MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce an additional Australian commitment of up to $1
million for aerial water bombing to assist Indonesia tackle emergency problems
resulting from the forest fires.
This is the second tranche of Australian emergency assistance to Indonesia in
relation to the forest fires. The initial commitment of Australian support,
which I announced on 29 September, is also for $1 million.
The new funds will be used to provide a package of aerial water bombing
assistance to help prevent the potentially disastrous spread of newly emerging,
smaller scale spot fires in eastern Indonesia.
Provision of such assistance will help to avoid the development in eastern
Indonesia of the situation current in Sumatra and Kalimantan, where massive
fires are continuing to burn out of control. It now seems clear that nothing
short of torrential rain can solve the fire crisis in those two regions.
The Government will be using the South Australian Country Fire Service as the
lead agency to deliver this aerial water bombing assistance package.
The South Australians have the capacity to mobilise and deploy quickly. They
will also provide a comprehensive services package which incorporates essential
control/ command and support functions, along with the actual water bombing
aircraft and other required materiel.
The lead members of the Water Bombing and other Fire Management and the
Health Assistance Teams are scheduled to arrive in Indonesia by the end of this
week.
The teams will undertake a range of critical tasks in close conjunction and
coordination with the Indonesian Government and other donors, particularly an
expert United Nations disaster coordination team from Geneva.
I am pleased Australia is able to significantly assist Indonesia deal with
this major environmental and humanitarian situation. In my discussions with him
in New York on 29 September, Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Ali Alatas, warmly
welcomed Australia's support.
This assistance is an important step in helping to fight a difficult problem
and is a tangible symbol of Australia's commitment to helping the region with
problems as they arise.
NEW YORK 30/9/97
Media Contact: Greg Hunt (Minister's Office) 212 339 4906/
(mobile)1 917 9524 Innes Willox (Minister's Office) 02 6277 7500 / 0411 414 695
Mark Giffard (AusAID) 02 6206 4966