Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, on indulgence: I would like to update the House, as I indicated after question time I would endeavour to do, on the circumstances surrounding Airlines PNG flight CG4684 from Port Moresby to Kokoda. As members will be aware, that flight has been reported as missing since this morning. At the close of search-and-rescue efforts this evening, the plane is still missing. Those search-and-rescue efforts have been hampered by bad weather and, of course, it has been dark now in PNG for a number of hours.

As I indicated to the House, there were 13 people on board the plane: 11 passengers and two crew. I advise the House that, of the 13 on board the plane, nine are Australians, three are Papua New Guineans and one is a Japanese national. The nine Australians are from Victoria and Queensland. In the last half to three-quarters of an hour, all of the families of the nine concerned have been contacted by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade consular officers from Canberra through a crisis centre which was activated this afternoon. For all of the obvious reasons, I am not proposing at this stage to identify any of the Australians concerned, but we hold very grave concerns for their safety and welfare.

I would like to indicate to the House the action which the government has taken in conjunction with the Papua New Guinean government since question time. As members will recall, I was advised of these circumstances during question time and made a brief statement to the House at about four o’clock. That coincided with a statement from Airlines PNG in Port Moresby. At about 4.30 pm the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence, the National Security Adviser and the Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Houston, and I met and, at the conclusion of a brief meeting, instructed Australian officials that Australian assets be made ready for deployment to assist in the search-and-rescue effort.

At about 5.15 pm the Prime Minister spoke with his counterpart, PNG Prime Minister Somare, who readily accepted Australia’s offer of assistance in the search-and-rescue effort, which will include both Defence and civilian assets and which I will detail in a moment. At about seven o’clock this evening, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence, the CDF and I met to confirm the detail of the deployment of the civilian and Defence assets. I have, of course, spoken on a number of occasions to the high commissioner in Port Moresby, and I have also relayed and exchanged messages with my counterpart, Foreign Minister Sam Abal, on this matter.

Senator Faulkner, the Minister for Defence, has detailed to the Senate the Defence assets to be deployed, but I will summarise those for the benefit of the House. HMAS Success is being diverted from its current location near the Torres Strait and will arrive off the Papua New Guinean coast by first light tomorrow. HMAS Success has a Sea King helicopter on board which will be available for the search-and-rescue effort. An Air Force Caribou is currently in Port Moresby for unrelated activity, and that will be available for tasking from first light tomorrow, weather permitting—and I underline that search-and-rescue efforts by PNG authorities today have been very much hampered by bad weather.

A C130 with an aeromedical capability and a fully equipped ground party, which will be on board to assist with search and recovery efforts, will depart Australia overnight and, again, is expected to be ready to assist from tomorrow morning. Two Black Hawk helicopters from the Sydney area are being prepared for movement by a C17 aircraft. They will be deployed from the Sydney area tomorrow morning and are expected to arrive in PNG sometime later tomorrow. In addition to that, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has made available a Dornier 328 aircraft. That departed this afternoon and will also be available to assist with search-and-rescue efforts.

Today the PNG effort has been two helicopters and a two-engine aircraft. One of the helicopters has landed in a village, which the PNG authorities and Airlines PNG believe has narrowed the search area to what I describe—and I do not put it any higher than this—as the general vicinity of a possible crash site area. Local villagers and people have indicated to authorities that they heard what they thought was the sound of a crash in the general vicinity. Despite the bad weather one of the helicopters has been able to land in that general vicinity, and with better weather tomorrow it may well be able to further narrow the search area.

Tomorrow, again weather permitting, PNG authorities will deploy two additional helicopters and it has been agreed between the Australian high commission and PNG authorities that two Australian high commission staff will be on board those additional assets and as a consequence be available in the general area to assist.

The families of the nine concerned are being given all possible consular assistance. As I say, we are gravely concerned for the safety and welfare of the nine concerned. We hope that tomorrow the additional assets made available both in and by Papua New Guinea, the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority will be able to be deployed to assist in search-and-rescue efforts.

I have taken the opportunity to speak to the shadow foreign minister, who is not available to be in the House. I have relayed the substance of my report to her and I again thank the opposition for their cooperation in enabling me to advise the House. The House can be assured that as circumstances and events unfold I will continue to endeavour to keep the House fully informed. At times like these our hearts go out to the families who now find themselves in a very difficult situation and we will do everything we can to support them pending the further search-and-rescue efforts. I thank the House.

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