Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel. Now that the wrecks of HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran have been found, will the minister update the House on further immediate actions to be taken?

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fremantle for her question. With the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, I acknowledge the service, bravery and sacrifice of the 645 men, several of whom were from Air Force, that went down with the Sydney and, of course, the 78 personnel who were lost from the Kormoran. I think it is important that we offer congratulations to the Finding Sydney Foundation and their search leader, Mr David Mearns, who is an internationally renowned shipwreck investigator, who has added another two incredible finds to his reputation this week. He previously found Her Majesty’s ship the Hood and refound the Bismarck.

Today, further sonar work is being conducted around the wreck of HMAS Sydney and the debris field at increasingly higher resolutions. The Finding Sydney Foundation also hope to collect additional high-resolution images of the bow of the Kormoran. The Geosounder, which is the vessel they have leased from Singapore, will be heading back to Fremantle Port later this week to collect a remotely operated vehicle with video filming capabilities that is able to operate at a depth of 3,000 metres to further examine the wrecks of both the Sydney and the Kormoran. Defence will be conducting extensive analysis of the imagery of the HMAS Sydney wreckage to see whether it is possible to determine what may have caused her to sink, with such a tragic loss of life. The outcome of that analysis will inform us as to whether or not any further inquiry might be appropriate.

I should make it clear here that the wrecks—both the Sydney and the Kormoranwill not be disturbed in any way, and only recorded and photographed. These sites of both nations’ war dead will be treated with absolute respect. Already the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts has declared both sites as historic shipwrecks, as the Prime Minister pointed out, with a protection zone of 200 hectares around the wrecks under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. It is important that we understand that this declaration will give legal protection to these vessels, their crews and the relics, from damage, disturbance and removal. Under the Historic Shipwrecks Act there will be significant penalties for anyone who engages in underwater activity within 200 hectares of the protection zone. This penalty is a fine of up to $10,000 or five years in jail. I will also be asking the environment minister to consider further levels of protection for these wrecks such as Commonwealth heritage listing, which will require the development of a management plan for the wrecks. Further actions and a management plan will also involve consultation with other Commonwealth agencies such as the commemorations and war graves area of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

As we care for the wrecks, what must not be forgotten are the families of those men who lost their lives so long ago. The government will examine the possibility of conducting a formal commemorative service on the anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Sydney in November of this year. We will also be setting up for those family members a 1800 number so that families can make a call to the Department of Defence to get information that may be available. In the first instance, the Department of Defence will be attempting to contact those family members for whom we have records to inform them of the progress. The hotline service will provide up-to-date information on the status of the search. The number will be released along with updates in coming days. In addition, the Department of Defence will also maintain an up-to-date website to inform the general public about ongoing developments.