A drone show to mark nine years until Brisbane hosts the Olympics and Paralympics has been cancelled, after hundreds of the devices plunged into a Melbourne river over the weekend due to a technical glitch.
The Australian Traffic Network (ATN) had been hired to put on a drone show over Brisbane’s Story Bridge on Saturday night to celebrate the city hosting the 2032 Olympics.
More than 500 drones were set to illuminate the night sky with the Olympic rings and the Paralympic agitos over the Brisbane River as part of the display.
But the event was cancelled after 350 drones fell into Melbourne’s Yarra River during a light show for the Matildas’ game against France on Friday night, ahead of the Women’s World Cup.
As of Monday, divers were still trying to retrieve the drones amid concern about the damage their batteries could cause to the environment.
Charlotte Sterrett, the Yarra riverkeeper, said the incident was a “real worry” for the waterway.
“We want to see all drones taken back out of the river because we know if they are left there, they will leach chemicals, which can damage the environment,” she told 3AW radio.
“We don’t know the size of the drones but we think it’s the equivalent of 18,000 AA batteries. This is significant.”
Sterrett called for a stop to drone light shows, saying it did not make sense to “trash” the river.
On Sunday ATN said divers were in the process of retrieving the drones.
“This is the first technical situation we’ve had in the 18 months that we’ve been in the business,” ATN’s Vic Lorusso said.
The Brisbane 2032 organising committee said ATN has advised that it would not put on further shows until the cause of the equipment malfunction is identified.
The committee president, Andrew Liveris, said while it was disappointing to cancel the Brisbane show, safety must remain the priority.
“We’ve made sure that there are still plenty of ways for people right across south-east Queensland to enjoy the ‘Nine Years to Go’ milestone and celebrate the Olympic rings and Paralympic agitos making their Queensland debut,” he said.
“Communities right across Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast will have plenty of opportunities to see large-scale structures of the rings and agitos and get their photo with them, as well as participate in a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports.
“A host of Olympians and Paralympians will be joining in the celebrations and all of the details, times and locations can be found on local Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast council websites.”
