Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) Talisman Sabre 2011 (TS11) is a Joint and Combined exercise and the funding is broken down across the Service Groups and Headquarters Joint Operations Command. The total cost of the exercise will not be known until after the exercise is complete and all bills paid, including any remediation activities. For Talisman Sabre 2009 the cost of the exercise to the Department of Defence was estimated at approximately $48 million, excluding the cost of ownership of Australian Defence Force (ADF) assets.

(b) The Commonwealth will fund all costs directly associated with the participation of ADF forces in the exercise and ancillary tasks related to the provision and stewardship of the training areas.

(c) The contract with AECOM Australia Pty Ltd for the Public Environment Report (PER) provides for the conduct of a risk management workshop at the TS11 Initial Planning Conference, preparing and publishing the document, organising the public information displays, organising and manning the 1800 phone line, producing five Fact Sheets, and the production of hard copies and DVDs of the PER. The contract price is $164,000.

(d) (i) Fifteen written submissions were received following the promulgation of the PER, as well as approximately 30 verbal comments and inquiries at the manned Public Information Days at Yeppoon, Rockhampton and Rockhampton North.

(ii) Requests for input from the general public and invitations for active participation in the public information days were advertised in the local newspapers in Rockhampton, Townsville and Darwin, and also in unmanned displays in the libraries at Rockhampton North, Rockhampton South, two locations in Townsville, and in Darwin.

(e) No.

(f) The exercise takes place in NT and QLD and the adjacent waters.

(g) The ADF does not disclose Australian or allied submarine movements. Border protection in Australian waters is a sovereign responsibility and is conducted solely by National assets.

(2) (a) The exercise will be held 11-29 July 2011.

(b) The live fire activities occur 11-17 July 2011 and 27-29 July 2011. Live firing activities involve combined forces – air, land and sea.

(c) The exercise occurs primarily in Defence exercise areas between Rockhampton and Townsville and the adjacent waters. Some activities will also occur around Darwin, RAAF Base Tindal (near Katherine), Delamere Air Weapons Range and Bradshaw Training Area, near Timber Creek, and in waters in the Timor Sea.

(d) It is anticipated approximately 8,500 Australian personnel will participate in the military training exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 (TS11) in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area near Rockhampton, Australia, and in the Townsville Field Training Area from 11-29 July 2011.

(i) Army: 5,400;

(ii) Navy: 1,600; and

(iii) Air Force: 1,500.

(e) The exact composition of the US participating units is undetermined as it is impacted by real world relief efforts, particularly in Japan. More fidelity on the US force participation will become available closer to the exercise however approximately 20,000 people are expected. A list of participating forces will be made available via a link on www.defence.gov.au/globalexes.cfm.

(f) Yes. A detachment of 12- 14 Australian Federal Police (AFP) personnel will participate.

(g) Defence does not comment on the activities of intelligence agencies.

(h) Consistent with the practice of successive governments, I do not intend to comment on intelligence matters.

(i) Yes. The purpose of the international observer's day is to demonstrate the combined capabilities, strength and openness of the alliance between Australia and the United States to the broader region.

(j) A Los Angeles Class attack submarine is scheduled to participate in the exercise.

(k) Yes, within the Shoalwater Bay Training Area – as conducted in 2007 and 2009.

(3) (a) (i) Australian Minister of Defence;

(ii) US Secretary of Defense;

(iii) Queensland and Northern Territory local governments and interest groups;

(iv) Relevant sea port and airport authorities;

(v) US Department of State;

(vi) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade;

(vii) Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service;

(viii) Commonwealth and State regulatory agencies e.g.: Australian Quarantine Inspection Service, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Department of Environment and Resources; and

(ix) Australian community through the Defence Public Environment Report process.

(b) The approach that is applied to indigenous engagement regarding the use of training areas or other land or sea areas for training is multi-pronged. The method of consultation is tailored to the differing requirements of the local indigenous group or groups involved. In some areas, Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) or Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) require consultation to be undertaken in a particular way. Land councils often take a role under ILUA or MOU arrangements. In other locations there are well-established local Environmental Advisory Committees that meet regularly and on which traditional owner groups are represented. There are also Heritage Management Plans for most major training areas that have been developed in consultation with relevant indigenous groups. These Plans require consultation for certain types of actions or activities in certain areas, depending on their nature.

From a Civil Lands perspective, the Defence Support Group Regional staff routinely advise all ADF Units undertaking activities to consult with the respective Land Councils and where necessary apply for permits to access traditional country. This process is currently managed via Defence's Directorate of Operations and Training Area Management (DOTAM) who have civil liaison personnel to administer these arrangements.

For Talisman Sabre specifically - the exercise is cyclic and is now a routine activity. Indigenous consultation has occurred through the Environmental Advisory Committee meetings, through routine consultation with land councils or other traditional owner groups and individuals, as required under Individual Land User Agreements or Memorandums' of Understanding.

(c) (i) Defence activities in the international waters of the Coral and Arafura Seas that may impact members of the public are de-conflicted through routine mechanisms that advise areas that are restricted due to naval activity or for the conduct of live firings.

(ii) In the Bradshaw Range area Defence complies with the consultation requirements of the local Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA). In Delamere, consultation with the Local Land Council is conducted routinely, every six months, for planned activities.

(iii) When scheduled, ship port visits to Brisbane Port are coordinated through appropriate Federal and State authorities.

(iv) - (v). In the Shoalwater and Cowley Beach areas, Traditional Owner Groups are represented on the respective Environmental Advisory Committees. Additionally, the local Shoalwater Bay Training Area Regional Environmental Officer (REO) is in regular contact with the Darumbal people's representative. Further community engagement in May and June will build on this relationship. More broadly, Defence engaged environmental consultants to develop a Public Environment Report as part of the environmental impact assessment process. This process included community engagement with local communities in Rockhampton, Wide Bay, Townsville, Cowley Beach and Tully. Defence also works closely with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts to ensure Defence training activities continue to protect the unique environment of the Great Barrier Reef. AQIS was consulted about US force elements landing directly into Shoalwater Bay to ensure that US forces comply with Australian Quarantine requirements. Rockhampton Council, GBRMPA, Queensland Police, and local community groups were consulted regarding exercises activities occurring in Shoalwater bay training Area and exercises support activities in Rockhampton.

(vi). As addressed in the response to question (3)(b) and (c).

(d) Traditional owners have the right to express their concerns during any of the consultation processes or separately if desired. Traditional owners in Bradshaw, Delamere, Townsville, and Shoalwater Bay have not advised Defence of any dissent to the conduct of the exercise.

(e) Appropriate contingency plans have been developed and will be constantly updated. It is not appropriate to divulge the plans for security reasons.

(f) (i)-(ii) Media alerts will be distributed for specific Talisman Sabre activities. All media interested in covering TS11 are required to undertake media accreditation prior to gaining TS11 access. The media accreditation proforma will be available on the TS11 official website. Accreditation and induction for media attending the exercise is a requirement for occupational health and safety reasons.

(g) The Urban Operations Training Facility at Shoalwater Bay provides essential military training in urban environments to the ADF and it has been deliberately constructed to be culturally neutral while representative of the urban environments the ADF is likely to operate in or currently operates in. There is a religious building of no denomination that is part of the fictitious society created for training purposes. There is no mosque.

(4) (a) Live fire exercises during Talisman Sabre 2009 (TS09) were restricted to specific target areas within Defence training ranges. Some fires did result but these were all contained within Defence training range boundaries. Whale sightings were recorded and vessels implemented the appropriate procedures whenever whales were in the immediate vicinity – no incidents were recorded. Mine countermeasures training is undertaken using simulated underwater mines made of concrete – these are retrieved at the end of the training – there were no identified impacts. Anti submarine warfare training using military sonar was undertaken in areas away from features likely to attract whales, and well out to sea away from the main humpback whale migratory route. Standard operating procedures for both Australian and US ships required that sonar operations cease if whales were sighted too close to warships operating sonar equipment. These procedures are well rehearsed and effective. There were no known impacts on marine mammals.

(b) Water quality is routinely monitored in the Shoalwater Bay Training area. It has never indicated that military activities pose any significant threat to the water quality of Shoalwater Bay or the Great Barrier Reef. Strict protocols that generally exceed the obligations that apply to commercial, tourist or recreational shipping and boating apply to all warships participating in the exercise, particularly in relation to discharges of sewage and other shipborne waste, management of fuels and other chemicals.

(c) In 2009 Defence developed the TS09 Environmental Management Plan to guide key participants through the environmental management requirements for TS09. This document has evolved over several major exercise iterations. This Plan compliments the ADF Maritime Activities Environmental Management Plan that was first promulgated in 2004 and has been updated regularly since to incorporate new advice. Guidance on whale avoidance incorporates the results of surveys in the Coral Sea conducted by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, the RAN and a number of Universities, in 2008 and 2009, into whale distributions, particularly that of beaked whales. These surveys informed the development of mitigation measures. During the same period however, a number of studies were conducted on land and air operations to introduce mitigation measures to minimise the impact on flora and fauna by such things as hydrocarbon emissions and aircraft noise. As an example the RAAF Air Operations Environmental Management Plan was developed between 2006 and 2009.

(5) (a) No. Depleted uranium munitions will not be used during TS11. Depleted uranium munitions are not in the ADF inventory and not permitted for use by foreign or domestic forces within Australian territories.

(b) Nil.

(c) Not applicable

(d) Not applicable.