Craig Thomson (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General: how is the Australian government supporting the New Zealand response to the Christchurch earthquake emergency?

Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Dobell for his question. I note that he was born in New Zealand and that, in fact, his brother works in our embassy in Wellington. He is no doubt extremely busy in these trying times. The tragedy in Christchurch has come on top of an earlier tragedy of last September. As has been expressed, our sentiments go out to our friends across the Tasman. As the Prime Minister has indicated, there are 65 confirmed casualties, but, unfortunately, there are also estimated to be about 300 people missing, so it is likely that that casualty figure, regrettably, will go up.

As at 10.30 this morning, the New Zealand Prime Minister, as our Prime Minister has indicated, has with John Carter, the Minister of Civil Defence, declared a state of national emergency in New Zealand. That is the first time that such a state of national emergency has been declared for a natural disaster. It was indicated that that course of action was taken to ensure the maximum cooperation and coordination between national and local resources but also to accommodate the international assistance that is coming into New Zealand.

As the Prime Minister has indicated, we have one search-and-rescue team on the ground now. They are self-contained. They take about 20 tonnes of equipment, their expertise and rescue dogs. It appears from reports that they have already had one success with a survivor being pulled from a demolished building. They will be joined in the next few hours by a second team, from Queensland—the first team being from New South Wales. That will make a significant contribution. I acknowledge also the willingness of other states to provide assistance and their preparedness, if you like, to cover for the resources we may require in Australia should a disaster occur.

Through the emergency management liaison officers, we have identified that a medical assistance team is required. That has been assembled: six emergency management department directors, six emergency management department nurses, six clinical nurses and one orthopaedic and general surgeon. In addition, we are assembling a 75-bed field hospital of six surgical and medical support staff. Also we have indicated, as the Prime Minister noted, our ability to assist with policing, with a 300-member police squad made up of Australian Federal Police officers, but also contributions from the states and territories will be deployed this Friday.

I assure honourable members that the sentiments expressed by the House have been communicated to our counterparts in New Zealand. In a statement issued at about 12 noon today in the New Zealand parliament, John Carter, the Minister of Civil Defence, paid tribute to Australian search-and-rescue parties, who are already on the ground. He noted that assistance is also on the way from the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Japan and Taiwan. Clearly, we have a close relationship with our New Zealand friends and family, as has been noted, but no more so than in the emergency management space, where they are always the first on the ground to assist us. It is entirely appropriate that we provide the assistance that has been endorsed overwhelmingly by all sides of this House.