Plans for HMAS Darwin to be scuttled off Gold Coast as a dive wreck have sunk

DREAMS to secure a retired warship as a dive wreck off the Gold Coast have been scuttled after a letter emerged from the State Government saying they would not be bidding for it.

HMAS Darwin.

NEGOTIATIONS to secure retired warship HMAS Darwin for a dive wreck off the Gold Coast have sunk amid claims the State Government deliberately misled the city.

Gold Coast federal MPs, Mayor Tom Tate and the Palaszczuk Government have been in talks in the past six months to secure a lucrative dive site for the city.

The underwater attraction is a tourism gold mine and has been on the city’s radar for some time.

HMAS Melbourne was one of three frigates up for bidding.

However, a furious Fadden MP Stuart Robert said he found out late last week that the Queensland Government had written to the Ministry of Defence in January to say it was not interested in bidding for one of three available frigates – the HMAS Darwin, Newcastle or Melbourne.

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“We have been negotiating in good faith with the State Government for nearly six months only to find out that we have been sold out,” said Mr Robert, who raised the prospect of luring a ship to the Coast in Parliament weeks after the State Government’s “secret” letter.

Sources close to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last night said she did not write to the Ministry of Defence in January, nor was the decision to end negotiations made by Cabinet.

An excerpt from a government letter regarding a potential dive site for the Gold Coast.

State Tourism Minister Kate Jones last night said the cost of scuttling the HMAS Darwin, Newcastle or Melbourne off the Queensland coast would cost more than $30 million – potentially three times the cost of ex-HMAS Tobruk.

DIVE FIGURE BACKS COAST DIVE SITE

Mr Robert said the claim was “absolute crap” and the real cost was $10 million.

“Over the past six months, we have had a number of discussions with the Queensland Government about buying a warship for the Gold Coast,” Mr Robert said.

“In fact, I had a discussion with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, which was witnessed by the Mayor, at the Commonwealth Games baton relay reception on the Gold Coast.

Liberal Member for Fadden Stuart Robert is furious plans for the dive site have been waylaid. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

“I said to her we could secure HMAS Darwin for the Gold Coast if the State Government tipped in $8 million and the council $2 million towards the total cost of $10 million. She made a funny quip about a federal election coming up next year and that maybe the Commonwealth should put in more.

“At no stage did she say, ‘I’m sorry. We have already said no to your Federal Government colleagues’. If she had said, ‘We can’t do it, we don’t have the money’, I wouldn’t feel so incensed. But there was none of that from the Premier.”

POWERFUL BACKERS BEHIND SECURING HMAS DARWIN FOR COAST

News of the letter stunned Mayor Tom Tate yesterday and he was last night planning to phone the Premier, who is in the US with Ms Jones, to discuss the matter.

“I will give the State Government the benefit of the doubt and I’m hopeful this was a mistake by a bureaucrat,” he said.

Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development Kate Jones. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

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“I thought everything was full steam ahead. If the State Government knew about this decision, that would be unfathomable. I can’t believe that’s the case. We have a great working relationship and I hope that this was just one of those things that was missed.”

Cr Tate was confident he could still negotiate with state politicians to bring a ship to the Coast.

“But if the will is not there, the State Government should just say so and not string us along. “We’ve budgeted for a $2 million investment and the money is in our priority reserve fund.”

Cr Tate has been lobbying for a dive wreck off the Gold Coast for two years.

“I thought we would get the HAMS Tobruk. We put it a bid but it’s going up north. It’s the state politicians’ will that it went there, which is fine but there should be an opportunity for us with the next one.”

Mayor Tom Tate wants the dive site for the Coast, which would attract millions of dollars to the area. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Cr Tate confirmed council modelling in 2016 predicted a dive wreck would initially generate $5.1 million and 73 full-time jobs. It would also create another 81 jobs and generate an additional $6.1 million within three years.

In a statement from the US, Ms Jones said securing one of the three frigates would cost more than $30 million.

“This is because the Federal Government’s preference was to make a profit by selling these ships to foreign navies. It would only pay to tow the vessel to the location,” she said.

“We’re committed to delivering new tourism infrastructure for the Gold Coast but we won’t allow the Federal LNP to rip off Queensland taxpayers. If Stuart Robert and the LNP want to spend $30 million to secure one of these ships for the Coast, they can.”

Ms Jones did not clarify whether she knew about the January decision and if so, why she had not told Mr Robert or Cr Tate.

The Premier issued a statement from Los Angeles saying she backed the comments of Ms Jones.

The HMAS Darwin could rest 2.3km off The Spit at a depth of 30m to allow for experienced and novice divers.

The warship served the Australian Navy for 33 years and was decommissioned at the end of last year. It visited 50 countries and was awarded battle honours for her successful maritime operations in East Timor (1999), the Persian Gulf (2002-2003) and Iraq (2003). It is estimated to have been home for about 4300 sailors.