Spr Dean Turner is part of the project managment team for the NGO warehouse built in the shanty town at High Range. In the background are electrician LAC Aaron Denmeade, ICLS RAAF Townsville, plumber LAC Clayton Philipps Plumber, ICLS RAAF Townsville, and carpenter Spr Beau Best, Spec Tp 25 Spt Sqn, 3CER. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, 1JPAU(P))

Looking from a tree trunk bench, where buyers at this market place can sit and sip the local “beer” with a view to the school house. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham 1JPAU(P)

A Third World-type grave in the town’s cemetery. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, 1JPAU(P)

By Cpl Belinda Mepham

3CER has recently completed the clean up stage of its visionary shanty town at High Range, leaving a substantial paw print.

The project has been in construction since July last year after CO 3CER Lt-Col Bill Sowry tasked the regiment to build a state-of-the-art training facility to replicate the infrastructure and environment which soldiers have encountered during recent overseas deployments.

Named Wadi-al-Ceegi, meaning Corrugated Iron Creek, the township only needs careful authentication to replicate most examples of Third World villages.

The regiment has built the township despite being the middle of its busiest period, a fact acknowledged by project manager, OC 25 Spt Sqn Maj Rupert Hoskins.

“We knew immediately that 3CER’s high tempo would make it a challenge to create something of sufficient scale and complexity to be worthwhile,” he said.

“…We acknowledged this but agreed that somehow we would make it happen anyway.”

He said it was essential that soldiers who had operational experience in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region put their personal knowledge into the project.

“Almost every member has had personal experience in a village like this and had a clear vision of what the town should look like and represent,” he said.

“We held workshops with 2RAR members where they outlined their views on what would provide good training.”

He said most members of 3CER had not worked on such a large development.

They had been required in some part to also take on managerial positions and coordination of tasking.

More than a year later, eerie empty markets and housing shacks stand ready for the assaults units in the ADF will bring to the township.

There are graves complete with decoration and foreign languages on the headstones. A sloping soccer field of dust provides the impression the villagers are hiding from the heat waiting for the monsoons to begin.

Rice fields on the outskirts of the township will provide carefully considered obstacle and clearing procedures.

They are also big enough to serve as an LZ for a squadron of helicopters.

Maj Hoskins said class and power issues in Wadi al-Ceegi had been represented with large concrete walls surrounding the headman’s home and the NGO storehouse.

“All of the structures, roads and tracks were very carefully planned to make sure the village could be used well into the future of the Army’s training requirements, with low level maintance required,” he said.

“The trades people’s skills have been excersised to a major construction level, far exceeding the usual task threshold of similar squadrons.”

He said DSTO had visited the site and was confident the facility would be incorporated in its urban warfare training development.

1 Topo Svy Sqn had produced a three-dimensional computer-generated fly-through based on the design which would be highly beneficial for future training.

During construction phase, provision to install video tracking devices was included.

In upcoming months, the shiny new huts will be turned into slums in the final stage of the project.

Maj Hoskins said the real time, current method training facility would raise the level of training in situations soldiers have already encountered.

A Third World village in North Queensland’s back yard had become a reality.

“All ranks should be immensly proud of their contribution,” he said.

“The dingo paw print has been planted.”

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