A tight-knit defence community is in mourning after a fatal truck rollover during an army training course near a key garrison city.
One soldier died and two others were taken to hospital after the single-vehicle crash on Hervey Range Road west of Townsville, in north Queensland, just after 6.30pm on Wednesday.
The soldiers formed part of Townsville’s 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, an armoured infantry battalion with a lineage that can be traced back to 1945.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the dead soldier’s family, friends, loved ones and colleagues were in his thoughts.
“As a small, tight-knit community I know this will be felt right across Townsville and the entire Australian Defence Force,” he posted on Twitter on Thursday.
“This is a tragic loss and the sacrifice of our service personnel weighs heavily on us all … all Australians are embracing the Townsville community and 3rd Brigade today.”
Local MP and former 1st Brigade member Phillip Thompson said he was “devastated” to hear the news.
“My thoughts, prayers and love are with the family, mates and loved ones of the soldier who has died,” the Afghanistan war veteran said.
“This tragic loss will be felt through the brigade, army, Townsville and the wider defence community.”
Brigade commander Brigadier Ben McLennan was due to address the public on Thursday afternoon.
The incident occurred during a training course at the Townsville Field Training Area.
Multiple paramedic units and a rescue helicopter attended the scene, Queensland Ambulance said.
One patient “with life-threatening injuries” was assessed at the scene.
A man in his 30s was flown to Townsville University Hospital in a stable condition with chest and abdominal injuries.
Another man in his 20s was driven to the same hospital in a stable condition with back injuries.
Both have since been released, the Defence Department said.
Premier David Crisafulli paid tribute to defence personnel on Thursday morning before the death was confirmed.
“We have great respect for our servicemen and women, what they do to keep us safe, the sacrifices they make,” he told state parliament.
“I know the local community will stand beside those affected as the circumstances of this incident are understood.”
Two soldiers were killed in a truck rollover south of Townsville in August 2021.
The department was charged in September 2023 with breaching federal work health and safety laws over the incident.
Another incident at Lismore in northern NSW hospitalised 13 soldiers during a flood response when one truck rolled and another tipped on its side in March.
Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, the son of former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, was killed in March 2024 after a parachute training incident at the Richmond RAAF base in Sydney.
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