HMAS Shepparton (A 03) is a Paluma class

Paluma class survey motor launch

The Paluma class survey motor launch is a class of four hydrographic survey launches operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Built in Port Adelaide between 1988 and 1990, the four catamarans are primarily based at in Cairns, Queensland, and operate in pairs to survey the waters of northern...

 survey motor launch of the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 (RAN).

She is a twin hulled hydrographic survey ship designed to operate in shoal

Shoal

Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...

ing and shallow reefs. Constructed by Eglo Engineering, Shepparton was launched on 5 December 1989, and commissioned into the RAN on 24 January 1990. The ship was named for the town of Shepparton, Victoria

Shepparton, Victoria

Shepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station...

.

Operational history

In January 2011, Shepparton was one of three RAN vessels deployed to survey Moreton Bay

Moreton Bay

Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...

 and the Brisbane River

Brisbane River

The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...

 for submerged debris as part of Operation Queensland Flood Assist

Operation Queensland Flood Assist

Operation Queensland Flood Assist is a complex, multi-Service activity by the Australian Defence Force as a contribution to the response to the 2010–2011 Queensland floods. Coordinated to aid civilian emergency response efforts, at Federal inter-departmental level it is managed by Emergency...

, the Australian Defence Force

Australian Defence Force

The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...

 response to the 2010–2011 Queensland floods

2010–2011 Queensland floods

A series of floods hit Australia, beginning in December 2010, primarily in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was...

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