Defence force personnel to take charge of beach and botanic gardens

A land and sea defence exercise known as Talisman Sabre will take over parts of the town this winter.

Hundreds of troops stormed Kings Beach as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre in Bowen in 2019.

Bowen beaches and parklands will close to the public this winter to make way for amphibious and land-based military training operations.

Kings Beach, from the mouth of Sandhill Creek, will be closed from 5am Sunday, July 18 to 5am Saturday, July 31, to allow the Department of Defence to conduct activities including landing of military boats, landing craft, and hover craft, plus the driving along the beach by military

vehicles.

Council-managed sites in Bowen will be temporarily closed to the public at the request of Australian, American, New Zealand, Japanese, British, Canadian and the Republic of Korea Defence Forces. Picture: Supplied.

Bowen Botanical Gardens at Denison Park will also close for the exercise, known as Talisman Sabre, from 5am Thursday, July 8 to 5am Tuesday, August 3.

Whitsunday Regional Council approved the temporary closures at their May meeting in Proserpine.

Council-managed sites in Bowen will be temporarily closed to the public at the request of Australian, American, New Zealand, Japanese, British, Canadian and the Republic of Korea Defence Forces. Picture: Supplied.

Mayor Andrew Willcox told the meeting he was in discussions with the organisers with regards to running a community event such as a march or other display during the Bowen visit.