It was my pleasure today to attend the official unveiling of the PV Cape Wickham- the new Tasmania Police vessel that will provide enhanced search, rescue and law enforcement capability.
Our strong Budget management since coming to office allowed us to allocate $8.6 million for the PV Cape Wickham, and today’s unveiling is a great result for both Tasmania Police and the ongoing safety of the Tasmanian community.
The Hodgman Liberal Government committed to building an ocean-going police vessel of the highest quality after the spectacular failure of the PV Fortescue, which was unable to be used at all due to the previous Labor-Green Government’s failure to adequately undertake quality assurance and contract management.
Today’s unveiling is another marker in the ongoing rebuild of Tasmania Police, and adds to our other strong initiatives such as rebuilding the police service to 1233 by 2018.
The PV Cape Wickham is 23.95 metres in length equipped with world class marine search and rescue technology. It is capable of operating out to 200 nautical miles (370km) off Tasmania’s coastline in extreme weather and ocean conditions.
I congratulate all those involved in the procurement and construction of PV Cape Wickham, and look forward to it now being fully operational on the water and helping the Tasmanian community.
More Media Releases from the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management