Kiwi vet's siege paralyses city heart

The Vietnam War veteran had a jerrycan possibly containing petrol and a bayonet, and was keeping armed police at bay after mooring his yacht at a central-city wharf in Brisbane. Photo / Brisbane Courier Mail

A New Zealand Army veteran was last night in custody after keeping central Brisbane in lockdown for most of yesterday in an armed siege with police.

The 54-year-old former soldier - armed with a 30cm bayonet, a jerrycan thought to contain petrol and possibly explosives - spent the day holed up on his yacht at a downtown wharf.

But soon after 9pm local time (12 midnight, NZT) police stormed the yacht as firemen hosed the man who had threatened to blow up his boat.

Witnesses said shots were also fired before the man was led away in handcuffs to a waiting ambulance.

A 100m exclusion zone had been set up around the boat, moored at the busy Eagle St pier in downtown Brisbane.

The 16-hour siege caused severe commuter and public transport disruption. Surrounding restaurants and roads were closed and ferry trips cancelled while police negotiators tried to reason with the man.

He had not been officially named last night, but the Courier Mail newspaper said his name was Nick Williams and that he had claimed in the past to be related to rugby star Sonny Bill Williams.

It is understood he is known to police, including for a historic charge of wilful damage.

In a phone call to the Courier-Mail earlier in the day, the man said he was prepared to maintain the standoff for two weeks.

A friend and fellow yachtsman told the AAP news agency that the man was a New Zealander who had fought in Vietnam.

He has an estranged wife and a daughter in Queensland - whom he apparently sees regularly - and has lived on his boat in Brisbane for two years, attracted by the cheap mooring fees of about $40 a week.

"I think this is a cry for help," his friend said. "He's had some health issues and some family issues."

The drama started when the man moored his yacht at the ferry terminal near Brisbane's downtown area about 5am local time (8am NZT) and called police, threatening to harm himself.

At times through the day, he brandished a knife and went in and out of his yacht's cabin. At one stage, he played a guitar.

He moved his boat once, and at one point stepped on to a ferry moored alongside, before returning to his yacht.

Seven hours into the siege he poured liquid from the jerrycan onto his yacht, and at about 6pm local time, he repeated the action, dousing his yacht and part of a nearby ferry.

An hour later, he rolled a blanket out on the deck and sat down, apparently looking to settle for the night.

Police at the scene would not say if any explosive devices were on board the yacht, but a bomb-detection robot was being used at the site.

Two police divers and heavily armed special emergency response team officers were at the scene.