2 David Low Way - Attachment 6 - UXO Assessment - OPEC

                                                                  OPEC - 2 David Low Highway, Castaways Beach
                                                                                     Rev 02 – AFU – 10 Aug 2017


HISTORICAL INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
Gathering historical information regarding past military usage is vital to the development of an
EO/UXO Risk Assessment which, if done properly, can determine whether further mitigations are
needed or not. If further mitigations are needed, the risk assessment is essential to developing
appropriate and cost-effective solutions that are commensurate with the EO/UXO risk.

In most cases it is rare to develop a complete and accurate picture of all military usage at any
location. This EO/UXO Assessment was not able to examine all historical records related to military
activities at or near the site – records may not exist or extra time would be needed to locate, obtain
and analyse additional material. Despite this limitation, sufficient data was obtained to develop a
reasonably accurate picture of activities around the site. This Assessment has been based on
information obtained to date however readers are cautioned that the historical analysis is
incomplete and additional or new material could have a significant effect on the findings of this
EO/UXO Risk Assessment.

HISTORICAL MILITARY ACTIVITIES
This section describes historical military activities that occurred at or near the site being assessed.
Some of the information provided has little direct bearing on the Site being assessed however is
provided as context or simply ‘for interest’.

Pre-WWII
         No military activities have as yet been identified in or near the Site being assessed.

WWII
         1942:
             o     May 1942: Large-scale Australian military deployments into the Sunshine Coast area
                   (from the coast inland to approx. Nambour) to prepare defences against a perceived
                   Japanese invasion.
             o     Sep 1942: First identified military live firing in the Coolum-Noosa area - Infantry
                   exercises were conducted which included firing of 3” mortars in the vicinity of Mt
                   Peregian (exercises by 22 Inf Bn, 29/46 Inf Bn & 37/52 Inf Bn).
             o     TBC 1942: Ordnance QF 25 pdr gun introduced into Australian services to replace the
                   18 pdr and 4.5” Howitzer.
             o     Throughout 1942: At least 10-15 separate live firing practices were conducted by
                   various Australian units in the Coolum-Noosa area. While some of these were either
                   not close to the Site or were firing out to sea, a number were held in areas near the
                   Site and included firing of both artillery and infantry weapons.
         1943:
             o     May 1943: On 14th May, the Australian Hospital Ship, the Centaur, was torpedoed &
                   sunk, by a Japanese submarine 9.3 nautical miles east of Cape Moreton Lighthouse on
                   Moreton Island. 299 people were killed.
             o     Throughout 1943: Some 20 separate live firing practices (identified to date) were


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