David Fawcett (Wakefield, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to note the fact that this week marks the 10th anniversary of the accident in Townsville in 1996 between two Black Hawk helicopters, which were taking part in Exercise Day Rotor. I rise to talk about this because I think it is appropriate to remember the people who died in that accident and to look at the courage and commitment of the individuals in that accident but also at what has happened organisationally since that time. I hark back to the words of David Bourke, who was the pilot of Black 2, the second Black Hawk. Talking about those who had died, he said that he did not want their lives to be lost for nothing. I think it is appropriate to look back and see what has changed and what has developed in the whole area of this counter-terrorist capability.

For those who are not familiar with it, six aircraft from A Squadron from the 5th Aviation Regiment, with 24 aviation personnel, were taking part in this exercise, along with 43 servicemen from the Special Air Service Regiment. As they were approaching fire support base Barbara on a very dark night two aircraft, Black 1 and Black 2, collided. Black 2 exploded with a fuel air explosion and crashed along with Black 1. Eighteen servicemen lost their lives that night. I think it is appropriate to recognise not only the sacrifice that they made through giving their lives but also the sacrifice that they had made to that point with the tempo, the training, the burden to their families, the constant fear and the risk of the work; and to recognise the fact that there are still servicemen and servicewomen right now who provide that service and make that sacrifice on a daily basis. As I look at my own electorate of Wakefield I see the people, whether they be with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation; the Aerospace Operational Support Group; the maritime patrol capability of the Orions, who are constantly deployed at the moment; the recruit training unit; the regional surveillance unit; or the proof and experimental range at Port Wakefield, there are a range of people who serve and sacrifice time with their families to provide the level of defence capability we enjoy.

As I consider courage I look back at people like Gary Proctor and Dominic Boyle, who escaped from Black 2 but risked their own lives to go back in to free one of the loadmasters, Bill Mark. And I look at the courage of people like David Bourke, who not only survived the accident—many people would look at an experience like that and not want to be involved in aviation at all, let alone in the high-risk nature of counter-terrorist operations—but who has over the last 10 years played a pivotal role in the ongoing development of Army’s night aviation counter-terrorist capability. He has made a significant contribution, leading to what we were able to then provide in terms of security to the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and at other times where the government has needed response options to either special recovery operations or to counter-terrorist operations.

Lastly, I wish to look at the commitment of Army, particularly 16th Brigade Aviation, to learning from the accident. I think it is appropriate, at a time when people often criticise defence, to look at just how transparent they were post this accident in terms of conducting the board of inquiry, making the recommendations known and then, importantly, following through with those recommendations. 16th Brigade Aviation in particular led the defence aviation community in developing some of the concepts of operational airworthiness and the way that they are implemented to manage risk while still having a focus on achieving the operational outcome.

Through the work that was commissioned by 16th Brigade Aviation we can now say that the ADF literally has world-class—in fact, world-leading—night vision equipment and tactics. Through the creation of the 171st Aviation Squadron and its impending deployment to Holsworthy we will see the closure of some of the key recommendations of the report which looked at specialising and co-locating some of the counter-terrorist capabilities. This aviation capability with the Tactical Assault Group East in Holsworthy will form part of that. Importantly, this world-class capability is made up of our people as well as the organisational structures, the support, the training, the equipment and the doctrine. At this time, while we remember the accident and those who served, I think it is also cause to celebrate that the wish of David Bourke that those deaths were not for nothing, but that we would learn from them, has been realised and we do now in fact have a world-class capability, which is mainly based upon the people who sacrifice and serve every day and every night.