David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator for her question. This has been a devastating natural disaster and our thoughts and prayers are with our friends in the Philippines. There has been an enormous loss of life and the devastation of probably more than 10,000 dwellings. In the best traditions of Australia's commitment to international disaster relief, we commit to standing by the people of the Philippines in their hour of need.

On Monday the foreign minister announced an immediate $10 million package of humanitarian assistance, comprising an Australian medical assistance team which arrived in the Philippines on an RAAF C17 with accompanying C130 heavy-lift aircraft; $3 million through Australian non-government organisations for life-saving assistance; $4 million to the United Nations flash appeal; $1 million for emergency supplies including sleeping mats, tarpaulins, water containers and health and hygiene kits, a proportion of which have already been released; and $1 million to the Australian Red Cross to assist with their efforts. Two Australian disaster response officials were deployed in advance of this typhoon to support disaster assessment in the event that airports were closed. An Australian disaster response expert and the Assistant Defence Attache from Manila were among the first international personnel to arrive in Tacloban, one of the most devastated cities.

Following the typhoon a further three Australian disaster response specialists were deployed and $390,500 of pre-positioned relief supplies were immediately released. The RAAF's C17A Globemasters have provided an experienced and important capability when responding to disasters in our region, as they have done in Pakistan, Japan and in New Zealand. The Globemasters and the Hercules are supported by an RAAF mobile airload team, an aircraft security operations team and an Aeromedical Evacuations specialists team. These personnel will be responsible for enabling the delivery of medical specialists and their equipment to the Philippines. As senators would be aware, the Australian government was able to respond rapidly in the past to such disasters.