25 October 1984
North Queensland Engineers and Agents will shortly receive a substantial defence contract.
The Federal Government has agreed to provide Indonesia with three more attack class patrol boats under the defence co-operation program. Australia has already given Indonesia five similar patrol boatsi which-are used for coastal surveillance, anti.-smugglinq and fisheries protection.
The three additional boats will be refitted at North Queensland Engineers and Agents before being delivered to Indonesia. The first refit will commence in a matter of weeks and each refit will cost some $ 400,000. The last of the five boats already provided was refitted at North Queensland Engineers and Agents in 1983.
The Federal Government has been made very conscious of the difficulties North Queensland Engineers and Agents is facing. Our initiative ir. quickly securing this now defence contract will undoubtedly ease its immediate problems.
Cairns