Fed: Action needed to combat illegal flights, says report

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2001
Fed: Action needed to combat illegal flights, says report

By Jordan Baker

CANBERRA, Aug 22 AAP - A Coastguard was needed to crackdown on "black" flights suspected
of smuggling people and drugs into northern Australia via radar blind spots, the federal
opposition said today.

Labor's Coastguard proposal was aired as a parliamentary committee review of the present
Coastwatch system found it was operating effectively.

But an opposition minority report said Labor's idea of combining the resources of Customs,
Coastwatch and elements of the defence force could better deal with illegal, or black,
flights.

Committee deputy chair David Cox said there was anecdotal evidence of strange landings
in areas of northern Australia not covered by radar.

"The AFP (Australian Federal Police) are up there (in the Torres Strait) all the time,"

the Labor backbencher told reporters.

"They know that there's drug trafficking, they know that there's illegal immigration,
and they also know that there's gun running.

"There's drugs and people coming south, and there's guns being sent north."

He said the amalgamation of search and rescue, maritime safety and coastal surveillance,
as suggested under a Coastguard system, would better concentrate expertise to tackle the
problem.

Committee chairman Bob Charles conceded black flights were a future threat, but said
Coastwatch could be given extra power to deal with them.

"We might need legislation to give power to defence, perhaps to have the protection
role, and power to customs also," the Liberal MP told reporters.

The committee's report played down illegal flights, saying they did not pose a problem,
but agreed the Torres Strait was a risk due to its lack of radar and proximity to Papua
New Guinea.

Meanwhile, it said a drop in the rate of illegal fishing boats apprehended in 1999
was partly due to resources being refocused on higher priorities, such as illegal immigrants.

The report recommended Defence, Coastwatch and Customs look at increasing powers to
respond to illegal fishing and perhaps buy a boat to patrol the Southern Ocean.

Mr Charles said the report vindicated Coastwatch, saying it was effectively an outsourced
Coastguard, with easy access to the resources owned by other agencies such as Customs
and Defence.

"The committee saw a well integrated organisation, effectively using the resources
at its disposal, and staffed by personnel dedicated to protecting Australia's borders,"

he said.

The report recommended a public charter be established to set out the government's
expectations, improve performance measures, and increase efforts to explain Coastwatch's
role to the public.

AAP jb/daw/las/br

KEYWORD: COASTWATCH NIGHTLEAD (WITH BOAT)

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