Mr Speaker the earthquake in the ocean on the 26 December last off the coast of north-western Sumatra was the world's most severe in the last 40 years. The tsunamis caused by this earthquake resulted in a humanitarian disaster of proportions unprecedented in our lifetimes.
The estimated death toll from the disaster is truly appalling, and it continues to grow: it is now put at more than 280 000 souls. An exact death toll will never be known.
Latest estimates indicate that Indonesia has lost more than 160,000 citizens, 120,000 deaths have already been confirmed. Sri Lanka has lost over 31,000 citizens; India over 15,000; and Thailand over 5,000. Other countries including the Maldives, Malaysia, Somalia and the Seychelles were also heavily affected. The United Nations estimates that the tragedy displaced more than one million people and deprived five million people of basic services.
The breadth and the enormity of the tragedy was brought home to me personally when I visited Banda Aceh on 2 February, and I am sure that the member for Griffith who also visited that area would have experienced similar emotions. To see first hand the manner in which the wave had simply obliterated whole communities was profoundly moving.
I was also greatly moved by the unflagging humanitarian work being undertaken by the men and women of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and civilian personnel from Australia who have been engaged in relief operations in Aceh: in the face of such appalling destruction and despair, their cooperation with their Indonesian colleagues particularly in the TNI has been outstanding.
Eighteen people from Australia - twelve citizens and six permanent residents - have been confirmed to have lost their lives. We continue to hold grave concerns for nine more Australians.
At this difficult time, our thoughts are very much with the families and friends of those who were lost.
The Australian government moved quickly in its efforts to ease the suffering of the grieving Australian families. The intensive efforts by people from many agencies, particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade their colleagues from the Australian Federal Police and State Police forces, helped confirm the safety of over 14,300 Australians in the days and weeks after the disaster. Staff from a number of government agencies also came together to assist in dealing with over 84,000 phone calls from Australians eager to ascertain the safety of their loved ones.
Around 60 Australian consular and other officials have been deployed to the affected areas. Our posts in Thailand, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka have provided - and go on providing - extensive and valued assistance to affected Australians.
The National Day of Mourning and Reflection that Australia observed on 16 January provided an important outlet for us to grieve for those lost in the disaster. The National Day was commemorated throughout our nation, with several hundred events held around the country. I personally had the opportunity to attend services marking the occasion by three different faiths: Christian, Muslim and Hindu.
What was striking to me, and I am sure that I am not alone in this reaction, what was striking to me during these gatherings - and through the extraordinary response by Australian citizens to this terrible disaster - was the incredible way in which our common humanity shines through in times of adversity. Differences of race, of nationality and religion pale beside loss and suffering of such magnitude.
I am intensely proud of the compassion, enthusiasm, and remarkable generosity with which Australians have gone about mobilising funds and efforts to assist those affected by the disaster. Today, donations by Australian citizens and corporations stand at around a magnificent sum and there is no other word to describe it, of approximately $235 million from a nation of 20 million people Mr Speaker.
Following the disaster the Australian Government immediately announced assistance of $10 million in the aid effort. When the scale of the disaster became apparent we increased our contribution to $60 million.
The Australian Government has now committed more than $1 billion, and considerable in-kind assistance, to relief efforts. Australia's response to the disaster - both in public and private contributions - has been one of the most generous in the world.
Following a meeting of the Paris Club of international creditors on 12 January, the government has also agreed to join other creditor countries in offering an immediate postponement of debt repayments for the governments of countries affected by the disaster.
Thanks to the efforts both of the Government and of Australian private citizens, we as a nation stand at the forefront of international efforts to respond to the crisis.
I'd like Mr Speaker to pay special tribute to the untiring efforts of the Australian Defence Force - in particular its medical teams but also the civilian medical personnel from both the Commonwealth and the States and I want to record my appreciation for the total cooperation of all state governments and relevant state agencies, it was a magnificent federal effort. To federal and state police officers who continue to grapple with the trying task of victim identification, particularly in Thailand and all others both those working for the government and employees and volunteers with welfare organisations who have contributed to the swift and compassionate response of the Australian nation and its people to this disaster.
The emergency high-level taskforce established by the government on Boxing Day worked tirelessly throughout the days that followed. Their work and that of others such as the Ambassador and staff of the Australian Embassy in Thailand exemplified the Australian public service working at its dedicated and professional best.
The focus of Australia's assistance has, of course, been Indonesia. The scale of the disaster, particularly in Aceh and our determination to help a friend and neighbour in dire need required a major and unprecedented response.
In Jakarta, on 5 January, President Yudhoyono of Indonesia and I agreed to form an Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development committing $1 billion Australian dollars over 5 years. This will consist of $500 million in grants for short to medium term restorative projects and activities and $500 million in concessional loans for the reconstruction of major infrastructure.
Through a Joint Commission established under the Partnership, President Yudhoyono and I, together with our Ministers, will determine a series of priority projects and activities to rebuild devastated infrastructure and services, (including in health and sanitation) and to develop measures which might help Indonesia respond to such terrible disasters in the future.
This commitment, which will bring our total aid to Indonesia to $1.8 billion over 5 years, is in addition to the $33 million that Australia has already committed toward the relief effort there, including $18 million for key UN agencies as well as funding through Australian, international and local Non-Government Organisations.
To date, around 800 tonnes of emergency aid has been provided to Aceh and North Sumatra provinces, including food, water, medical supplies and shelter equipment, principally with the assistance of the ADF and UN Joint Operations Centre partners.
Australia's relationship with Indonesia is very important. This new Partnership will assist Indonesia in its recovery and is the largest single commitment of overseas aid in Australia's history.
In discussions with President Yudhoyono who called me last week while I was visiting Aceh, he expressed again his gratitude for Australia's help and together we re-affirmed our determination to work together, not only in relation to the tsunami but also more generally and that affirmation Mr Speaker took place during a telephone conversation in one of the devastated areas of Banda Aceh in the full view and hearing not only of the Australian and Indonesian media but members of the Australian Defence, Members of TNI, to Senior Ministers of the Indonesia Government, the local Acting Governor Mr Speaker and the experience of that reaffirmation in those circumstances symbolise to me the profound significance of this event in the history of the relations between our two nations.
The government Mr Speaker knows and we all know that Australia and Indonesia share a common future, and it is our resolve to build on the spirit of cooperation borne of the tragedy to improve our relationship.
The Government has also committed $10 million for relief in Sri Lanka, focusing on food aid, shelter, public health and delivering water and sanitation. Australia's rapid commitment of a medical team with expertise in infectious diseases and public health helped to mitigate the devastating impacts of the tragedy, as did our early commitment of over 12 tonnes of medical equipment and supplies. Direct Aid Program grants by the Australian High Commission in Colombo have also helped families affected by the disaster.
Australia's assistance to the Maldives includes commitment of: teams of Australian marine experts to help assess the damage to the coral reef structure; primary and secondary teachers; engineers who will work with authorities in repairing schools damaged or destroyed; and medical personnel, particularly in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
For the Seychelles, Australia will contribute $500,000 to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Flash Appeal to provide shelter for families and also be used to rebuild infrastructure and help with general economic recovery.
Australia has also been proud to work with the governments of other affected countries to respond to the disaster, including Thailand and Malaysia, I might indicate Mr Speaker in the telephone conversations I had with the Prime Minister of India and the Prime Minister of Thailand on the 27th December, each of them indicated that although specialist assistance would be welcome they did not require any overseas monetary assistance. The cooperation between Australian and local authorities on highly sensitive issues such as victim identification has been outstanding.
In seeking to ensure a prompt and appropriate international response to the disaster, I attended an ASEAN Special Leaders' Summit on the tsunami that was hosted in Jakarta by President Yudhoyono on 5-6 January. In Singapore last week I was able to congratulate Prime Minister Lee of that countryon proposing the initiative. It was a most timely, constructive and appropriate step to coordinate the disaster response between donors and affected countries.
Participants in this meeting agreed to mobilise urgently further resources to meet the emergency relief needs of victims. Agreement was also reached to establish a regional early warning system such as a Regional Tsunami Early Warning Centre in the Indian Ocean and the Southeast Asia region.
At a Ministerial Meeting on Tsunami Early Warning Arrangements held in Phuket on 28-29 January, a target of mid-2006 was set for implementation of core elements of the system. In the lead-up to this date, Australia will continue to play a leading role in international efforts to develop an early warning system.
Mr Speaker in extending my gratitude to various people, I wish to particularly include my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs who along with the Federal Police Commission paid a very early visit to affected areas in Thailand and met many of the relatives of Australians who had died or were missing, the Minister for Defence and also the fairly newly appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign the Honourable Member for Dunkley and I also want Mr Speaker to extend my thanks to the remarks and express support coming from the Opposition particularly, not only, from the Member for Griffith and also from the Leader of the Opposition and others. This has been a tragedy that has touched all Australians irrespective of their politics, where they live, their religion or their attitude to the government or the opposition or indeed to anything else, its one of the dreadful tragedies that we hope will never be repeated in our lifetime, and at all. Mr Speaker, the Australian Government and the Australian people have demonstrated in a most real and tangible way - through their actions, through their sincere sympathy, and through their active support - a generosity and a commitment to helping out our neighbours that is truly outstanding. This is a marvellous reflection of who we are as a people; it is the true spirit of Australia and Australians.
In mourning with the families of those Australians lost in the disaster, Australia grieves together with our friends and neighbours in the region, in the wake of this terrible tragedy.
We are committed to doing what we can to help those affected by this unprecedented disaster, and we will not cease in our efforts until the rebuilding and the healing is complete. I thank the House.
[ends]