superyacht australia magazine

By SuperyachtNews 24 Sep 2013

Superyacht Australia launches new magazine at MYS

Superyacht australia will launch their new promotional magazine, 'superyacht australia magazine' at the monaco yacht show...….

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‘Yachts at the top’: power, privacy and privilege in the world of Australian superyachts

Superyachts are floating markers of power and luxury, and sales are booming. As Australia hopes to lure more of the vessels and their elite clientele, what do we know about this world?

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Visible from the footpath at the water’s edge, the superyachts berthed at Melbourne City Marina bob gently up and down, their sleek and shiny exteriors reflecting the placid waters below.

For me, and most people on this planet, this is about as close as we are likely to get to a superyacht. In Australia, that’s a pleasurecraft longer than 24 metres. Internationally, the starting length is 30 metres. The City of Melbourne recently spent $1.97m upgrading Victoria Harbour, including its four superyacht berths, to fit vessels up to 67 metres long. But for the tiny portion of the world’s ultra wealthy for whom superyacht size is a matter of concern, 67 metres is fairly moderate. The longest privately owned superyacht in the world is the 180-metre Azzam, reportedly built for the former president of the United Arab Emirates , the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Superyachts are markers of power and extravagance. They are floating, transportable six-star hotels, capable of including everything from nail parlours to gyms, helipads and boardrooms, marble bathrooms and priceless art, as well as what the industry calls “toys” – from jet skis worth the equivalent of the average Australian worker’s salary to private submarines worth millions.

In a recent memoir, the longtime Australian seafarer and superyacht captain Brendan O’Shannassy writes: “Until space travel becomes a commercial reality, [superyachts] are the greatest display of wealth on the planet.”

For all their capacity to allow long-distance travel in extreme luxury, though, superyachts aren’t frequent visitors to Australian waters. The local industry has been lobbying to change that, and state and federal governments have made superyacht-friendly moves, hitching millions of dollars in public infrastructure upgrades and tax concessions to claims that these will bring millions in economic benefits to every port in which a vessel makes anchor.

But despite public money going towards establishing and upgrading infrastructure that is only accessible to the very privileged few, there’s been little public scrutiny of this elite industry.

S uperyachts are not super common, although their numbers are growing. Sales company Edmiston recently estimated that the global fleet comprised a total of 5,892 vessels – representing an increase of 44% over the last decade. Most of those yachts are between 30 and 50 metres (4,957); 13% are between 50 and 80 metres (753) and 3% are over 80 metres (182).

There are only about 120 superyachts owned by Australians, concentrated mostly around Sydney Harbour and south-east Queensland. About half of them are charter vessels. It’s likely all of them have, at some point, been through Captain Richard Morris’s hands.

Fresh off the plane from the Dubai Boat Show, Morris tells Guardian Australia that he got his start in the merchant navy at 17, before landing a job as a deckhand two years later on the 86-metre superyacht Nabila, owned by the influential and extravagant Saudi arms dealer, fixer and liaison of presidents and tycoons Adnan Khashoggi. Nabila was Khashoggi’s third yacht and the height of ostentatious luxury when it launched in 1980. Its 100 rooms included Italian hand-carved onyx bathrooms, a patisserie, a movie theatre, a hair salon, a hospital with an operating theatre, and 320 metres of Italian leather upholstery. When Khashoggi’s empire began to decay in the late 80s, he sold Nabila to Donald Trump for $29m – considered a bargain – with the businessman who would later become US president renaming the yacht the Trump Princess .

Morris, meanwhile, left Nabila after a year and began building his own career as a seafarer, becoming a captain at just 27 and a master mariner. He moved ashore in 1999 and was hired by NSW Maritime to build a new superyacht marina in Rozelle Bay.

“That was the beginning of superyachting in Australia,” Morris says. “Prior to that, only a few people here had superyachts, because there was the tall poppy syndrome – high net wealth Australians were reluctant to show their extreme wealth.”

The Sydney Olympics in 2000 changed that, Morris says. The marina development was partly to accommodate the super wealthy who were planning to bring their yachts down for the Games. Morris managed the marina for the next decade, before moving into local superyacht sales and charters.

The Sydney experience is one that the industry is keen to replicate for the forthcoming Brisbane Olympics. The mining magnate Gina Rinehart may have been lampooned by the public in 2021 when she complained that she had nowhere to moor her yacht in Brisbane , but the Queensland Labor government appears to agree it should invest in more superyacht infrastructure. It’s had a multiyear superyacht strategy since 2018, and in May last year it was updated and extended to take the Olympics into account.

Its listed achievements so far include $28m to upgrade the Cairns Marine Precinct, $2.87m for a 160-metre superyacht berth on the Gold Coast, and planning for 80-metre superyacht facilities and additional marinas in new developments on the Spit. Its stated goal is for Queensland to be “world recognised as the major superyacht hub in the Asia-Pacific region”. Economic modelling for industry lobby group Superyacht Australia argues the 2032 Games presents “an unparalleled opportunity to springboard the sector on to the global stage and demonstrate the prosperity the sector can support in Australia”. It hopes Australia will reach 8% of the global market – that’s 533 vessels – in the next three years, which it says will yield hundreds of millions of dollars in direct economic benefits.

Until just prior to the pandemic, superyachts could not come to Australia without the owner paying a hefty tax on the vessel, with the visiting multimillion-dollar vessels treated as though they were being imported permanently into the country. That changed with the passage of the Special Recreational Vessels Act 2019. The act, which relieves the owner of having to pay import duties including GST, was hitched as a rider to various unrelated bills by the Coalition government until it was passed as a standalone just before Christmas in 2019.

The legislation allows foreign vessels to be chartered while in Australian waters, with GST payable only on the charter itself.

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The then member for the Queensland seat of Dawson, George Christensen, claimed it as a pet project. “I have been very, very pushy in getting this legislation to come forward,” Christensen said at the time.

Christensen claimed the bill was “just about ensuring that local communities can get some of the coin that these people drop”. Labor passed the bill with minor amendments.

Since then, six superyachts have applied for a temporary licence, with just four making the trip.

‘It’s your world’

The industry estimates that the local market for superyacht charter or purchase is 1% of the population. It sees it as a subset of the cruise market, which is estimated to capture about 5% of Australians.

It’s hard to ignore the symbolism of that figure, the 1%. Morris’s anecdotes help to illustrate just how that plays out in practice. In 2011, the manager of U2 called him, he recalls, hoping to find a suitable superyacht for the band who were dissatisfied with the crowds at the Park Hyatt. (He was unable to find one that met the band’s specific desires.) That same year, Morris put up the actor Kevin Spacey in the 37-metre Tango during Spacey’s run as Richard III in Sam Mendes’s production that toured Sydney’s Lyric theatre.

“Dinner was at 1am and [Spacey’s] guests would leave at 4am. Then the yacht would move to Rose Bay and he’d sleep till midday, and then come back and do it all again,” Morris says.

“It’s an option for these very high-profile people. They’re anchored in the middle of the harbour. The level of security and discretion that a superyacht provides is much better than any hotel. They can control their world. And that’s the essence of yachting – it’s your world.”

When Covid lockdowns hit, owners of superyachts raced to their vessels, escaping up to the Great Barrier Reef instead of staying at home, Morris says. The associated freedom saw a boom in superyacht sales in 2021 . Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, however, superyachts have also become associated with sanctioned Russian oligarchs. Not without reason: they represented 30% of the global market. Documents recently revealed, for example, that the former Chelsea FC boss Roman Abramovich owned 16 superyachts , a full eight of which were support vessels for the 162.5-metre A$649.5m Eclipse he’d had built in 2010.

Morris says there were Russians who had planned to come to Australia prior to the war – one of whom was going to contract him to manage his yacht. It would have put millions through his business. The sanctions, though, have “put the fear of God through the industry”, he says.

“If I was managing a Russian yacht I would have gotten rid of it. It’s so lucrative, though, that a lot of people didn’t. I’m glad that the Russian client didn’t come. Sure, I missed out on huge revenue, but that’s not the point.”

T he 2032 Olympics aren’t the local industry’s only goal. Another is to bring more vessels to Australia to make use of the shipyards – mainly in Queensland and Western Australia – for maintenance, retrofitting and building. Another still is to increase the number of Australians joining the superyacht workforce.

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On Facebook groups like Superyacht Crew , keen industry up-and-comers post pictures of themselves – snorkelling, in uniform, sipping a glass of wine in a party dress – alongside their formal qualifications and experience. The semi-casual CV comes with added notes about the seafarer’s personality, including whether or not they have tattoos (being tattoo-free appears to be a selling point).

Employment standards, however, can vary. Commercially registered yachts available for charter, which usually have permanent captain and crew despite the rotating guest list, are bound by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, which lays out minimum standards of employment, including legally enforceable contracts, maximum working hours per week, shore leave and annual leave entitlements, and the right to return to your country of residence for free. Enforcement of those standards is the responsibility of the country under whose flag the ship sails, and yachts chartering out of Australia need to be registered here.

Private yachts are a different story. They are not automatically covered by the Maritime Labour Convention, and employment contracts are often managed by owners’ personal office staff. Non-disclosure agreements are common, and rumours abound that upsetting the wrong people on board can see you unceremoniously dumped at the nearest port.

Superyacht crew in Australia are not covered by any union-based collective bargaining agreements. The Maritime Union of Australia national secretary, Paddy Crumlin, tells Guardian Australia that the MUA doesn’t have a real presence among the superyacht labour force, but alleges exploitation and harassment are rife. Morris vehemently rejects this, saying the working conditions on superyachts are “exceptional”, better than cruising or commercial shipping, higher paid, and far exceeding the minimums set by the Maritime Labour Convention.

Guardian Australia was unable to speak to any junior superyacht crew directly, despite attempts, but a survey of 402 superyacht crew members conducted by the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network in 2018 described them as mainly well paid. More than 90% of survey respondents – male and female – said they felt safe on board, though 53% of female crew said they had experienced discrimination, harassment or bullying from owners, other crew or guests, compared with 30% of men, who most commonly experienced it from captains or other senior crew. The level of work-related stress was high, particularly among women.

No matter who ultimately owns them, private yachts are likely to be flying what the industry calls a “flag of convenience”, which can make standards harder to enforce, as the boat can spend very little, if any, time in its country of registration. Flags of convenience are a common maritime business practice, though, including in cruising and freight. And the results can be ironic: a cursory registry search of some high-profile private superyachts reveals, for example, that the mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s 58.2-metre Pangaea Ocean Explorer – which will shortly carry out environmental surveys on the DNA of ocean life, assisted by $3m in federal funding to Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation – sails under the Jamaican flag. Clive Palmer’s 56-metre $40m yacht, despite being patriotically named Australia , is registered in Malta.

Control, chameleons and seasick fish

What is it that draws the ultra rich to yachting?

“Control,” says David Good, the chief executive of industry peak body Superyachts Australia. “You can control the itinerary, who is on board and what food is going to be served. During the pandemic, when you were on board was probably the only time you could fully take control of who was going to be with you and your family. Covid was probably one of the best things that ever happened to boating in general.”

Sam Sorgiovanni concurs. He’s used to catering to the whims of wealth: a sought-after designer based in Western Australia with about 35 years of experience, Sorgiovanni estimates he’s designed at least 20 superyachts. The biggest challenges usually relate to balancing functionality with the budget constraints of the commissioner. But some design requests are more complicated.

For the Nirvana, Sorgiovanni says his company designed two onboard terrariums for chameleons, water dragons, turtles and frogs, and a separate cricket facility to breed the reptiles’ food. The terrarium included curtains to shield the animals from the disco lights of an adjacent salon. On Anastasia and Barbara – owned by the same Russian billionaire as Nirvana – the designers were asked to include fish tanks. Unfortunately, they later discovered, fish kept in a tank on a boat die – from seasickness.

The origin of most of the super wealth that fuels superyacht ownership is natural resources, Sorgiovanni says. But criticism of the industry, he says, echoing Morris, is “tall poppy syndrome”.

“Yachting is the greatest redistribution of wealth around. Although it is for the privileged few, if you take a 100-metre yacht, there’s 50 crew on board, they’re all being paid, they’ve all got families, and wherever that yacht goes, especially if we’re allowing them to come into charter, as soon as it pulls into port … it would be millions generated every time the vessel comes in,” he says.

“It’s a pyramid. We’ve got the yachts at the top, and a pyramid of suppliers underneath it.”

S altwater and air is hard on boats, and superyachts require a lot of money for upkeep, and a lot of maintenance. So when an owner abandons ship, the vessels suddenly become very large and very unwieldy public burdens.

In February, the government of Antigua and Barbuda claimed and put up for auction the 82-metre Alfa Nero, which it said had been abandoned in Falmouth Harbour since early last year. The owner is rumoured to be the Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev; Guryev has denied owning the yacht, according to other reports.

That same month, the 29-metre superyacht Nakoa broke free of its moorings in Honolua Bay in north-west Maui, Hawaii, and drifted before running hard aground in shallow water, peppered by rocks and reef.

The US Coast Guard seized jurisdiction of the yacht after its owner, the charter mogul Jim Jones, informed authorities that he would not organise or pay for the boat’s salvage. Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a series of statements that Jones would instead receive a bill of at least US$460,000 for the salvage effort, and may face further penalties and possible legal action.

Facing widespread criticism, Jones told Honolulu media that he was “taking responsibility” for the matter. “We’ve been talking to the DLNR to let them know we’re not leaving them with the bill,” Jones said. “We’re not running.”

Timely and safe salvage was important to the local community but also to the environment. The grounding occurred just outside a significant marine conservation zone, and the yacht struck and damaged at least 30 corals and live rocks, its hull leaking diesel into the reef. Footage of the wreck circulated on social media, where commenters raged about the fuel seeping into the pristine water and the damage to the reef.

It took contractors three salvage attempts over nearly two weeks to dislodge the 122-tonne Nakoa. On 5 March, three tugboats managed to drag it back into the water. As they set off to tow the yacht to Honolulu, a pod of humpback whales surfaced and escorted the boats out of the bay, away from the marine sanctuary.

The Nakoa never made it back to dock . Halfway to Honolulu, the yacht began listing heavily. Unable to be dragged any further, it was scuttled in the deep channel between the islands of Maui and Molokai, and left to sink to the ocean floor.

The whales swam on.

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The value of superyacht visitation to australia’s economy.

Superyacht visitation to Australia has surged, according to statistics published in the 2024 Superyacht Australia Magazine.

In a post-pandemic climate, the total number of visiting superyachts nationally began to recover closer to the long-term average, with a 105% increase from 2021 to 2022. The eastern states of New South Wales and Queensland had the highest visitation increases of 233% and 121%, respectively.

While these increases sound impressive, it’s the total economic impact that is the number to watch. In 2022, the total economic impact was estimated at $52 million – an increase of 16% from 2021. A significant part of this can be credited to refit and maintenance works from both hauled-out and in-water projects, which represented rises of 183% and 450%, respectively, from 2021 to 2022.

While there are several factors behind these increases, Rivergate General Manager Andrew Cannon said the rise of younger, exploration-focused superyacht owners wanting to discover Australia had helped the visitation surge.

“Young, adventure-hungry superyacht owners are keen to discover Australia in all its natural beauty, opting to cruise the land down under over other traditional destinations like the Caribbean and Mediterranean,” he said.

“Australia’s pristine cruising grounds, coupled with our near-perfect weather for year-round maintenance, make us a desirable destination for owners, captains, and crew.”

On a more local level, what measures are being taken to support Queensland’s superyacht economy?

In a further positive step to support superyacht visitation to the Sunshine State, the Queensland Government has extended its superyacht strategy for another five years.

The strategy envisions that by 2028, Queensland’s share of the Australian superyacht sector will have grown to 90%, and Queensland will be world-recognized as a major superyacht hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

This growth is expected to create thousands of new highly skilled jobs across the state and contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy.

The Queensland Superyacht Strategy has five priority action areas to help achieve these targets. They are:

• Supportive policy environment
• Infrastructure for growth
• Promoting Queensland as a global superyacht destination
• Strengthening supply chains
• Promoting superyacht visits for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Rivergate is well-positioned to support the influx of visiting superyachts and promote Brisbane as a leading tourism destination, especially in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In 2023 alone, representatives from Rivergate have attended multiple international boat shows and rendezvous, including the Monaco Yacht Show and the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

In collaboration with Superyacht Australia, Rivergate uses these opportunities to connect with owners, captains, and crew to highlight the refit capabilities of the region, as well as the unmatched cruising grounds of Queensland’s coast.

For more information visit rivergate.com.au

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An inexhaustible source of adventure, Australia is the quintessential superyacht destination. Overflowing with iconic destinations that bask in the country’s infectious laid-back style, it is no wonder Australia is an enduring favourite for sport, adventure and natural wonders.

 With an eclectic mix of unique experiences, there are memories to be made in Australia that simply cannot be found anywhere else. Escape to a country that in one moment will leave you in awe at its untouched natural beauty, and the next throw you into the very heart of the some of the world’s most exhilarating events. Beaches are more than a spectacular blend of sand and sea in this colourful country; they’re a lifestyle and inhabit every piece of Australia’s coastal character, from the boho fashion of the locals to the delicious seafood cuisine served in waterfront restaurants.

Australia boasts an all-year-round cruising calendar, outstanding tourism experiences and world-renowned refit and maintenance facilities that welcome the global superyacht fleet. For those willing to indulge their inner hedonist, Australia is the ultimate superyacht playground.

Unique experiences, all-year-round

Summer and Winter cruising seasons afford Australia an irresistible outdoor spirit that lasts 365 days a year – rather fortunate given the abundance of experiences that await…

A country surrounded by water, Australia is a superyacht haven. Ranging from unspoilt, secluded stretches of glowing white sands to towel-strewn golden paradises and rough surfing havens, beach-lovers will never be disappointed here. Diversity reigns supreme in this huge island nation, where a cruising itinerary can encompass an amazing range of sights not found anywhere else in the world.

From the stunning coral reefs of Queensland, to the spectacular waterways of New South Wales and the crocodile-filled waterholes of the Northern Territory, Australia is a truly unique yachting experience. The kaleidoscopic colours of the Great Barrier Reef are the pinnacle of any diver’s fantasy. From Port Douglas down to Bundaberg stretches 300,000 square kilometres of coral cays, brimming with marine treasures and exquisite sea life. There is simply no better destination for water-based activities.

Not all of the adventure is concentrated at sea. Step inland and discover Australia’s diverse flora and fauna, along with a rich Aboriginal culture. Stop off to play with kangaroos, koalas and wombats or sample fine wines at one of Australia’s exemplary vineyards. The rugged beauty of The Kimberley and Tropical North Queensland presents the opportunity to learn something new. Immerse yourself in 50,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art, brush up on your bush tucker skills or get an awe-inspiring perspective of it all from the sky.

For those who can’t stay too long away from the hustle and bustle of a city, world-class marina facilities in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne can take you right back into the action. Sydney is perfect for a long weekend of luxury comforts, fine dining, and high-end shopping. New Year’s Eve onboard a superyacht with the backdrop of Sydney’s Opera House and Harbour Bridge is certainly one for every owner’s bucket list. Head down to Melbourne, the events capital, for some of the world’s best events. From the Harbour, you are a short tender cruise from the major sporting events held throughout the year, including the Grand Prix, Melbourne Cup and Australian Open. Alternatively, a short walk down the newly renovated dockside will bring you to the Marvel Stadium, where leading artists flock to perform.

Indulge in infinite luxury

No matter where in the country your itinerary may take you, Australia’s highlife is never far away.

Premium superyacht marinas scattered across the islands lead into luxurious five-star resorts, leaving your yacht in good care while you delve into an authentic barefoot island retreat. Ideal for groups carrying a wide demographic, the Whitsunday Islands offer everything from chic beach glamour to high-octane water sports.

Should you wish to venture into Australia’s richly diverse regions, the Luxury Lodges of Australia will welcome you in sumptuous style. A collection of the finest lodges and camps around Australia, Luxury Lodges offers over 250 individual experiences and activities that connect guests to Australia’s most breath-taking locations, unlocking their curiosity and adventure-seeking spirit. The standards of comfort and service in Australia’s high-end heritage sites are parallel to that of a stay onboard one of the finest superyachts. Whether overlooking the Ningaloo Reef on Australia’s West Coast, staying in the world-renowned Barossa Valley wine region in Southern Australia or dining underneath the iconic Ayers Rock in the World Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the Lodges deliver a truly special experience.

If you prefer not to stray too far from the natural playground of the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns and the Whitsunday Islands offer a selection of high-end luxury resorts. Surrounded by a bewitching blend of sublime landscapes, intriguing marine life and infinitely perfect anchorages, the tropical coast marinas offer something for every superyacht party. Superyacht owners have enthused that being able to explore the coastal towns without the need for a security detail has added a special touch to their Australian exploits.

World-class superyacht facilities

Nowhere else in the world can a superyacht sit so detached and isolated yet still be within a short cruise from premier, state-of-the-art shipyard facilities. Australia has a thriving refit and maintenance industry that has benefitted recently from significant investment to cater to larger vessels, meaning no project is too complex.

All along the East Coast there is an array of shipyards that constantly makes sure the South Pacific superyacht fleet is well serviced and pristine. The capabilities available are not to be understated. In Cairns, the world’s largest Mobile Boat Hoist at BSE Maritime Solutions gives the area significant pulling, and lifting, power. The City can accommodate superyachts of up to 140m in length, while highly experienced agents take great care in providing everything needed for a seamless transition from or to life at sea. Cairns itself provides the perfect setting for a superyacht homeport, situated between the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, two World Heritage listed natural wonders.

Queensland’s vibrant South East region boasts a similarly impressive offering. The well-established facilities in Brisbane and the Gold Coast have given the green light to significant investments as they prepare for an influx of visiting superyachts. Rivergate Marina & Shipyard has its own prominent international reputation, having completed over 250 superyacht projects since opening in 2006. Rivergate’s positioning on the Brisbane River provides easy access to both the bustling city and the immaculate cruising grounds of Australia and the South Pacific.

The Australia Marine Complex in Henderson, Western Australia is home to Echo Yachts and Silver Yachts, both multi-award-winning superyacht builders with glowing international reputations. The delivery of 84m trimaran White Rabbit by Echo Yachts in 2018 earned worldwide acclaim for reimagining the possibilities of comfort and efficiency onboard a superyacht. Superyacht projects undertaken in Australia not only benefit from the thousands of specialised trades that surround each facility and the historic expertise in aluminium, but also from the significant exchange rate advantage of the Australian Dollar.

New possibilities

With the intimacy of a small island and the might of a first world country, Australia is the South Pacific superyacht hub with a perfect balance to ensure there is never a dull moment. Some of the world’s largest superyachts frequent the sanctuary of Tropical North Queensland’s marinas as a homeport and gateway to the excitement of the South Pacific islands. Hollywood star Will Smith became the first to officially charter a foreign flagged superyacht in Australia following the passage of new legislation in 2019. Since then, interest in superyacht charters has blossomed from the tropical northern areas down to the isolated splendour of Tasmania.

Superyacht Great Barrier Reef

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Superyacht Australia magazine showcases Australian destinations

October 25, 2021 |

Image courtesy of Superyacht Australia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

25 th October 2021

The 2022 edition of Superyacht Australia magazine was launched today ahead of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) in Florida which opens on Wednesday and is being attended by Superyacht Australia. Now in its ninth issue, the magazine promotes all year-round superyacht cruising destinations in Australia and the world-class service and capabilities of the Australian marine industry.

The cover features 84m M/Y White Rabbit with shadow vessel 46m M/Y Charley. Both vessels were designed by Australian Sam Sorgiovanni and built by Western Australian based Echo Yachts. The inside pages present articles on cruising the coast of Western Australia from Esperance through to the Kimberley and Rowley Shoals in the north accompanied by the ‘must do’ top attractions for each stopover; how and why to visit one of Australia’s hidden gems – the stunning Torres Strait Islands; and why Newcastle shines as a superyacht hub and destination.

Australia’s reputation as a leading centre for marine maintenance and refit specialists also features with updates from key service providers on their more recent expansions both in footprint and capacity; and the Gold Coast eagerly awaits the opening of the Southport Yacht Club’s new megayacht berth.

With the domestic fleet continuing to experience growth, superyacht visitation data released earlier this year and summarised in the magazine, saw a marked increase of 75% in 2020 from 2019 in the average number of days stayed in Australian waters by foreign vessels. This translates into an estimated increase of economic contribution of $100 million into the domestic economy.

David Good, CEO Superyacht Australia said, “As the primary service centre for superyachts in the South Pacific region, Australia continues to play a key role in attracting more superyachts ‘down south’. We actively partner with many of the South Pacific and SE Asian superyacht industries including Fiji, Tahiti, New Zealand and Thailand as together we can increase our success rate in enticing more superyachts to the region. The longer a superyacht remains in the region, the more the region benefits overall.”

A further feature article provides a list of useful publications and guides for captains and owners. Included in the list are publications on the support services and networks available enroute to the South Pacific region through to local information on destinations, marine services and suppliers, and activities to experience once in Australian waters.

The Superyacht Australia Directory concludes the magazine with details of Superyacht Australia members who collectively have contributed to the development of the superyacht industry in Australia and the region.

Copies of Superyacht Australia magazine Issue 9 will be available at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show during the show times from October 27-31 and various other events attended and conducted by Superyacht Australia through the coming year. The magazine can also be accessed as an e-book here.

<End Text>

FOR MEDIA INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Good, Chief Executive, AIMEX, Superyacht Australia and ACMG | Ph: +61 2 9956 8906 | Mob: +61 (0) 413 375 820 | Email: [email protected]

About AIMEX

The Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX) is the peak body for the Australian marine export industry. The core objective of AIMEX is to develop and promote Australia’s international competitiveness in the marine sector. AIMEX represents some of Australia’s most successful international brands, emerging companies and businesses who showcase exciting innovation and technological development.

About Superyacht Australia

Superyacht Australia is the peak body for the Australian Superyacht Industry. Our key focus is to develop and promote Australia’s international competitiveness as a destination for the global superyacht fleet; to increase visitations of superyachts to Australia; and to promote the world-class capabilities of the Australian superyacht industry to service a visiting vessels’ every need.

About Australian Commercial Marine Group

The Australian Commercial Marine Group (ACMG), created under the AIMEX and Superyacht Australia umbrella is the leading industry body supporting, developing and promoting the Australian Commercial and Defence Maritime Industry both nationally and internationally.

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Superyacht Australia magazine showcases Australian destinations

The 2022 edition of Superyacht Australia magazine was launched today ahead of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) in Florida which opened on Wednesday and is being attended by Superyacht Australia. Now in its ninth issue, the magazine promotes all year-round superyacht cruising destinations in Australia and the world-class service and capabilities of the Australian marine industry.

The cover features 84m M/Y White Rabbit with shadow vessel 46m M/Y Charley. Both vessels were designed by Australian Sam Sorgiovanni and built by Western Australian based Echo Yachts. The inside pages present articles on cruising the coast of Western Australia from Esperance through to the Kimberley and Rowley Shoals in the north accompanied by the ‘must do’ top attractions for each stopover; how and why to visit one of Australia’s hidden gems - the stunning Torres Strait Islands; and why Newcastle shines as a superyacht hub and destination.

Australia’s reputation as a leading centre for marine maintenance and refit specialists also features with updates from key service providers on their more recent expansions both in footprint and capacity; and the Gold Coast eagerly awaits the opening of the Southport Yacht Club’s new megayacht berth.

With the domestic fleet continuing to experience growth, superyacht visitation data released earlier this year and summarised in the magazine, saw a marked increase of 75% in 2020 from 2019 in the average number of days stayed in Australian waters by foreign vessels. This translates into an estimated increase of economic contribution of $100 million into the domestic economy.

David Good, CEO Superyacht Australia said, “As the primary service centre for superyachts in the South Pacific region, Australia continues to play a key role in attracting more superyachts ‘down south’. We actively partner with many of the South Pacific and SE Asian superyacht industries including Fiji, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Thailand as together we can increase our success rate in enticing more superyachts to the region. The longer a superyacht remains in the region, the more the region benefits overall.”

A further feature article provides a list of useful publications and guides for captains and owners. Included in the list are publications on the support services and networks available enroute to the South Pacific region through to local information on destinations, marine services and suppliers, and activities to experience once in Australian waters.

The Superyacht Australia Directory concludes the magazine with details of Superyacht Australia members who collectively have contributed to the development of the superyacht industry in Australia and the region.

Copies of Superyacht Australia magazine Issue 9 will be available at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show during the show times from October 27-31 and various other events attended and conducted by Superyacht Australia through the coming year. The magazine can also be accessed as an e-book here.

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Three-decker, solar and battery powered yacht hits the water in Italy

Silent Yachts launched the first Silent 62 3-Deck yacht, outfitted with 17 kWp of SunPower X400+ rigid glass solar modules and a newly enhanced 350 kWh LiFePO4 battery storage system, propelled by dual 340 kW electric motors.

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Silent Yachts has launched the first three-decker redesign of its Silent 62 solar electric catamaran. The Silent 62 3-Deck features three separate solar module arrays totaling 17 kWp, an integrated energy storage system recently upgraded from 286 kWh to 350 kWh. Introduced in 2019, the Silent 60 series builds on the legacy of the Silent 64, which made headlines in 2018 as the first solar-powered yacht to successfully cross the Atlantic. The ship cruises at 6 to 8 knots and can reach peak speeds of 16 to 18 knots.

Owned by Austrian business leaders and based in Fano, Italy, Silent Yachts has recently expanded into a new production facility. This facility spans over 230,000 square feet and includes five buildings equipped for shipbuilding, two of which are topped with solar modules. The company celebrated the launch of its first boat from this new facility in February 2023.

pv magazine USA spoke with owners Michael Köhler & Mick Long about some of the finer details of their craft.

The Silent 62 3-Deck yacht’s highlight is its configurable third deck, which comes in three configurations: an open ‘sky lounge,’ a closed sky lounge, or a closed owner’s suite. The new model featured an open sky lounge, complete with a bar, galley and a 12-seat dining table. This yacht is outfitted with 42 SunPower X400+ modules totaling 16.8 kWp, backed by a 40-year warranty. Where the Flybridge model incorporates lightweight Solbian Maxeon3 panels on its retractable roof to reduce weight, the roofs of the 3-Deck versions are equipped with SunPower glass panels. Models ordered this year will include marginally higher wattage, pushing the total potential production up over 17 kWp.

The CEO of Silent Yachts, Michael Köhler, confirmed the use of these panels, along with a robust 350 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery pack. This pack features a quiet liquid-cooling system that enhances charging rates and extends the lifecycle to up to 3,500 recharge cycles. Propulsion is provided by dual 340 kW electric motors. The system operates primarily at 24VDC for navigation, lighting, and pumps, with household appliances at 230VAC and high-power systems like motors and thrusters at 800VDC.

The Silent 62 yacht is equipped with advanced desalination equipment capable of producing up to 3,600 liters of fresh water per day. This system is efficient, consuming about 4 kWh to produce 1,000 liters of water, which aligns closely with the daily output of approximately one or two of the yacht’s solar panels. This integration ensures that water production is sustainable and minimally impacts the yacht’s overall energy reserves, making it ideal for extended voyages where freshwater is crucial.

A Youtube channel “Heart of Gold Lifeboat” provided a review of an earlier variant of the Silent 60, detailing the specifications and orientation of the electrical equipment and powertrain. The newer Silent 62 3-Deck has been updated with RS230 AH batteries, each offering 11.8 kWh, arranged in a 28-unit configuration. This model also features a proprietary power management system, which replaces the previously used Victron Energy Quattro combined inverter/charger. Additionally, the Volvo Penta D3 220 generator has been upgraded to a Hyundai S270 semi-commercial engine.

Accommodating up to 12 guests in its five cabins, the Silent 62 3-Deck is priced starting just over $2 million.

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com .

John Fitzgerald Weaver

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Neat. Designs like this (as is their fuel cell equivalent) are also duel-use. Portable power could be made available–in port, during emergencies, etc.

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How to have a good time with Fallout 76 in 2024 (or technically speaking, the year 2105)

If you’re thinking of leaving that vault, it helps to know what you’re stepping into.

As Fallout fans we’ve lived through numerous Reclamation Days. But with the launch of the TV show on Amazon Prime , this might be the busiest yet. New dwellers are flooding out of their vaults, and you may well be among them—warily eyeing 2018's online multiplayer Fallout 76, wondering whether the kind of Fallout you like is hiding in its cranberry bogs and toxic valleys.

Here’s my guide to what Fallout 76 is and isn’t—and some advice for getting the most out of the Appalachian wasteland, from somebody who knows it like their backyard after half a decade of survival on the surface. To quote the great Mr. Goggins: I’m you, sweetie. You just give it a little time.

Fallout 76 isn't the game it was at launch

Fallout 76 was a disappointment at release , rife with bugs and missing the colorful NPCs that normally give the Wasteland life. "When that game launched, the litany of issues we had, we let a lot of people down, and, well, there was very little we didn't screw up honestly," Bethesda's Todd Howard reflected later . But things got better: NPCs arrived in the 2020 Wastelanders expansion , and since then Bethesda has continued building on the game, with all of its updates releasing for free. Here are the most significant additions to Fallout 76 since 2018: 

• Major NPC settlements in the style of Diamond City and Megaton
• Relationships with factions who have their own agendas and rivalries
• Story-driven questlines involving Vault-Tec and the Brotherhood of Steel
• Expeditions to The Pitt for raids in Fallout 3’s old stomping ground
• Player-owned underground Shelters where the most ambitious building projects live
• An entire off-map hub in Atlantic City, replete with chatty mobsters and musicians

When you log onto a Fallout 76 server today, you’ll be sharing your instance of Appalachia with—at most—two dozen other players. It’s few enough for you to indulge in the lonely exploration of solo Fallout as often as you like, while having the option to visit one of the fancy encampments dotted about the map if you need a break from your questlog. 

Survival games might have taught you to shoot first, loot later, and ask questions never. But Fallout 76 is different: it's not only a mechanically gentle survival experience, but one with an actively welcoming community.

Instead of reaching for your 10mm when you come across another human player, hit the wave emote instead. If you let them, high level players will shower you with purified water and surplus ammo. They’ll feel good about helping out a goofily gesticulating newcomer in a blue jumpsuit, and you’ll have plenty to drink.

Once you’ve laid down a C.A.M.P., the same attitude applies. Rather than constructing your base like a fortress, full of locked doors and laser turrets, it’ll behoove you to build a comfortable homestead and open your doors wide. Visitors tend to come correct, looking to admire your handiwork, or to buy guns and recipes from your vending machine—a helpful passive supply of caps.

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Don’t sweat your build too much

Fallout 76 has a flexible Perk system built on cards that you can swap in and out at will. That might sound like an affront to Fallout’s tradition of meaningful decision-making, but when it comes to an MMO that could become part of your life for years, it’s the right choice. There’s no way to muck up your character forever by investing too heavily in cannibalism or damage against insects.

When you reach the high levels and start to hit a ceiling, it makes sense to rejig your Perks situationally —swapping in Gun Nut and Armorer only when you’re peacefully parked at the workbench, or keeping your Hacking skills in the back pocket for a rainy computer day. You can even redistribute your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. points to create alt-loadouts, easily accessible between quests. The possibilities will give you plenty of reasons to keep leveling and experimenting even beyond level 50. One day, that rad-boosted Ghoulish build will be mine. 

Mix and match your quests

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Fallout 76 infamously launched as a kind of open world System Shock, with every former resident of Appalachia dead or long gone. Understandably that proved a little too hollow and downbeat for many players, and Bethesda have since transformed West Virginia into a full-fledged Fallout game, flush with multiple NPC hubs and conversation-driven stories.

The original questlines now exist in the background. But rather than ignore them, you’re better off engaging in a balanced diet of missions, swapping between zippy new adventures in Atlantic City and more slow-burn exploration of West Virginia’s ruins. It’s like they say: fresh Brahmin steak tastes best when followed by a bowl of expired Sugar Bombs.

Seek out the original Overseer caches , now relegated to side quests, and you’ll discover they’re hotspots for holotapes. These areas of the map are where Bethesda’s environmental storytelling is at its thickest and most satisfying. It’s there you’ll discover the richness baked into Fallout 76’s map: the elite ski resort where the 1% resorted to raiding rather than picking up a spade, and the training camp where the Brotherhood of Steel first adopted their quasi-religious overtones. 

The history and worldbuilding buried just beneath the surface of Appalachia is one of Fallout 76’s great strengths over comparable MMOs and survival games, and you’d be surprised how much it can deepen your connection to its land and people.

Know what Fallout 76 can't give you

The promise of an online Fallout doesn’t come without compromise, even now. Fallout 76 doesn't have the simulated world that has ticked along under the hood of Bethesda RPGs for decades. Since NPCs need to be readily available for every player that might come along, not just you, they can’t be turned hostile. That means you’re free to swipe those Mentats off a questgiver’s desk without consequence. And no matter your Sneak stat, you can’t rifle through their pockets, nor stuff those same pockets with dynamite and run for the door. All of which will inevitably dismay some longtime players who reserve the right to abruptly end their relationship with a faction via theft or murder.

There are ways in which Fallout 76’s more traditional RPG adventures come into conflict with co-op, too. In the newer dialogue-driven questlines, additional players take a backseat. Either you’ll have to enter key instances separately, or accept that only one of you will be doing the talking and get to strike the finished mission from your questlog. 

It’s a drawback I asked Bethesda about recently and confirmed is a deliberate design decision rather than a technical restriction. The idea is that the team leader alone should have agency to steer the direction of their own quests so that they don’t wind up living with the consequences of choices made by their teammates. The logic checks out, but it’s a frustration nonetheless—and one you’ll need to accept if you’re to get on with 76.

Make the most of what you’re gaining 

Unless they’re packing a Stealth Boy or some other form of cloaking, every player is immediately visible on Fallout 76’s map when you log in. Don’t be afraid to make a beeline for them, and to embrace the emergence that happens when two players cross each others’ singleplayer questlines. Temporary team-ups can be useful and fun —particularly when the other player's mute, leaving you room to project motivations onto your fellow traveller. A stranger might well lead you to parts of the state you’d never discover on your own. Think of them like Boone in New Vegas: a companion who doesn’t talk much but is handy with a rifle.

Fallout 3 Essential Fallout 3 mods Fallout: New Vegas Best Fallout: New Vegas mods Fallout 4 The best Fallout 4 mods Sim Settlements mods for Fallout 4

If you spot a golden hexagon on the world map , that’s an unfolding Event—a brief and silly group quest in which you’ll be fending off Gulpers, conducting Mothman rituals or playing musical instruments as a band to attract a green-glowing cryptid. These are both a strong source of XP and legendary loot, and an easy way to punctuate your solo escapades with bursts of low-commitment co-op.

Then there’s PvP —for the vast majority of players a rare occurrence, since few in the Wasteland are looking to antagonise. But there are select scenarios where you can seek out conflict by capturing Workshops, which are temporary bases used to farm resources, or hunting down Wanted players who have griefed others, like Walton Goggins on the bounty trail.

Workshop fights in particular can be electric, recasting Red Rocket gas stations and airfields as arenas for creeping cat-and-mouse stealth and chainsaw takedowns. It’s the same heart-in-mouth tension of a Deathloop invasion. You’ll only ever lose a handful of caps and a small bag of junk if you’re killed—but those who want to eliminate even the smallest possibility of player conflict can turn on Pacifist mode in the menu . 

Leave your series hang-ups at the vault door

Any new Fallout game—particularly one as controversial and non-traditional as Fallout 76—comes overencumbered with baggage. The PC community especially is guilty of talking itself out of a good time by lionising earlier entries like New Vegas at the expense of Bethesda Game Studios’ own efforts. Here’s the thing: there’s more New Vegas in 76 than almost any other game out there. Its newer questlines go harder on dialogue skillchecks and branching options than Fallout 4 , and the political scuffles between factions on the Atlantic City boardwalk are knotty and inventive.

Fallout 76 is also unexpectedly dedicated to lore from Black Isle’s Fallout games in the '90s. As a prequel, it’s well placed to dig into the earliest days of the Brotherhood and West Tek’s creation of the super mutants. Meanwhile, West Virginia’s proximity to DC means there’s plenty of Enclave skullduggery to uncover and disapprove of, much of it baked into Appalachia’s real history of congressional escape hatches.

Those who value open-ended RPG decision-making and prose above all else might be better served by turning their back on the Fallout series and embracing the likes of Geneforge 2 instead. But if you’ve ever loved a first-person game in a Bethesda engine with a sprinkling of sardonic humour, then head down what’s left of the Interstate 64. West Virginia welcomes careful drivers.

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ArcActive targets Australia with ‘re-engineered’ lead-acid battery tech

ArcActive, a New Zealand-based battery tech specialist, plans to set up a factory in Australia within 18 months. It says the facility will be able to produce 30,000 lead acid-based residential energy storage systems per year.

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From pv magazine Australia

ArcActive claims to have delivered one of the biggest leaps forward in lead-acid battery engineering in more than 140 years. It is now targeting Australia for its first major manufacturing facility as it looks to take advantage of the nation's surging residential solar and battery energy storage market.

“This is where the market is, where plenty of the supply chain is, and where the capital is likely to come from – so it makes sense to put production there,” said ArcActive Chief Executive Stuart McKenzie.

Christchurch-headquartered ArcActive said it has developed technology that has allowed it to re-engineer the negative electrode of the lead-acid battery to remove the lead grid and replace it with a non-woven carbon fiber fabric into which the lead active material is inserted.

McKenzie said the carbon fiber plate design gives the firm’s 20 kWh EnergyBank battery energy storage system – which includes an array of eight separate ArcStore batteries – 15 kWh of usable energy with more than 4,000 cycles for half the price of lithium-ion based chemistries. The base system has an inverter rated at 5 kW, but McKenzie said this could run up to 10 kW.

ArcActive said its “new product is set to dramatically disrupt the sector and make energy storage more accessible … with the potential for widespread adoption across residential, commercial and industrial settings.” It added that the EnergyStore battery system – including inverter, battery management system, and cabling – is priced at AUD 4,900 ($3,140), or AUD 6,995 installed.

“This is approximately half of an equivalent sized system, so allows for a five-year payback which should allow wide-scale adoption,” said McKenzie.

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ArcActive plans to launch a AUD 65 million institutional capital raise in the coming weeks, with the funds to be used to build a production facility in either Queensland or Victoria.

Once the funding round is closed, ArcActive said it expects that it will take about 18 months to get the first production line operational, with the facility set to generate about 70 jobs.

Lithium-ion batteries currently dominate the energy storage market, but ArcActive said its lead-based technology has shown “excellent performance at partial state-of-charge – a key technical requirement for both automotive and energy storage applications.”

McKenzie said lead-acid battery technology also has the advantage of zero fire risk, and a sustainability advantage in that the batteries are “fully recyclable today because the economic cost of recycled lead is known.”

The company said the ArcStore battery that is used in the EnergyBank system will be a general battery system, but storing energy generated by residential solar is seen as its primary market.

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David Carroll

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Drowned land off Australia was an Aboriginal hotspot in last ice age, 4,000 stone artifacts reveal

The landscape features in the dreamtime stories of Australia's Indigenous people.

An analysis of over 4,000 stone artifacts discovered on an island off northwestern Australia provides a snapshot of Aboriginal life tens of thousands of years ago.

The discovery underscores the "long-term connections" that Indigenous peoples have to modern-day Australia, said David Zeanah , an anthropologist at California State University, Sacramento and lead author of a new study describing the analysis.

The diverse artifacts found on the island also reveal intriguing insights about the movement of people between Australia's mainland and the island, especially during the peak of the last ice age, between 29,000 and 19,000 years ago, according to the study, which was published April 1 in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews .

At that time, sea levels were low enough to expose the continental shelf between Australia and what is now Barrow Island, a 78-square-mile (202 square kilometers) territory about 37 miles (60 km) off Australia's northwest coast. Thousands of years ago, it would have formed the high plateau of a vast, continuous plain spanning over 4,200 square miles (10,800 square km), Zeanah told Live Science.

Archaeologists already knew that people once lived on the island, thanks mainly to a trove of archaeological evidence left behind in rock shelters — most famously, in one called Boodie Cave. But for the new research, the scientists looked beyond the island's caves to explore several open-air deposits scattered across Barrow Island.

Related: Lost 'Atlantis' continent off Australia may have been home for half a million humans 70,000 years ago

Over three years, they examined 4,400 slicing, cutting and grinding tools from a mix of sites. What surprised the researchers was the variety in the artifacts' compositions. Most of the tools found in caves were fashioned out of limestone, the most abundant geological material on the island. Those discovered at the open-air sites, by contrast, were made mostly from rocks, including igneous and sandstone, that matched sources on mainland Australia.

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The findings show "a surprising amount of diversity in stone tool composition over a relatively small area," said Tiina Manne , an archaeologist at The University of Queensland in Australia who was not involved in the research.

This diversity is significant because it reveals details about the people who frequented Barrow Island, Zeanah said.

"The open sites provide clear links to the mainland geologies, and that infers that people were using the coastal plain that's underwater now," Zeanah said. An example he found particularly intriguing was the roundish, flat grinding stones that are derived from geological sources beyond Barrow Island. The team discovered that these stones were water-worn, suggesting that before they were crafted into grinding tools, they had been hand-selected from stream beds or tidal regions, perhaps from coastal flats or rivers that may have run across the exposed plain that once connected Barrow Island to mainland Australia when sea levels were low.

The indication that many of the island's tools came from far-flung locations is exciting, Zeanah said, as it suggests that the ancient exposed plain may have been a thoroughfare for trade and exchange between different groups.

"This was probably not like a single group of people moving seasonally across the plains," Zeanah said. "The area is vast. The materials may have been transmitted by trade, or by Aboriginal people going from group to group. So that implies a social network."

The presence of those grinding stones on Barrow Island supports the idea that mass movement and knowledge sharing unfolded for thousands of years across this landscape, the study authors said.

"What that suggests to us is that people knew that there wasn't good stone on Barrow Island, and they often brought cobbles to provision the landscape there, so that they could revisit in the future," Zeanah said. "That shows a lot of logistics, foresight and knowing the landscape well, I believe."

The researchers are unsure why the geological makeup of the cave tools differs from those found outside. The most likely explanation is that artifacts made of limestone do not survive exposure on the surface as well as artifacts made of harder stone from the mainland. Another possibility has to do with how sea levels rose as the ice age declined, which would have gradually severed Barrow Island from the mainland and constricted  the movement of people across the plain. In Boodie Cave, only a handful of unearthed tools were made of rocks that originated elsewhere. And in the protected cave environment, it has been possible to show that those tools tend to be older, and therefore may have been deposited earlier, when sea levels were at their lowest.

Therefore, it's likely that these remote tools were brought to the site by groups that could move freely between Barrow Island and the mainland. Limestone tools were used more intensively when rising sea levels began to cut-off the island from the mainland, the study authors said. This separation would have driven the islands' inhabitants to settle in caves and rely on the abundant local limestone to make the tools, the researchers suggested.

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Thalanyji people, representatives of whom co-authored the study with Zeanah and colleagues, note there are oral histories about the islands on their sea country. Zeanah hopes this new research will help to highlight these ancient connections.

The study is "absolutely unique in Australia," Manne said. "It provides a record of coastal and hinterland desert landscape use by Aboriginal peoples during a time period that is virtually unknown from elsewhere on the continent — because other similar coastal-hinterland areas now lie drowned beneath the sea."

Emma Bryce is a London-based freelance journalist who writes primarily about the environment, conservation and climate change. She has written for The Guardian, Wired Magazine, TED Ed, Anthropocene, China Dialogue, and Yale e360 among others, and has masters degree in science, health, and environmental reporting from New York University. Emma has been awarded reporting grants from the European Journalism Centre, and in 2016 received an International Reporting Project fellowship to attend the COP22 climate conference in Morocco.  

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James Warburton, MD and CEO of Seven West Media , one of Australia ’s largest media conglomerates, has resigned. His departure, previously announced in December, follows a series of scandals. He was scheduled to depart the company in June, but now exits with immediate effect, following a board meeting on Thursday.

In a filing to the Australian Stock Exchange, Seven West said that Jeff Howard, currently its chief finance officer, will take over as MD and CEO with effect from Friday. Craig Haskins will act as interim CFO until a successor to Howard is appointed.

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Former Liberal Party parliamentary aide Bruce Lehrmann sued another media operation Network 10 for defamation. Lehrmann was tried in court in 2022 over the alleged rape of another political aide Brittany Higgins in Canberra in 2021. But the case and a retrial were abandoned with no findings against him.

Lehrmann’s defamation case alleged that Network 10 and its journalist Lisa Wilkinson made false claims that he raped Higgins. Network 10 and Wilkinson said that they would defend their reporting as “substantially true.”

The court in the defamation trial, however, heard testimony from former Seven Network producer Taylor Auerbach that the company may have paid for drugs and prostitutes along the way to obtaining an exclusive interview with Lehrmann that it aired in 2022 as part of its Spotlight program. Auerbach also testified that he was offered a promotion and a pay rise after he used a corporate credit card to purchase Thai massages for himself and Lehrmann.

On Monday this week, the court ruled in favor of Network 10 and Wilkinson’s truth defense. Justice Michael Lee found that, on the balance of probabilities, Lehrmann had raped Higgins.

The revelations about Seven’s reporting practices, including earlier evidence that the network had paid Lehrmann’s rent in Sydney for a year, caused “Spotlight’s” “Trial and Error” episode to be disbarred from the prestigious Walkley Awards. “The entry did not accurately describe the extent of benefits provided to Mr Lehrmann in exchange for interviews, information and exclusive access,” the Walkley Foundation said in December.

Mark Llewellyn, an executive producer on “Spotlight,” also left Seven Network this week, following the defamation case evidence.

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