John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

it was a vindication of his call for Australia to fight terrorism closer to home, in our region, in Australia. They were the words of the then Leader of the Opposition welcoming the government’s decision to bring home our forces then, and it gives the lie to the opportunistic comments emanating, as is apparent from his interjection, from the member for Griffith at this time.

Following a reassessment of the security situation in Afghanistan by the coalition in 2005, the government decided to again send troops to Afghanistan. We now have about 200 personnel serving in the special forces task group in Afghanistan. This task group is providing reconnaissance, surveillance and other specialised capabilities to the coalition’s operations against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, who continue to threaten Afghanistan’s fragile stability. In dangerous circumstances, the special forces have, as always, done a magnificent job.

Two ADF Chinook helicopters and about 110 personnel are also currently operating in Afghanistan. This capability provides aeromedical evacuation, air mobility and logistic support to Australian troops and coalition partners. As I announced in May, the Chinooks will continue to operate in Afghanistan until April 2007 providing vital airlift support.

But the struggle against the Taliban and its fundamentalist allies is far from over. The international community, including Australia, continues to have a crucial role to play in assisting the Afghan government meet its security challenges. The security challenge is twofold: firstly, to provide a secure environment to allow Afghans to rebuild their society free from violence and extremism and, secondly, to strengthen Afghanistan’s institutions so that they can provide a stronger framework for democratisation, religious tolerance and economic growth.

Of course, the two elements are linked. Removal of the immediate dangers facing the Afghan people is essential, but so too is ensuring that Afghanistan has the infrastructure and institutions to support its democratically elected government and dealing with those who may attempt to threaten Afghanistan’s democracy and security in the future. It is because of this that the Australian government has committed an ADF reconstruction task force to support the Netherlands led provincial reconstruction team. The ADF will work with the Netherlands as part of phase III of the NATO led International Security Assistance Force expansion into southern Afghanistan.

This reconstruction task force will work in Oruzgan province, in southern Afghanistan, on reconstruction and community based projects with the aim of building the long-term viability of Afghan communities. The task force will undertake construction projects, provide project management skills and deliver trade training for the local population. These activities will ensure that the benefits of the deployment continue long after our personnel have returned.

The reconstruction task force will be in Afghanistan at the invitation of the government of Afghanistan. It will work in Oruzgan for a period of two years.

The reconstruction task force will perform a vital role in what is a dangerous environment. The government is aware of the risks faced by the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan and is committed to ensuring that the reconstruction task force is fully equipped and resourced to conduct this highly important task.

After careful consideration, the government has decided to increase the size of the reconstruction task force from 240 personnel to 270. This will enhance the security, robustness and flexibility of the task force.

The government has also decided that the reconstruction task force deployment will include an infantry company group of about 120 personnel to provide enhanced force protection. After six months, the security situation in Oruzgan will be reviewed and the task force structure will be reconsidered in the light of that review.

The additional deployments will therefore bring the total reconstruction task force strength to approximately 400.

The task force will be made up of a number of elements—command, security and protection, engineering, administrative support and tactical intelligence services. The force will be equipped with a number of Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles and a number of Australian Light Armoured Vehicles or ASLAVs. The reconstruction task force will be drawn primarily from the 1st Brigade in Darwin and will be under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Mick Ryan.

The Australian task force will have its own headquarters and will operate under the national command of Australia’s joint task force in the Middle East area of operations. ADF units and personnel deployed in Afghanistan remain under Australian national command.

The reconstruction task force will work closely with the Netherlands and other NATO partners. The government is very pleased with Dutch planning and preparations and very impressed with the military capability of the Dutch forces that are being deployed to Afghanistan. We are very confident that we will be able to work closely with them.

Advance elements of the reconstruction task force will start to deploy into Afghanistan during this August to commence preparation of base facilities and logistic support infrastructure. These elements will be followed by the majority of the reconstruction task force deploying in September with the final elements expected to deploy in November of this year.

Afghanistan remains a dangerous place, and any military operation conducted there carries significant risks. The possibility of ADF casualties cannot be discounted. I ask all Australians to support the members of the Australian Defence Force who are serving their country by helping to create an environment of security and stability in Afghanistan. I understand, and I know all members of this House will understand, that this is a difficult time for them and their families and I ask all of you to keep these brave and dedicated men and women in your thoughts and prayers.

I present the following document:

Australian Defence Force commitment to Afghanistan—Ministerial Statement, 9 August 2006

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