Launceston and the Maritime College's Future

Although the Australian Maritime College is presently remaining the only part of UTAS to remain at Newnham, I feel I must issue a cautionary word because if the community thinks it is safe here in Launceston it is sadly mistaken. 

There are only three things that for the time being keep the AMC in Newnham and it is their three core research facilities 

1. The tow tank 
2. he Ocean Test Basin 
3. The Cavitation Tunnel 

AMC used to earn very good money carrying out research for the Navy and others with research using these three facilities. The tow tank is in the basement of the main building, by now it is not world best as it is probably too short. AMC wanted to lengthen it years ago, but it was a bit hard and expensive. So an upgrade would be in a new building.

The ocean test basin I believe is a 50*50 pool no more than 2 meters deep. I remember it cost about $5 million. The good ones can be 15 meters deep with a movable floor to give any depth you want. At the time, the construction here gazumped the WA government from building a bigger one in Kwinana. The Cavitation tunnel is the ugly tall building near where the new apartments were built. This is the second cavitation tunnel built on AMC campus, the first was not good enough. A lot of it is pumps and machinery that could be taken elsewhere

Sadly, my prediction is that AMC will be on the shores of Hobart within 7 years because when it becomes finally obsolete they will build new bigger and better facilities there, probably in Kingston. 

Wherever it is it will be nicer than the Launceston campus, which is a good 80 km from the sea.

D Bowen