John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bishop for his supplementary question. During the Pacific Islands Forum, the Tongan government requested assistance from Australia and New Zealand with the recovery efforts. On 7 August, the Air Force flew a C130 Hercules to Tonga. Thirty-one personnel were deployed to assist in this operation, including a 16-man Navy clearance diving team. A second sortie on 8 August delivered the remaining equipment required to allow the diving phase of the operation to begin. Our equipment included underwater cutting and lifting tools, as well as imagery and sonar capability and internal medical support, including a deployable decompression chamber for emergency use if required by our personnel.