ADF LIFTS SUPPORT TO THE VICTORIAN FLOOD RESPONSE

S-70B-2 Seahawk

Two Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Seahawk helicopters will be redeployed to Victoria today as part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) support to the Victorian Flood Response, after significant work supporting Operation Queensland Flood Assist.

The two Seahawks will relocate from Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley today in preparation for providing support to Victorian flood relief and recovery efforts from tomorrow.

It is expected the helicopters will assist in the movement of emergency services personnel and the delivery of emergency supplies to communities isolated by the flood waters.

The ADF has been providing support to the Victorian State Emergency Service (VICSES) since the 14th of January 2011.

Since the 20th January three platoons from Victoria’s Reserve Response Force (4RRF), under the command of Headquarters 4 Brigade, have been conducting Rapid Impact Assessments (RIA) of townships identified by VICSES, to provide feedback on the impact of the floods on community and private infrastructure.

At this stage, RIAs have been completed for Charlton, Hamilton, Glenorchy, Halls Gap, Rochester, Bridgewater, Carisbrook, Dunolly, Clunes, Creswick, Appin South, Kerang West, Skipton, Newbridge and Horsham.

At the request of VICSES, ADF personnel have delivered items including almost 200,000 sandbags, stores, fuel, sand, water and bedding to a number of communities in the flood-affected region.

In addition, a RAAF aircraft transported 76,000 ADF sandbags from Townsville and Brisbane to Melbourne over the weekend.

The ADF’s current commitment to the assistance task is approximately 100 personnel and more than 40 land vehicles.