Publication:Sea Talk Summer 2007/Cerberus high ropes facility re-opens

By LEUT Garry Barrow

HMAS Cerberus has the only operating high ropes course in the Navy following the signing of the licence to reopen the facility by the Director General of Navy Personnel and Training on October 25.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) concerns had kept the high-ropes courses in the RAN closed for a considerable period before the Service’s largest training establishment moved to have its course cleared for operation.

This impressive and valuable training aid introduces its users to ‘stressors’ (for example, height) to increase perceived personal risk, forcing individual members and teams outside their ‘comfort zone’ in order to develop their maximum potential.

The challenges presented by this type of training are directed at developing self-confidence, trust, teamwork, fear-management, humility, responsibility, honesty and loyalty.

This type of training also consolidates the importance of managing risks, strong leadership and the interdependence of team members - all important values of our Navy culture.

Although the principal objective of reopening this high ropes course is to give as many of the recruit and initial category trainees at Cerberus an opportunity to enjoy the ‘adrenalin rush’ of the tight-rope walk 10 metres above the ground, the course can be utilised by other Navy organisations subject to the availability of qualified supervisors and facilitators.

To this end, the sports officer at Cerberus (CPOPT June Cunningham - 03 5950 7198) is only too happy to arrange appropriate training for supervisory staff from Navy organisations which are keen to use the facility on a regular basis.