Ship cleaning and preparation

How the Ship has been prepared…

A significant amount of work is required to prepare the Ex-HMAS ADELAIDE for the scuttling and for its future life as a dive site. Work includes the stripping and cleaning of the ship as well as the creation and implementation of a dive design .
McMahon Services Australia were awarded the contract to prepare the Ex-HMAS ADELAIDE in June 2009 for an amount of $5 million. The vast majority of the cost of the work is centred on the cleaning and preparation of the vessel to ensure it will have no impact on the surrounding environment. Since this time they have been working closely with the Land and Property Management Authority, the federal Department of Environment Water Heritage and The Arts and various stakeholder groups to complete the work at the Sydney port Corporation Berth No. 2 at White Bay/Glebe Island.
All work to prepare the ship for use as an artificial reef and dive site is undertaken strictly in accordance with the relevant guidelines and stringent standards required under the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981. This legislation is administered by the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) who undertake regular inspections of the ship.  DEWHA have also engaged an independent inspector to provide a review of the process.
Prior to the NSW government accepting the ship in June 2009, initial preparation works were undertaken at the Royal Australian Navys Fleet Base East in Sydney (Garden Island Dockyard). This included flushing lines to clear fuel and oils and stripping items that could be reused as operational spares for the remaining Adelaide class ships in the Navy's fleet including the missile launch unit, weaponry, electronic components and engines.  Memorabilia and other historical items were also removed for future use by the Navy, RSL clubs, museums and the like.
Final preparation of the ship has included the following activities:

• Removal of all fuels, oils and greases (hydrocarbons); removal of other hazardous materials including heavy metals, batteries, asbestos, PCBs, and paints containing heavy metals and other marine-hazardous material.
• Removal of part of the main mast so that it is at a minimum depth of 6m below lowest astronomical tide and hence does not pose a navigation hazard.
• Making the ship safe as a dive site by removing all machinery, cabling, insulation, non-structural partitions, hatches/ doors, floatable material, access ladders and other items that could create a diver hazard, entanglement or risk, and all objects that could break loose during the scuttling process or over time and block access ways or compartments.
• Undertaking ship modifications to produce a safe and interesting dive site including cutting diver access holes into the sides of the hull; cutting holes in the floors and ceiling to allow extra vertical access between decks; cutting openings to allow light to penetrate; and sealing off areas where diver access should not be permitted for safety reasons.
• Cutting further holes for air to escape during scuttling and ballasting the ship so it sinks in an upright position.

Work that will now be completed includes:

• Making towing arrangements and towing the ship to waters of Avoca Beach.
• Placement of explosive charges to blow further holes in the ship below the waterline to flood the hull and sink the vessel.
• Whilst on site removing ladders and work equipment and making last minute preparations to scuttle the ship.
• Scuttling the ship.
• Post-scuttling inspection to confirm the safety and stability of the ship on the seabed and to retrieve debris.
• Installation of navigation buoys to mark the location of the ship.