Site selection

Terrigal is located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, approximately one hours drive from the Sydney CBD.

Studies have recently been completed to select a suitable site to scuttle the ship off Terrigal between Terrigal Headland and Avoca Beach. The final resting place for the Ex-HMAS ADELAIDE must have:

• a bare sandy bottom without extreme conditions (eg, no strong rips or currents)
• the ability to attract marine life to colonise the artificial reef
• a depth of sand of at least two to five metres
• a depth of water between 30 to 35 metres
• no navigational safety hazards
• minimal impact on commercial fisheries
• be close to on-shore infrastructure for dive operators.

These and many more constraints were mapped during the investigations. To confirm the site detailed environmental assessments will need to be undertaken.

A copy of the Site Selection Study is available below to download below:

Sinking of the ex-HMAS Adelaide - review of constraints and site selection (PDF 1.12 mb)