HMAS Tobruk: Disappointment as Tasmanian plan for dive wreck scuttled
Updated
The Tasmanian Government missed a "golden tourism opportunity" in failing to secure a decommissioned navy ship as a dive wreck, a local dive group has said.
HMAS Tobruk will be sunk off the coast of Queensland, the Federal Government announced on Friday.
It was used extensively during regional peacekeeping, humanitarian operations and border protection.
The Break O'Day Council on Tasmania's east coast wanted the ship to be scuttled at Skeleton Bay, near St Helens, a plan that it said would attract thousands of divers each year.
Tasmania is the only state which has not been gifted a former Australian warship to use as a dive wreck.
Dive operator Peter Paulson was the project manager of a group that had spent years trying secure the ship for scuttling off Tasmania's east coast.
Mr Paulsen claimed the Tasmanian Government's bid failed because it did not give the Navy sufficient paperwork.
"These ships don't sit on the shelf to pick up when you feel like it," he said.
"They only come around on very, very rare occasions, and having missed this one, this is a golden opportunity missed by this Government. And we gift wrapped this thing for them."
The State Government said it was extremely disappointed its bid had failed.
In a statement, the Government said it was unfair of the Commonwealth to expect Tasmania to pay $10 million for the Tobruk given this had not been required of other states.
Topics: activism-and-lobbying, federal---state-issues, st-helens-7216, qld, tas
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