Whitsunday Regional Council to find funding for Talisman Sabre crash memorial

Leaders in the Whitsundays have begun plans to build a memorial honouring the four Australian soldiers lost in the tragic Talisman Sabre helicopter crash.

As the community slowly heals from the shock of a tragic helicopter crash that killed four soldiers during military exercises, plans have begun for a memorial in their honour.

Councillors this week carried a motion to pursue grant funding for “the design and construction of the memorial” at the ordinary meeting of Whitsunday Regional Council.

Pilots Lieutenant Max Nugent and Captain Dan Lyon were on-board with Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alex Naggs when their MRH-90 Taipan aircraft crashed in the waters off Hamilton Island near midnight on July 28.

The tragedy remains Australia’s worst peacetime military disaster since 2005.

The fallen four of Talisman Sabre. Clockwise from Top left: Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Corporal Alex Naggs and Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Laycock.

Councillor John Collins made the notice of motion saying he believed the memorial “will mean so much to many people in our region”.

“Particularly Bowen where the townspeople have welcomed the troops many times over the years since the inaugural Talisman Sabre military exercises were first conducted off the coast of Queensland in 2005”, Cr Collins said.

Whitsunday Regional Council deputy mayor and Division 3 councillor John Collins

“I move that the CEO and relevant department look into the possibility of … grant funding for (a) memorial.”

Cr Collins said local councils were eligible for funding via the Queensland Remembers grants program, with applications due in the coming weeks.

He said he had submitted the motion a day after the August council meeting.

Talisman Sabre 2023., United States Army aircrew watch an Australian Army ARH Tiger Attack helicopter land from their UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 at RAAF Base Townsville.

“We’re ready to go if everyone supports this motion,” he said.

Councillor Gary Simpson said he “heartily supported” the resolution and said the “war games” were “a great thing to come to our region”.

Councillor Mike Brunker also supported the motion but advised council take longer than a few weeks to design the memorial.

First pics of recovered US Osprey from triple fatal TalismanSabre crash. Pic: Townsville Bulletin

“A week might be a bit tight,” he said.

“If we do it, we may as well do it properly.

“It’s got to be done respectfully, proper in design and not rushed.”

Cr Brunker also suggested council approach the Australian Defence Force about a “joint thing” as it was likely “they’re going to want a part in it”.

The motion passed unanimously.