Posted on 06/23/2009 7:37:27 PM PDT by naturalman1975
TOWNSVILLE has been forced to turn away a US warship and its 3600-strong crew, which would have brought more than $1 million a day to the port city.
The USS Essex, a 258m-long amphibious assault vessel, has been diverted to Cairns for an eight-day shore leave, including the popular Fourth of July celebrations.
Outraged Townsville tour operators are facing millions in losses, empty hotel rooms, cancelled tours and more than 400 seats booked for the North Queensland Cowboys home game as a result of the embarrassing backdown.
Cairns officials yesterday welcomed the big-spending US seamen and the predicted $10 million injection into the economy.
Townsville Port Authority this week told US military officials they were unable to accommodate the giant helicopter and troop carrier due to "commercial bookings" in the only two suitable berths.
Port chief executive Barry Holden said US, not Townsville, officials made the call to divert to Cairns.
"Naval visits are always subject to commercial arrangements, and that is a risk you run," Mr Holden said.
Only three out of eight days were available for the proposed eight-day visit from June 29 to July 6, he said.
US military and the USS Essex are headed to northern Australia to take part in next month's joint Exercise Talisman Sabre involving 30,000 troops. US navy personnel on shore leave spend an estimated $350 a day; based on 3600 visiting seamen, that's more than $1.2 million a day.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Ain't that the truth. I've had to shift berths or moor someplace out of the way many times in many places on port visits.
Last time I was with the ESSEX ARG and we did Tandem Thrust (2001) my ship went to Mackay. ESSEX and the LSD split Townsville and Cairns but I don't remember which one went where. Post-exercise everyone went Brisbane. Good times.
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