In a watershed change, Australians elected a new Labor Government on November 24, 2007, and 5 days later, Senator Kim Carr was appointed as the new Minister for Science Innovation and Research. We heartily congratulate the Rudd government win, and with it, Senator Carr’s well earned appointment. Listen to what Senator Kim Carr kim-carr-on-trybrid.mp3 had to say in a Radio Port Douglas interview about the Trybrid project on October 25, two days after meeting with the Trybrid design team, together with senior academics at the Australian Marine College in Launceston.
The change in government opens new doors of opportunity to all those concerned about climate change, and whose projects, like Trybrid, are bursting to contribute solutions to the threat of a carbon driven, dangerous climate change.
Senator Kim Carr, along with recently elected Launceston MP Jodie Campbell, kindly attended a AMC lecture hall presentation on the Trybrid project, after a morning tea with a question and answer session led by project manager Rod Davis, project naval architect Rod Tulk, Solar Sailor’s Robert Dane, AMC’s Alan Belle, and associates. We thank AMC for providing the venue and support for a day dedicated to solar and hybrid propulsion, attended by a range of guest speakers with specialist skills in low energy marine transportation.
AMC’s Dr Laurie Goldsworthy spoke on alternative fuels and hybrid powering systems. Mr Tim Udvary delivered a very interesting paper on water jets in non traditional roles. We thank AMC’s Vice President Professor Tom Hardy for his opening welcome. AMC’s Mr Alan Belle spoke on the student Green Liner project, and Mr James Massey of Industrial Technik spoke on battery powered vessel propulsion.
In a country where Australians lead the world in fast ferry design, where some 60% of the world’s fast ferry designs are ex of Australia, and where Australia builds something like 40% of the world’s fast ferries, it seems even more important that Australia should lead is design innovation to reduce CO2 outputs, in the swift marine transport, noting that whilst Boeing is not based in Australian, fast ferry leadership is clearly Australia’s leading transport niche.