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1st Armoured Regiment provided a Firepower demonstration to 7 Brigade, showing off the ability of the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT) at Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA), Rockhampton.

Deep Caption: Brisbane's 7th Brigade (7 Bde) conducted its biggest exercise in more than a decade from June 1 to 28 2009 with around 2000 soldiers training in a range of combat environments at Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA), Rockhampton.

Exercise Diamond Dollar, last conducted in the 1990's, is designed to hone soldier and officer combat skills. It involves urban operations, bridge demolition and infantry and cavalry manoeuvres.

"The Brigade is well into preparations for a range of possible operational environments. Diamond Dollar is a critical phase of those preparations" Chief of Staff 7 Bde, Lieutenant-Colonel Simon Hardy said.

In 2007, 7 Bde became a fulltime motorised brigade and expanded under the Chief of Army's Hardened and Networked Army (HNA) initiative. Further expansion under the Enhanced Land Force (ELF) initiatives has delivered more units, more personnel, and more equipment.

"Under HNA and ELF, 7 Bde has enhanced its capabilities. We will test these capabilities on Diamond Dollar" Lt-Col Hardy said.

Diamond Dollar will deliver considerable economic benefits to the Rockhampton area. Defence spending includes perishables, other goods, and services such as port-a-loo hire and fuel.

"We estimate that between $750,000 and one million dollars will be spent in the Rockhampton area on purchases from local suppliers" Lt-Col Hardy said.

Purchases include approximately half a million dollars spent on around 5,500 kg of fresh meat, 10,000 litres of milk, 8,000 kg of fresh fruit and veg, 3,600 kg of bread, 1,200 dozen eggs, 3,300 kg of potatoes, and other goods from the local suppliers.