{"id":276556,"date":"2020-09-16T15:02:30","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T05:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=276556"},"modified":"2020-09-16T22:47:39","modified_gmt":"2020-09-16T12:47:39","slug":"water-tanker-joins-bushfire-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/09\/16\/water-tanker-joins-bushfire-fleet\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Tanker Joins Bushfire Fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Large Air Tanker 141 goes through its paces in Bundaberg on Wednesday (Photo: State Government)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 16, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Large Air Tanker (LAT) water bomber has arrived in Queensland to be on call during the 2020 bushfire season.<\/p>\n

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in previous years Queensland had borrowed a large bomber from southern States but it had to turn back when they battled their own bushfires.<\/p>\n

“It was important to get resources based in Queensland that we can deploy at a moment\u2019s notice,” she said.<\/p>\n

The Premier said the $15 million aircraft would bolster the State\u2019s aerial firefighting capabilities for the next five years.<\/p>\n

LAT 141 will be based at Bundaberg.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Treasurer Cameron Dick said $40,000 would be spent installing critical water and electrical infrastructure at the plane’s new base.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe water supply will fill foam\/retardant mixing tanks from which the Large Air Tanker is filled and the electrical supply will service a demountable base office,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, these measures will provide seamless firefighting resupply services.”<\/p>\n

QFES Commissioner Greg Leach said the could reach many parts of Queensland in quick time as well as operating at many regional airports throughout the State.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin one hour of receiving a call out, the aircraft can travel from Bundaberg, north to Proserpine, south to the Queensland-NSW border or west to Tambo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Facts about the LAT:<\/strong><\/p>\n