Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence and the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Faulkner. Can the minister inform the Senate of the latest developments relating to the crash of Airlines PNG flight CG4684?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senators would be aware that an Airlines PNG Twin Otter 300 series aircraft, flight CG4684, went missing on the morning of 11 August this year while en route from Port Moresby to Kokoda. Two crew and 11 passengers were on board the aircraft, and nine of the passengers were Australian. The missing plane has been located and it has been confirmed that the plane crashed.

I am very sorry to have to inform the Senate that the Prime Minister has just informed the House of Representatives that the advice from Papua New Guinea is that there are no survivors of the crash. PNG police have deployed two teams into this location. It is a considerable march on foot—some three to four hours—and I can report that the search operation is being very well managed through the Papua New Guinea rescue coordination centre. There are, of course, as I am sure senators appreciate, a number of Australian agencies providing support to the task. (Extension of time granted) I appreciate that extension of time and, as that courtesy has been extended to me, I would not need a supplementary question to be asked of me. The high commissioner and the defence attache are fully engaged with the Papua New Guinea government, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and all the other search and rescue authorities and are providing the necessary coordination for the task ahead.

As I said to the Senate this morning, the weather is worsening in this location and it appears likely that it will impede some of the operations at the crash site. The Australian Defence Force has made assets available under Operation Kokoda Assist to assist the Papua New Guinea authorities in their search for the aircraft and will now be involved in all the recovery activities. HMAS Success, with an embarked Sea King helicopter, has been diverted from its location near the Torres Strait. It will arrive at Port Moresby this afternoon. A Sea King helicopter embarked on HMAS Success departed for the accident site at 10.35 this morning. There was an ADF doctor as well as police and Australian consul on board. The Sea King had difficulty observing the cash site because of cloud cover. A Caribou aircraft is currently in Port Moresby. It was tasked for a separate activity but it has been tasked on this operation since seven this morning. It is departing for Kokoda village, carrying a PNGDF infantry contingent and the Australian deputy head of mission at the Australian High Commission.

A C130 Hercules has departed RAAF Base Richmond this morning. It includes a range of capabilities—a command element led by Wing Commander David Howard and an aeromedical evacuation team capable of dealing with whatever is required on the ground in PNG. There is a six-person mobile air load team who will be utilised on site, and there are also members of the AFP disaster victim identification team. As well as that, two Army Black Hawk helicopters from the Sydney area are being prepared for movement by a C17 Globemaster. If a decision is made that that particular capability is required, they will be tasked to leave at 3.30 this afternoon. On this flight, it is possible that further members of the Australian Federal Police disaster victim identification team will leave the Sydney area and it is also possible that four members from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will be sent to the crash site. Additional Australian Defence Force manpower, including engineering support, will be made available if required from personnel who are currently deployed to Papua New Guinea on exercise.

Obviously, this is extraordinarily sad and difficult news. It is a terrible tragedy for all the families involved. I know that every senator in this place and so many outside it will be thinking of those people who have been so closely affected by this tragedy at this time. All our thoughts are with them.