Introduction

Your Excellency Minister Numberi, Minister for Transportation.

Distinguished representatives from the Ministry of Transportation.

It is a pleasure to be here today to mark continuing cooperation between Australia and Indonesia in regional transport and infrastructure.

On behalf of the Australian Government, thank you for the opportunity to work with your government on contributing to the safety and security of your transport system.

Before I speak in greater detail about what our nations are undertaking together, it's important that I thank the Indonesian Government for its assistance in relation to the Sydney-bound QANTAS A380 incident last month.

In particular, let me convey my special thanks to the people of Batam Island who helped our safety authorities with that investigation.

It is deeply appreciated.

It has certainly been a big year for aviation and for transport security and safety.

The effects of the global financial crisis continue to reverberate throughout the aviation industry.

We have been fortunate in Australia that our airlines have withstood the crisis fairly well...

...with a three per cent rise in the number of domestic passengers and a more than nine per cent rise in international passengers over the past 12 months.

Through targeted fiscal stimulus, including a big investment in roads, rail and schools, Australians have remained in work and our unemployment rate is amongst the lowest in the world.

This has given our people the confidence to take holidays and for companies to keep their staff flying.

In Indonesia, according to the Asian Development Bank, economic growth accelerated to a 10-year high of 6.3% in 2007 and 4.5% in 2009, making the country one of the best performers within the global recession.

It has been an eventful year.

For several weeks during April and May, both our nations felt the effect of the volcanic ash clouds from Iceland, which disrupted the movement of aircraft across much of Europe.

Airspace was either closed or restricted, leaving many thousands of people stranded and cargo unable to move.

And here in Indonesia you have suffered with the eruption of several volcanos including Mt Merapi.

Please let me offer my condolences to the families of the many Indonesians who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy.

And in October - the Yemeni air cargo threat showed that we can never be too vigilant when it comes to aviation security.

For the Australian Government, safety and security are our highest priority.

Our air, land and sea transport networks are among the safest in the world - and we work hard at earning that reputation.

But events this year reinforced the fact that transport security and safety concerns transcend national borders.

Our world is smaller, more inter-linked and more unpredictable than ever before.

Natural disasters, financial crises and terrorism do not stop at our shores.

So nor must our efforts.

That is one of the many reasons why Australia has worked so hard to build relationships with our neighbours, including one of the most important - Indonesia.

For fifteen years now, since the first Memorandum of Understanding between Australia and Indonesia was signed in 1995 by the then Australian Minister for Transport, Laurie Brereton and the Minister of Communications, Haryanto Dhanutirto, Australia and Indonesia have worked closely to face our shared transport challenges.

Successive Australian Governments have demonstrated a commitment to developing a strong Australian-Indonesian partnership.

Transport safety partnerships

That is why I am here with you again today...

... my second journey to Jakarta in three years, this time to extend our assistance under the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Transport Sector.

In 2008, I was here to launch the first Indonesia Transport Safety Assistance Package with the then Minister Jusman Djamal.

Through this program, our transport agencies have worked together to assist Indonesia manage transport safety.

Our experts have closely worked with yours to improve training and procedures across the Indonesian transport sector and to build a better understanding of the transport systems in our broader region:

• The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority,


• Airservices Australia,


• The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and


• The Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Each of these Australian agencies have contributed to this work - as have the Indonesian transport agencies.

Today, I am delighted to announce that Australian Government is committing a further $14.5 million to joint transport safety projects over the next four years...

....extending the important work of both our nations and recognising this through our Memorandum of Understanding.

Allow me to share some examples of our joint work.

More than 700 Indonesian government and industry professionals have received training in the aviation, marine, road and rail sectors

... covering safety investigation, port state control, maritime systems, air navigation and search and rescue.

Three Indonesians have completed the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's Transport Safety Investigation diploma in Australia.

All of these training opportunities have resulted in both formal and informal mentoring relationships which are invaluable now and in the future.

In addition, investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have helped with recent accident investigations in Indonesia, including the tragic Adamair and Garuda crashes in 2007 and the 2008 sinking of the ferry, MV Teratai Prima.

Senior technical officers from Airservices Australia have also been seconded at the Makassar air traffic control centre to provide advice on navigation and surveillance procedures.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has provided training and technical assistance to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in safety management systems and airworthiness audits.

Together, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and BASARNAS have conducted joint search and rescue exercises off the coast of Indonesia.

And Australian maritime safety experts have worked with their Indonesian counterparts to develop new regulations on standards for non-conventional vessels.

I understand these regulations have been commended as best practice by the International Maritime Organization.

Our public officials have now agreed on projects for this year which involve...

... the continuation of the joint search and rescue exercises.

... the implementation of non-convention vessels standards at ports.

... more long term training for aviation and maritime investigators with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

... and further assistance for air traffic services and safety management.

Co-operation on transport security

Of course, our combined efforts do not stop here.

Over the past four years Australia has invested more than $2.5 million to build transport security capacity in Indonesia with training, strategic dialogues and short-term secondments.

This work has been performed under the Lombok Treaty, which we signed in 2008 as part of our regional approach to transport security.

Right now through AusAID we are funding an aviation security adviser to work in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar.

The Directorate General has identified Ngurah Rai International Airport for development as a national centre of excellence for aviation security.

... the aviation security adviser position will help the airport achieve that goal.

Conclusion

Minister Numberi, both you and I know that there is always more work to be done...

... and I am here today in this great city of Jakarta to say that we are committed to doing more with you.

The warm, productive relationship between our two nations' transport sectors will continue to grow.

This next phase in our partnership will take us even further in strengthening transport safety...

...more evidence of a strong, sophisticated and sustainable relationship between Australia and Indonesia...

...and all the positive things that such a friendship can bring to our region.

On behalf of the Australian Government, I would like to thank your Government and all of you for your continuing fine work.

Let us all look forward to the next stage of our partnership.

[ENDS]