KOCH: Prime Minister, thanks for your time. Has the crash been confirmed, have you got any more details for us?
PM: David I spoke this morning with Australian Government officials and Australian defence officials at about 6:30 and about a quarter of an hour ago spoke to our High Commissioner in Port Moresby Chris Moraitis.
The situation is along these lines; that the weather this morning, I am advised in PNG is relatively clear. They are still concerned that the weather may close in towards the middle of the day. There was a meeting at 6.00 am this morning of the PNG air safety, the air search and rescue authorities. As a result of that, two helicopters are now aloft and are moving towards the area of concern.
On top of that, we have also an Australian Caribou ready to go aloft from Port Moresby itself. An Australian Sea King will be on the ground at 8:30 from HMAS Success, and it'll be ready to go aloft as well, as soon as it refuels. On the specifics though, however, we do not have any confirmed reports and we are therefore deploying all possible assets to try and identify the location of this aircraft.
KOCH: It is such a sad story isn't it. The Kokoda Track means so much to Australians. It is, well, you know, you've done it, eldest son Nick has done the track, Therese has done the track, it has become almost like a rite of passage for so many Australians.
Do we need to work a bit closer with the PNG Government to ensure the safety of the region? It's wild and woolly, isn't it?
PM: David it is very difficult and dangerous terrain, and it's got a particularly difficult set of climatic conditions as well, very rugged mountain terrain, very difficult climate, and very uncertain weather.
I think every Australian feels this morning the extraordinary anxiety of the families of these nine Australians who are missing. This is every family's worst nightmare to have members of your family, your parents, your brothers, your sisters, your children go missing in a foreign country.
That's why our responsibility as a Government is to deploy every asset possible to try and find these missing Australians. And I think everyone who has walked the track, everyone who has had family who have walked the track, and everyone whose got family abroad right at the moment would feel deeply and acutely the extraordinary anxiety of these Australian families.
KOCH: Absolutely. Is anything being done for the families as they await the news there. Have they been kept informed?
PM: I've spoken again with our consular officials this morning. I am advised that they have been in contact with the families and will be again in families during the course of the early part of this morning to keep them abreast of the search and rescue efforts.
Also on the search and rescue front, I should inform you that we have a C-130 travelling from Richmond to Papua New Guinea now, which has onboard our own rescue team for medical purposes, etcetera. And on top of that, later today we'll be despatching from Australia a C-17 with a couple of Black Hawk helicopters on board as well.
So we are going to throw every asset at this, we have been throwing every asset at this, but the anxiety of parents and family is understood, and that's why our consular officials are working with them as closely as possible.
KOCH: Okay, well it sounds as though we really are helping, which is a terrific thing. Mate, good to catch up, thanks for your time.
PM: Thanks very much David.