MINISTERS attending the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum at Broome on 4 September fielded questions from reporters ranging from beefing up civil maritime security capabilities to establishing the northern port of Wyndham as a first point of entry.
Minister for Northern Australia, Madeleine King, was asked about any plans the Federal Government had for granting first point of entry status to Wyndham to allow for the export of cotton out of the Ord Valley.
The journalist asking the question said they had heard recently from the CEO of the Cambridge Gulf Limited that both he and the president of the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley had made a trip to Canberra to specifically request a reconsideration of the Federal Government to grant Wyndham entry status.
Minister King said work was being done on the issue which had been raised by State Minister for Regional Development, Don Punch
She had discussed the issue with many of the people involved.
“We know it’s a matter of great concern and an opportunity as well. So I’ll be working with my colleague, Minister Catherine King – sometimes we get confused, so I want to make sure it’s all clear in the transcript – to work on this,” Minister King said.
“She – and her office and the Department of Infrastructure are well aware of the concerns that have been spoken about in relation to the first port of entry. It is a complex problem. I wouldn’t want to oversimplify it in terms of having the right people and the right place.
“Because of the things that we’ve spoken about earlier around biosecurity and customs and making sure we have the right people in the right place to be able to make Wyndham a first port of entry call. But I’m aware of the issue, and I’ll be following it up.”
Biosecurity was raised as an issue around illegal fishing vessels which had raised concerns among a lot of WA farmers about biosecurity threats, something that Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite said the Government was taking very seriously.
It was increasing Australia’s civil maritime security capabilities with an additional $124 million investment in improving that capability, particularly in the north.
“And, yesterday, myself and the Australian Border Force Commissioner, Michael Outram, visited the port here in Broome to speak to the Australian Border Force personnel who are doing that important reconnaissance and surveillance work and deterrence work on our coastline,” Mr Thistlethwaite said.
“And the Border Force Commissioner launched, yesterday, a new rotary wing capacity that will be based here out of Broome to perform that reconnaissance and surveillance and deter that illegal fishing.
“Australia as a nation takes biosecurity very, very seriously because we know how important our agricultural and fishing industries are to our regional communities, and we’re making those investments with those additional dollars to ensure that we strengthen that biosecurity capacity on our borders.”
