A heavy roller takes a break on the side of a new all-weather track. A sapper from 18 CE Sqn begins breaking up Airport Road.

Lt Rob Lang shows OC 18 CE Sqn Maj Jason Hedges the new culvert built into the Bamboo Creek Road. Photos by Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper

Road warriors
3CER kick-start AACAP on Palm Island

By Cpl Belinda Mepham
AACAP is underway on Palm Island, a Aboriginal community near Townsville.

In the curtain-raiser to the project, 3CER began work more than a month in advance to prepare initial works.

A tight team headed by the 2IC 18 CE Sqn, project manager Capt John Daunt, have nearly completed the task despite the typical tropical wet affecting transport to the island.

“After the rain stopped we got started on the first part— Bamboo Creek Road,” he said.

“That encompassed a 5km-long unsealed single-lane four-wheel-drive track along with the construction of two culverts and the construction of a rock gabion causeway.”

The Bamboo Creek Road allows the access from the township through the hills to the repeater station that is the only telecommunication point from the island.

The second phase of 3CER’s task was to repair Airport Road, the main road, linking the airport to the main township of Palm Island.

“We replaced approximately 100 cubic metres of concrete, which had degraded over the last 25 years.”

An important part 3CER had played during the deployment was to break the ice with the local community before the main AACAP contingent arrived.

OC 18 CE Sqn Maj Jason Hedges said logistics would have been a nightmare because of the remote access to the island without a combined service commitment.

“It would have been very difficult to even deploy on the task without serious ties with LCM8s and RAAF air transport,” he said.

“We’ve had the RAAF elements working with us. We’ve had three RAAF plant operators working with us for almost the duration.

“They’ve provided specialist equipment and also it’s been a training environment for them.

“10FSB supported us for the resupply runs using LCM8s and for vehicle delivery between here and Townsville.

“We’ve had equipment on loan from 17 Const Sqn and 21 Const Sqn.”

A new technique called concrete harvesting was practised during the repair of Airport Road .

The technique has been widely used by British and American engineers during operations.

Project deputy manager Lt Glen Billington said the opportunity to test and assess the method would contribute to 3 Bde if they deployed on operations.

“Concrete harvesting is basically a rapid airfield damage technique where you cut out existing slabs of concrete to fit and repair craters or damage from aerial delivered weapons and munitions,” he said.

“A slab is cut from the apron, or from a part of the airfield that isn’t heavily trafficked, then it is placed straight into the pre-cut area that was damaged and you’ve instantly got a trafficable surface, so it’s quite a fast and efficient way of repairing an airfield.”

Locally employed civilians on the project have gained civilian qualification for their participation.

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