Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, upon notice, on 15 June 2011:

(1) (a) How many asylum seekers are currently being housed at Jandakot Airport Chalets; and (b) when was the first asylum seeker transferred there.

(2) What are the nationalities of these asylum seekers.

(3) From where were these asylum seekers transferred.

(4) Have the asylum seekers being housed at Jandakot Airport Chalets all been security assessed by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation

(ASIO) and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC); if not,why not.

(5) How were the asylum seekers, to be transferred to Jandakot Airport

Chalets, selected.

(6) What is the period of the current lease agreement to house asylum seekers

at the Jandakot Airport Chalets.

(7) Does the lease include an option or options to extend; if so, for what period.

(8) What is the amount per night that the Government is paying to Jandakot Airport Chalets to house each asylum seeker.

(9) What is the amount per week that the Government is paying to Jandakot Airport Chalets to house each asylum seeker.

(10) Will the Australian Government be providing any financial assistance to Jandakot Airport Chalets to enable them to recommence their commercial

activities once the lease has been finalised; if so, how much; if not, why not.

(11) What sections of the Airports Act 1996 allow for the usage of the accommodation at Jandakot Airport Chalets to house asylum seekers.

(12) Which sections of the Jandakot Airport Master Plan 2009 allow for the usage of the accommodation at Jandakot Airport Chalets to house asylum seekers.

(13) With reference to a media release from the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport (Mr Albanese), dated 19 March 2010, in which he states:

The Rudd Labor Government believes that aviation-related development must be the overriding priority at airports.

We are preparing to introduce legislation later this year to strengthen community consultation and approval processes for major developments at airports. This legislation, which was flagged in the National Aviation White Paper, will require any development that may have a significant community impact, regardless of size or cost, to be subject to a major development plan requiring Commonwealth approval, as well as extensive community consultation:

(a) how does housing asylum seekers at the Jandakot Airport site equate to aviation-related development;

(b) what consultation occurred between DIAC and the Department of Infrastructure and Transport prior to the asylum seekers being transferred to Jandakot Airport Chalets and when did the consultation occur;

(c) what broader community consultation was carried out; if none, why was this not undertaken;

(d) what consultation occurred with the aviation training providers at Jandakot Airport, whose students utilize the short term accommodation previously available at Jandakot Airport Chalets; if none, why was this not undertaken.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) As at 15 June 2011, there were 21 clients accommodated at the Jandakot Airport Chalets Alternative Place of Detention (APOD). (b) The first clients were transferred to the Jandakot Airport Chalets APOD on 2 May 2011.

(2) There are currently Chinese, Afghan, Iranian, Iraqi, Sri Lankan, Palestinian Authority and Stateless clients accommodated at the Jandakot Airport Chalets APOD.

(3) Clients currently accommodated at the Jandakot Airport Chalets APOD were transferred there from the North West Point Immigration Detention Centre, Perth Immigration Detention Centre and the recently closed Banksia Tourist Park APOD.

(4) No, not all clients at the Jandakot Airport Chalets APOD have been security assessed.

Clients at the Jandakot Airport Chalets APOD are at various stages of their immigration pathway and may not yet have had a security assessment by ASIO completed.

(5) Clients transferred to the Jandakot Airport Chalets APOD are selected based on the person's risk rating and the particular medical and mental health requirements of the client.

(6) The department has signed a contract with Airport Chalet Centre Pty Ltd for the provision of accommodation services at the Jandakot Airport Chalets. The contract is not a lease. The contract is for a period of six months from 2 May 2011.

(7) The contract provides for an option to extend for two further periods of up to six months each period.

(8) The department is paying Airport Chalet Centre Pty Ltd $2,025.44 per night to accommodate all clients at the Jandakot Airport Chalets.

(9) The department is paying Airport Chalet Centre Pty Ltd $14,178.10 per week to accommodate all clients at the Jandakot Airport Chalets.

(10) No . Airport Chalet Centre Pty Ltd is undertaking commercial activities through its contract with the department.

(11) A 25 year agreement was signed between the Federal Airports Corporation and Airport Chalet Pty Ltd on 7 February 1990. That agreement provides for the use of the site for the purpose of accommodation units. The Department of Infrastructure and Transport advises that no provision of the Airports Act 1996 prevents the use of the Jandakot Airport Chalet site for short-term accommodation.

(12) The Department of Infrastructure and Transport advises that under the Jandakot Airport Master Plan 2009, the potential range of uses for the Jandakot Airport Chalets site is identified as a mixed commercial zone. The Master Plan is published at http://www.jandakot.com.au/JAH_Master_Plan.asp.

(13) (a) The temporary booking of the site by the department for accommodation utilises existing commercially available accommodation facilities. It does not preclude aviation-related development at the airport. (b)The department has entered into a commercial arrangement with Airport Chalet Pty Ltd to purchase accommodation services at a pre-existing commercial facility and as such did not consult the Department of Infrastructure and Transport prior to entering into this arrangement. However, the Department of Infrastructure and Transport advises that no provision of the Airports Act 1996 prevents the use of the Jandakot Airport Chalet site for short-term accommodation. (c)The contract that the department has entered into for the provision of accommodation services at the Jandakot Airport Chalets uses pre-existing commercially available accommodation. There are no residential areas nearby and, as such, there was no community consultation, although nearby commercial activities were contacted. (d) The department has been assured by the owners of the Jandakot Airport Chalets that there was consultation with the management of Jandakot Airport Holdings Pty Ltd prior to entering into the contract with the department. The department has also consulted with Heliwest, the main training provider that used the services of the Jandakot Airport Chalets. Heliwest has advised that students and other aviation customers were offered alternative accommodation.