Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Materiel) Share this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

Response to all:

Two at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook Victoria;

Two at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland; and

One at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.

A number of other aircraft are currently being assessed to determine if they can be preserved by public or private museums for heritage purposes.

Providing aircraft to public or private museums requires two things: United States Government approval and finding a way to deal effectively with the asbestos on the aircraft.

The F-111s were produced in the United States and are subject to United States legislation. This requires the Australian Government to seek United States Government permission to transfer the aircraft to non-Government or non-Defence organisations. Based on previous experience this is difficult and takes some time.

I am advised by Defence that over 80 per cent of the aircraft's surface panels have the potential to contain asbestos

Defence is currently assessing how asbestos could be removed, remediated or safely contained, so that the aircraft could be safely displayed in public and private museums.

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