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Australian Antarctic Division

Coordinates: 42°59′12.43″S 147°17′32.28″E / 42.9867861°S 147.2923000°E / -42.9867861; 147.2923000
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Australian Antarctic Division
Agency overview
Formed1948
JurisdictionAustralia
HeadquartersKingston, Hobart, Tasmania
42°59′12.43″S 147°17′32.28″E / 42.9867861°S 147.2923000°E / -42.9867861; 147.2923000
Employees300 (as at 15 June 2022)
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Emma Campbell, Director of the Australian Antarctic Division
Parent departmentDepartment of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Websiteantarctica.gov.au

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The Division undertakes science programs and research projects to contribute to an understanding of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. It conducts and supports collaborative research programs with other Australian and international organisations, such as the Bureau of Meteorology and Geoscience Australia, as well as administering and maintaining a presence in Australian Antarctic and sub-Antarctic territories.

Their website includes articles on the Antarctic wildlife, threats, guidelines and they have blogs written by Australians at the three Australian bases in Antarctica: Mawson, Davis and Casey.

Charter

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Under its charter the Australian Antarctic Division:

  • Administers the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  • Conducts research in high priority areas of Antarctic science
  • Coordinates and manages Australia's logistic program in Antarctica
  • Promotes Antarctic research in universities through grants and the provision of logistic support
  • Develops policy proposals and provides advice on Australia's Antarctic interests
  • Promotes Australia's Antarctic interests within the Antarctic Treaty System
  • Maintains a continuing presence in the region through permanent stations, the establishment of field bases and the provision of transport, communication and medical services
  • Acts as the primary source of Australian Antarctic information

Australian Antarctic Program

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The Australian Antarctic Division leads the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) with four key goals:

  • Maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and enhance Australia's influence in it
  • Protect the Antarctic environment
  • Understand the role of Antarctica in the global climate system
  • Undertake scientific work of practical, economic and national significance

Research stations

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Macquarie Island station in 1996

The AAD headquarters is in Kingston, Tasmania, just south of Hobart. The division's headquarters houses laboratories for science, electronics and electron microscopy, mechanical and instrument workshops, a krill research aquarium, a herbarium, equipment stores, communications and other operational and support facilities. The Chief Scientist since 2021 has been Professor Nicole Webster.[1]

The AAD maintains three permanently staffed stations on the Antarctic continent, and one on Macquarie Island in the subantarctic.[2]

Remote field bases operate during the summer research season supporting coastal, inland and traverse operations.

Transport

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Researchers studying penguins while voyaging aboard the Aurora Australis

Aviation

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The AAD uses an air transport system, both for transport to and from Antarctica, and for transport within the continent. Aircraft for this system are provided and operated under contract by private sector operators. Services to and from Antarctica are provided, between November and February each year, by an Airbus A319-115LR operated by Skytraders. This aircraft operates to and from the Wilkins ice runway, situated some 65 kilometres (40 mi) from Casey Station.[3][4] Construction of a 2,700 m (8,900 ft) paved runway at Davis station was announced in 2018.[5]

Services within Antarctica are provided by a mixture of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Fixed-wing services are provided by Basler BT-67 and DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft operated by Kenn Borek Air.[6] These aircraft operate from Wilkins runway and from smaller snow runways at each of the three permanent stations, as well as any field locations which provide the necessary flat area of snow or ice.

Helicopter services are provided by three Eurocopter AS 350 BA Squirrel helicopters, operated by Helicopter Resources.[3][6] In 2016, AAD helicopter pilot David Wood died by falling into a crevasse while unloading sling cargo near Davis Station.[7] Following legal proceedings, the Court of the Australian Capital Territory found the AAD guilty of failing to comply with its duty to ensure the health and safety of workers.[8]

The Antarctic Flight RAAF operated from 1948 to 1963. Since its withdrawal, aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force operated infrequently in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands in the 1970s and 1980s,[9][10] Since 2016, RAAF C-17A Globemasters operate as required to carry high priority or oversize cargo that cannot be carried by the A319.[11][12] Through "Operation Southern Discovery", elements of the Australian Defence Force are tasked to provide annual support for the Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) in regional scientific, environmental and economic activities.[13]

Shipping

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The AAD uses the icebreaker RSV Nuyina, an icebreaking research and supply vessel. Construction commenced in May 2017 at Damen Shipyards in Romania.[14] The vessel was then fitted out at Vlissingen in the Netherlands and handed over on 19 August 2021.[15] Nuyina is owned by the Australian Government, and operated by Serco.[16]

Nuyina was built to replace RSV Aurora Australis, a multi-purpose marine research and resupply ship chartered from P&O Polar. Aurora Australis was launched in 1989 and built by Carrington Slipways in Newcastle, New South Wales,[17] and decommissioned in March 2020.

Due to mechanical problems, Nuyina was unable to be used during the 2022-23 Antarctic season and other chartered vessels were used instead,[18][19] including MPOV Aiviq[20] and the ice-strengthened cargo ship MV Happy Diamond.[21][22]

Dog sleds

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Australia was one of the three countries still using sled dogs (husky) in 1992 when the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol) banned the presence of non-native species in Antarctica to avoid the transmission of diseases from non-native species to native species.[23] The younger Australian huskies were relocated using helicopter, ship, aeroplane and truck to Ely, Minnesota, where they could continue to be working dogs.[24] The older dogs were retired to Australia, often living with former Antarctic workers.[25][26]

Territorial administration

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The AAD is responsible, on behalf of the Australian Government, for administering the two Australian federal territories that lie in Antarctic or sub-Antarctic latitudes:

The AAD maintains a base on Macquarie Island which is part of the Australian state of Tasmania.

Notes

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  1. ^ "Professor Nicole Webster – Chief Scientist". www.antarctica.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Stations". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b Sebastian, Scmitz (November 2010). "From Oz to Ice: Flight Operations of the Australia Antarctic Division". Airliner World. Key Publishing Ltd.
  4. ^ "Aviation". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 4 October 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  5. ^ "Site chosen for Antarctic year-round runway near Australia's Davis research station". ABC News. 18 May 2018. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Intra-continental operations". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 29 September 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  7. ^ "Court finds Commonwealth responsible for Antarctic helicopter pilot's death". ABC News. 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  8. ^ May v Commonwealth of Australia and Helicopter Resources Pty Ltd (No 2). Archived 4 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine MAGISTRATES COURT OF THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY. File Numbers: CC 44149 – 44151 of 2017; 44152 – 44154 of 2017.[2019] ACTMC 31.
  9. ^ "Antarctic Flight". RAAF Museum. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  10. ^ Wilson 1991, pp. 110–114.
  11. ^ "RAAF operates C-17 proof of concept flights to Antarctica". Australian Aviation. 22 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  12. ^ "C17-A Globemaster III". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Operation Southern Discovery". Australian Government - Defence. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Australia's new icebreaker - RSV Nuyina". Australian Antarctic Division. 17 April 201. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  15. ^ "Flying the flag over Australia's new icebreaker". www.antarctica.gov.au. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  16. ^ Tupas, Nastasha (18 October 2021). "Serco's RSV Nuyina exceeds all capability expectations". defenceconnect.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Aurora Australis". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  18. ^ New icebreaker RSV Nuyina out of action due to mechanical fault, ABC News, 8 July 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  19. ^ Antarctic resupply ship to replace broken Australian icebreaker RSV Nuyina also breaks and returns to port, ABC News, 25 November, 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  20. ^ MPOV Aiviq 2021-present, Australian Antarctic Division, 16 September 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  21. ^ 'Happy D' ships 2021-present, Australian Antarctic Division, 4 October 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  22. ^ Helicopters headed for Antarctica aboard the Happy Diamond ProjectCargoJournal.com, 10 November 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Huskies". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  24. ^ Bain, Gordon (2011). "Husky's tale comes full circle". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  25. ^ Stone, Greg (14 November 2014). "Lost dog". Australian Antarctic Division. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  26. ^ Hashek, Frank (December 2005). "Inuit Dogs of Mawson Station". Journal of the Inuit Sled Dog International. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.

References

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