Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) commends the role of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in recent humanitarian aid missions; and

(2) congratulates:

(a) the Government on taking the decision to acquire two additional Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft which will assist in future humanitarian and ADF operations; and

(b) the ADF on its rapid deployment of air assets, including C-17s, which supported the provision of disaster relief in Vanuatu and Nepal in 2015.

The people of Solomon include a very high proportion of men and women of the Australian Defence Force—around 5,000 uniformed defence personnel. I note that you, Madam Deputy Speaker Prentice, also have a very large defence contingent in your electorate. Within my electorate all three services are represented with major bases, including the Royal Australian Navy at HMAS Coonawarra, the Australian Army at Robertson Barracks and Larrakeyah Barracks, and the Air Force at RAAF Base Darwin.

Over the last decade, the sailors, soldiers and airmen of my electorate—and indeed yours Madam Deputy Speaker, and that of the member for Canberra—have served with distinction in a wide variety of combat and humanitarian functions around the world. It is one of those humanitarian missions which has prompted me to bring the motion to the House today.

On 25 April this year a violent earthquake shook the Himalayas near the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu. The earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, left around 8,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Infrastructure, including power plants, transmission lines, water pipes and the sewerage network, was left in ruins. Roads and bridges that are needed to transport food from the fields to the cities were destroyed. Within hours of the earthquake striking, I was contacted by representatives of the Nepalese community in Darwin. They were obviously very distressed and were asking what could be done to assist. The Nepalese Association of the Northern Territory called an emergency meeting that afternoon, and I was absolutely honoured to attend. Within a few hours of that meeting we had raised $14,000. They went on to raise another $60,000, and they should be commended for their effort. The Australian government extended an immediate offer of emergency funding but as a clear picture emerged of the scale of the disaster and the need for the aid, it was the C17 and the RAAF crews that were turned to. By 29 April, two C17s had taken off from Amberley bound for Kathmandu, with six tonnes of tarpaulins, six tonnes of medical supplies, five tonnes of woollen blankets, two RAAF aero-medical evacuation teams and 80,000 water purification tablets. On their return trips, the planes carried hundreds of Australian citizens out of the mountains to begin their journeys home. Among them were two very grateful constituents of mine, Suyana and Siraj, and it was great that they were brought back home safely.

The story was similar for Vanuatu, after Tropical Cyclone Pam—the third most intense storm ever recorded in the southern hemisphere—smashed the Pacific nation. The C17 and the professionals of the Royal Australian Air Force who operate these monstrous aircraft were able to deliver helicopters from Australia to Vanuatu within hours, rather than the days it would have taken by sea. These helicopters, in turn, were able to get to the remote islands and to areas cut off by flooding to evacuate people and deliver crucial aid.

It is important that we commend all of the men and women of the Australian Defence Force who were involved in these works and to acknowledge the foresight displayed in the acquisition of two additional Globemaster C17A strategic airlift aircraft. It has not gone without notice in my electorate, particularly among the uniformed men and women who I am so proud to represent, that they are much better off under a coalition government. The previous Rudd Labor government reduced Defence Force spending to its lowest level as a percentage of GDP since 1938. Under the coalition government, $7.2 billion is being invested in defence equipment in the coming financial year, for new C17 aircraft and associated equipment, P8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, Triton unmanned aerial vehicles and 58 additional joint strike fighters.

As I said, I am so proud to represent the sailors, soldiers and airmen of my electorate here in this place and I commend them for their professionalism and contribution to these valuable humanitarian missions.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the honourable member for Canberra.

Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Solomon for her motion, and I rise today to acknowledge the hard work and success of the Australian Defence Force. Not only do our defence forces play a vital role in securing our nation and preserving our precious democracy; the ADF also delivers critical humanitarian aid and disaster relief at home and abroad. Earlier this year the ADF delivered lifesaving humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Pam. Our troops played a major part in the relief effort, repairing infrastructure, restoring basic services, and delivering more than 115 tonnes of vital humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support throughout Vanuatu. Our ADF personnel helped restore access to clean water and repaired school, community and medical facilities. Our C17s delivered hygiene kits, blankets, sleeping bags, shelter kits, insect nets, water storage buckets and water purification tablets. The ADF also played a key role in supporting the response to the earthquake in Nepal by delivering humanitarian and disaster relief stores as well as helping to evacuate Australians from Kathmandu to Bangkok.

I received a letter today from one of my constituents, Sheila Egan, who used to teach my husband at Marist Brothers. Sheila is very concerned that 'mention of Nepal seems to have disappeared from discussions in the community and from the media'. I just wanted to do a call-out to Sheila to thank her for bringing this to my attention and to say again to Canberrans and to Australians: donations are still needed to help restore Nepal.

Not only does the ADF provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to Pacific Island countries in times of need; it is also playing a key humanitarian role in the Middle East. Delivering humanitarian aid has been a large focus of Australia's missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Australia's C130J Hercules have been fundamental in delivering aid drops to northern Iraq, including the provision of food and water to minorities on Mount Sinjar. In particular, I would like to make mention of the ADF's role in helping support the hundreds of thousands of women and girls affected by violence in Iraq and for providing humanitarian projects in such areas as reproductive health care, including obstetric services, for hundreds of thousands of pregnant women in Iraq.

Australia has a long and proud track record when it comes to providing humanitarian aid assistance. In fact one of the first aid missions took place in 1918 when HMAS Encounter transported medical supplies and personnel to Tonga and Fiji after an outbreak of influenza. Since then, Australia has responded to numerous calls for international assistance after cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods and drought. The list of projects and the list of missions I could commend the ADF for is too long to cover. But Labor recognises that, when it comes to capability, our single best and biggest asset is our people—the men and women of the Australian Defence Force. It is their courage, their dedication, their bravery and their commitment that make our Australian Defence Force the stellar ADF that it is.

But they need the appropriate tools. That is why Labor welcomes the government's decision to acquire two extra C17s. The former Labor government successfully procured the two previous C17s which have continued to add to the Royal Australian Air Force's capabilities. Australia deployed the C17s to Japan during the aftermath of the tsunami and the nuclear reactor disaster and, on very short notice, to Sudan to help with the humanitarian crisis. They have also assisted in our aid to local communities in Queensland and Victoria after flooding and cyclones and internationally through Operation Bring Them Home. They have assisted in the Ukraine and in the search for MH370 off the Western Australian coast, as well as more recently, as I have mentioned, in providing aid to Vanuatu and Nepal.

ADF personnel are increasingly deployed on peacekeeping humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in response to the changing nature of Australia's strategic environment. It is impossible to exaggerate what we owe to our service personnel, the ADF men and women—and, just as importantly, their families. ADF personnel serve with dedication and distinction and should be extremely proud of the difference they make all around the world. I know that everyone in this chamber is extremely proud of the difference they make around the world, as is every Canberran. I commend the member for Solomon for her motion.

Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The people of Gilmore are proud to be part of the actions taken by the Australian Defence Force in recent humanitarian aid. There is probably no better project to draw together the divergent views of our residents than pulling together to help others. While we would wish that such events triggering human loss and tragedy never took place, there are few in Gilmore who would not be prepared to help in any way they could. One of my constituents called straight after the announcement of the disaster in Nepal to ask how local collectives could be airlifted to those who most needed help. Local Rotary clubs did a fundraising push to supply shelter boxes to help as well. Australia is always one of the first nations to provide financial assistance—food, water and shelter provision—as well as personnel on the ground to assist other nations in times of desperate trouble. The events of this year alone reflect the importance of our strong humanitarian aid program.

Let me first describe the assistance that was given to Vanuatu in March, when it was hit by a category 5 tropical cyclone called Pam. There may have been a small number of people who lost their lives—11—which has a significant effect on their families, but around 188,000 people living on 22 islands were deeply affected. Their key industries of tourism and agriculture have been badly affected, not to mention their services for education, health and transport as well as their domestic infrastructure. So far Australia has committed more than $50 million in humanitarian assistance, including $15 million in immediate response and $35 million for longer term recovery. The Australian medical assistance team treated 1,341 patients. The Australian urban search and rescue team working alongside locals in Vanuatu put critical repairs in place for 27 schools and five health clinics.

I am proud to describe how my country helps others. This same assistance was put forward for the recent earthquake tragedies in Nepal. In this instance more than 8,000 people died and a further 20,000 people were injured. With $20 million supplied for emergency response, this was a significant help to Nepal.

It is important to note that this humanitarian assistance could not take place without the dedication of our Defence Force personnel and the allocation by the government for the purchase of two additional Boeing C17As. This purchase announcement was made in April this year, taking the total fleet number to eight. The two aircraft, including all associated equipment and facilities, represent a billion-dollar investment in our security and our ability to respond rapidly to disasters in our region. This heavy transport aircraft allows the RAAF to rapidly deploy troops, supplies, combat vehicles, heavy equipment and helicopters anywhere in the world. The C130 Hercules can carry almost 26 tonnes, while the C17 capacity is a maximum of 77 tonnes, three times that of a C130. It is pretty impressive when the list of items that the C17 can carry includes the following: an M1 Abrams main battle tank, four Bushmaster vehicles and three Black Hawk helicopters. It can also operate as an air medical evacuation centre or deliver many tonnes of humanitarian aid.

Actually, the amazing work of these aircraft often goes unnoticed. They were the backbone of the air link for Operation Slipper in Afghanistan and have been part of the aid and deployment operations in the Queensland floods, Christchurch after the earthquakes and in the Philippines as just a few examples. These operations make a person feel so unbelievably proud of our Defence Force members and a government that is prepared to invest in equipment for them to operate.

Delivery of helicopters as part of the aid to disaster areas means that isolated areas can be reached more readily. These same C17s acted as an aerobridge, evacuating Australians and other foreign nationals out of dangerous territory. Very often the enormity of foreign aid using the Australian Defence Forces is best understood by the description of some of the materials that were delivered to Nepal within two days of the crisis. The aircraft carried six tonnes of tarps, five tonnes of woollen blankets, 80,000 water purification tablets and six tonnes of health supplies.

We invest in foreign aid and we invest in our personnel. This year we are also delivering new and improved personal protective equipment for our soldiers, including new generation body armour. We are funding new, state-of-the-art special forces vehicles to be assembled in Australia, giving enhanced capability and protection to our most elite troops. This government is committed to returning defence spending to two per cent of GDP within the decade, confirming our confidence in our Defence personnel and our commitment to keeping a safe and secure Australia but not forgetting to help our regional neighbours in times of trouble, disaster and other tragedies that strike the area.

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the motion before the House moved by the member for Solomon and use this as an opportunity to highlight the excellent work that is being done by the Australian Defence Force at a range of relief operations all across the region at various times over the last decades. The fact is we live in an area where natural disasters are not unusual. When those disasters occur, the actual results for communities and countries are often quite devastating. The earthquake in Nepal and the circumstances of the cyclone at Vanuatu were mentioned but, frankly, every year, we see these sorts of natural events, whether it be tsunamis, whether it be earthquakes, whether it be hurricanes. It is pretty much pick a country. In the Philippines and various islands in the Pacific the fact is that it is a regular event and a regular event where the international community needs to pitch in and give people in very dangerous and difficult circumstances the opportunity to try to survive.

Australia has a proud record with regard to providing support for natural disasters in this area. Certainly the Globemaster has been a very important tool in recent years which has allowed large-scale amounts of aid to be taken where they are needed to support those on the ground who are providing relief support to communities that have been devastated. I have had the honour and privilege to be on a Globemaster on a number of occasions—once in the Middle East—and last Friday at Amberley air base I had the chance to walk through. They are a very impressive piece of kit that give a real capacity to move significant assets where they are needed. I congratulate the government on their decision to expand the fleet up to eight. It is a capacity and a capability that can be used throughout this region and also throughout the world.

I also mention that I had the opportunity the other week to visit the HMAS Canberra, the newest of the LHDs, as it is going through its sea trials. That is another example of a piece of equipment that will have enormous potential when it comes to providing support in relief efforts. I was joined by the member for Tangney, who is in the chamber today. The fact is that the Canberra and its sister ship, the Adelaide, will provide the opportunity when facing natural disasters to provide large-scale support in terms of medical support, evacuating large numbers of people should that be required and getting equipment to where it is needed in a manner which will ensure it is able to be used for communities that are in a devastated state. That is a very important part of what the Defence Force is doing now and will be a very important part of what the Defence Force will be doing in the years ahead.

Although obviously the war-fighting capacity is a key component from a defence perspective, the bottom line is that, as the front line for provision of urgent aid in communities that are facing the results of natural disasters, our Defence Forces play a central role. We should not forget that, as we know from the past, that at times has come at great risk to Defence personnel and at times comes with the result of great tragedy for Australian Defence Force members when they have been serving their country and helping communities. I think we all know of examples where that has occurred.

With regard to the motion before the chamber, the C17 is an excellent aircraft that provides capacity that is very much needed in terms of ensuring that we pull our weight as a member of the international community to provide the support that is needed for nations that have been devastated as a result of natural disasters. We do not know where those natural disasters will be next. We do not know how bad they will be. What we can say with depressing certainty is that they will happen again and again and again. The role that our Defence Force plays in providing support to people, whether it be medical, supplies or other life-giving materials, is very important. It is a role that is performed with great professionalism and skill and it is a role for which this House should always congratulate the men and women of our Defence Forces serving their country in a very practical manner to help the communities that are in real need.

Debate adjourned.