Good Oil on Westralia
Timetable announced for replacement Fleet oiler

By Graham Davis

At the Pacific 2004 International Maritime Expo is (L-R): RADM Ronnie Tay from Singapore, RADM Peter McHaffie from New Zealand, Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill, ADML Datok Mohd Anwar from Malaysia and VADM Chris Ritchie.

Photo: ABPH Nina Nikolin

The Government anticipates that by the end of June it will purchase a replacement tanker for the RAN’s HMAS Westralia, Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill said last week.

“It is envisaged that the primary designer, who will be responsible for designing the conversion of the replacement tanker so it meets capability requirements, will be appointed by the end of September,” Senator Hill added.

“Defence signed a contract last month with the shipbroker Teekay Shipping to identify potential replacement tankers that are operating, are double hulled and are environmentally sustainable.

“While it is still early days, indications are that the commercial market for these vessels is vigorous and it is anticipated that the Government will purchase the base ship by the end of June.”

The replacement for Westralia is to be in service in 2006, Senator Hill said.

The Minister provided the timetable for Westralia’s replacement when he gave the official opening address to the RAN’s Sea Power Conference held from February 3-5 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour.

More than 850 delegates from 26 nations heard the Minister speak.

The Sea Power conference was part of the Pacific 2004 Congress.

The third in a series of Pacific Congress held every two years, also saw hundreds of defence industry providers set up stands covering three halls of the convention centre.

The theme for the Sea Power Conference was “Positioning Navies for the Future.”

This theme was clearly enumerated by the Minister who said Defence is finalising its advice to Government on the process of selecting platform designs for the Air Warfare Destroyers.

“I envisage Government will also consider this advice in the next couple of months,” Senator Hill said.

He said Defence would consider in the near future the merits of a number of existing designs for the replacement the amphibious ships.

The new ships have to be in service by 2010 and 2013, Senator Hill said.

In his keynote address to the Sea Power conference, Chief of Navy VADM Chris Ritchie said he saw an increasing “constabulatory” role for the RAN.

“I believe the RAN is on the right path,” he said.

He warned, however, of increasing ethnic, social and cultural unrest.

“We are seen as a steadying influence in this region,” he said.

Providing a worrying statistic he said that 60 per cent of the world’s acts of piracy happened in South East Asian waters.

Of the RAN’s operational tempo he said it was unparalleled since the Vietnam War.

VADM Ritchie also spoke about the continuous development of people and how to recruit and retain RAN personnel in the face of a decreasing birth rate and competition from other sources.

Improving promotions and remuneration was one way of doing so.

The Minister and CN were just two of 17 speakers scheduled for the conference.

Chiefs of Navy from three of Australia’s neighbours attended the conference.

They were RADM Peter McHaffie from New Zealand, RADM Ronnie Tay from Singapore and ADML Datok Mohd Anwar from Malaysia.

The RAN’s newest coastal minehunter HMAS Yarra was brought into Cockle Bay as a floating exhibit while tours were arranged for delegates of HMAS Manoora at Fleet Base East.

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