Defence Sydney II website: http://www.defence.gov.au/sydneyii/

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Media contact:

Defence Media Liaison: 02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664