Qld, Vic To Share Water Bomber

FLASHBACK: The Large Air Tanker hired by Queensland in 2020 goes through its paces in Bundaberg
(Photo: State Government)

July 16, 2021

Queensland and Victoria will be sharing a bushfire-busting Large Air Tanker until the end of the 2024 fire season.

The large water bomber – which can carry 10,000 litres of retardant – will be based in Australia year-round.

Under previous arrangements the Large Air Tanker (LAT) was only in Australia for the duration of the Queensland bushfire season.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Friday the Bombardier Dash-8 Q400AT would arrive in Queensland during the coming months and remain in Australia as part of a co-sharing arrangement with Victoria.

Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan said the LAT would be based at Bundaberg during Queensland’s fire seasons, starting from September each year.

It will then be sent to Victoria during its bushfire season, which traditionally occurs when Queensland is experiencing storms and cyclones.

The tanker will remain in Victoria between bushfire seasons.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Greg Leach said Bundaberg was an ideal location for the LAT.

“It can reach either Proserpine in the north, the Queensland-NSW border in the south or Tambo in the west within one hour,” he said.

Mr Leach said the LAT demonstrated its ability to enhance QFES’ bushfire response capabilities during the 2020 bushfire season.

“The Bombardier Dash-8 Q400AT delivered 40 drops to help establish and maintain containment lines last season, with some of these instrumental in halting the progress of fires,” he said.

“It will once again be a critical part of QFES’ aerial firefighting fleet, which includes access to more than 150 call-when-needed planes and helicopters.”

The development of a sovereign, Australian-based aerial firefighting capacity – including a very large air tanker – was one of 80 recommendations from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements tabled in the Federal Parliament last October in the wake of the devastating 2019-20 bushfire season during which 33 people died across Australia.