A technological issue over the weekend caused hundreds of drone to crash into a river in Melbourne, which led to the cancellation of a spectacle that was supposed to commemorate the passing of nine years before Brisbane is scheduled to host the Olympics and Paralympics.
In order to commemorate the fact that Brisbane will be the site of the 2032 Summer Olympics, the Australian Traffic Network (ATN) was contracted to put on a drone show over the city’s Story Bridge on Saturday night.
As part of the performance, more than five hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were scheduled to fly above the Brisbane River and project the Olympic rings and the Paralympic agitators into the night sky.
However, due to the fact that 350 drones were lost in the Yarra River in Melbourne during a light show for the Matildas’ match against France on Friday night, the event had to be cancelled. This was in preparation for the Women’s World Cup.
As of Monday, divers continued their efforts to rescue the drones out of concern for the potential harm that the drones’ batteries could cause to the surrounding ecosystem.
“We want to see all drones taken back out of the river because we know that if they are left there, they will leach chemicals, which can damage the environment,” she said on 3AW radio. “We know that if they are left there, they will leach chemicals.”
“We do not know the dimensions of the drones, but based on our best estimates, it is comparable to 18,000 AA batteries. This is a really important point.”
Sterrett has made a plea for an end to the use of drones to put on light shows, arguing that it is irresponsible to “trash” the river.
According to ATN’s report from Sunday, divers are currently working to retrieve the drones.
“This is the first technical situation we’ve had in the 18 months that we’ve been in the business,” said Vic Lorusso of ATN. “We’ve been in the business.”
According to the committee in charge of organizing Brisbane 2032, ATN has informed them that they will not put on any more shows until the source of the equipment issue is determined.
Andrew Liveris, the president of the committee, stated that although it was regrettable to have to cancel the concert in Brisbane, safety must continue to be the priority.
“We’ve made sure that there are still plenty of ways for people all across south-east Queensland to enjoy the ‘Nine Years to Go’ milestone and celebrate the Olympic rings and Paralympic agitators making their debut in Queensland,” he said. “We’ve made sure that there are still plenty of ways for people all across south-east Queensland to enjoy the ‘Nine Years to Go’ milestone.”
“Communities all across Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, and the Gold Coast will have plenty of opportunities to see large-scale structures of the rings and agents and get their photo taken with them, in addition to participating in a variety of Olympic and Paralympic sports,” according to the organizers. “These opportunities include seeing the rings and agents in person and getting their photo taken with them.”
There will be a large number of Olympians and Paralympians present at the celebrations, and information regarding the celebrations, including hours and locations, can be found on the websites of the local councils for Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, and Gold Coast.
