Interview with Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on 6PR Perth
Topic: Search for mining executives' charter plane
Transcript, proof copy E&OE
21 June 2010
SIMON BEAUMONT: Stephen Smith, the Foreign Minister, joins us on the program now, this morning. Minister, good morning, thank you for your time.
STEPHEN SMITH: Good morning, Simon.
SIMON BEAUMONT: I know that it's just past two o'clock in the morning in Africa, can you bring us the latest? What has the Australian Government been able to establish this morning?
STEPHEN SMITH: As you say, it's the middle of the night in Cameroon and the Congo in West Africa, at close of play last night, Africa time, the search which had been conducted, hadn't brought about any conclusive results, or any great evidence. The search will resume at first light this morning, subject to good weather. I'm told yesterday there was a bit of cloud cover early on.
The search will be conducted by both fixed six-winged aircraft and also helicopters, there were three or four planes in the sky yesterday, and one helicopter. There's an expectation that they will be supplemented by at least an additional helicopter, or helicopters. So we're satisfied that there's good cooperation between the Cameroon authorities and our officials on the ground, but very importantly, good cooperation between the Cameroon authorities, and the company itself.
I spoke to the Chief Financial Officer of Sundance Resources last night, and they're working closely with the Cameroon authorities, as the search proceeds. So we'll have to wait a few more hours in the course of our day here, before the search resumes in the morning, Cameroon time.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Mr Smith, there's been some reports this morning in the Australian newspaper, that locals are reporting an explosion during the time that the flight was anticipated, there were also earlier reports there may have been thunderstorms in the area, can we confirm the veracity of those reports?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well firstly, what I can confirm on my advice is that the plane made two contacts with ground control, firstly a few minutes after take-off, which was a pretty standard procedure, to indicate take-off was fine, and then 30 minutes into the flight, also standard contact with the ground.
So the flight was due to go for an hour, so 30 minutes in has put the general search area close to the border between Cameroon and the Congo. It's also close to a third country, Gabon. There's an iron ore precinct which is very close to those three borders, Gabon, Cameroon and the Congo. So that's where the general search area is located.
Now the advice I have is that nothing conclusive was drawn or found from the flyovers yesterday. I have heard one suggestion which has been related to me, that there were sounds of low level flying, which people thought may have been an aircraft, but on my advice, not definitive enough to narrow the general search area.
So I think very much in this instance, because we're dealing with difficult terrain, both in terms of being able to see from the sky, but also in terms of access on the ground, we just have to take it step by step.
So it's a very distressing and difficult time for the familes and for the other managers of the company, and their fellow workmates, and obviously our thoughts, and the thoughts of all West Australians, will be with them at this very difficult time. But we just have to take it step by step, and whilst we're obviously very, very concerned about their safety and wellbeing, we're not at this stage jumping or leaping to any conclusions.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Is there road access to this area, Mr Smith, from Congo or Gabon, or will this - I suppose you'll continue to liaise primarily with Cameroon on this?
STEPHEN SMITH: Our primary liaison at this stage is with the Cameroon authorities, who have responsibility for the search. At this stage the search area continues to be, if you like, on their side of the border, but they are also in consultation with Gabon and with the Congo, and as I say, we'll take it step by step.
I'm told that access on the ground is very difficult, but that obviously of course would depend upon where, if at all, the plane is located. So again, we need to take it step by step. But as a general proposition, we know that conditions and circumstances are difficult, it's either dense jungle, or very thick, tropical rainforest.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Sure. Is there a local population near the anticipated site of the disappearance?
STEPHEN SMITH: I don't think we're in a position to get down to that sort of detail, in terms of there's a general search area, as I've described, but no conclusive information or evidence from the search efforts yesterday, to narrow it more finely than that.
SIMON BEAUMONT: And just finally, is the consulate, or your office, continuing to keep in contact with the families?
STEPHEN SMITH: Yes, well it's really at three levels, both with the company and with the families. Obviously there's contact with the company from our officials on the ground in Cameroon, there's also contact with the company through our officials, both in Canberra and also in Perth, and our consular officials from Canberra have been in contact with family members in the usual way, but we will continue to render consular assistance both to the company and to the families. We'll stay in very close contact with the company.
We're also in close contact with the Queensland company who also has an interest in this. There's also, there's a seventh person, who is a French national, who is an Australian permanent resident, who works with the Queensland group, the Talbot Group, and we're obviously in close - whilst if you like the formal or the primary responsibility is with French authorities, because the woman concerned is a French national - we're obviously in close contact with the family of that individual as well, through the two companies.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Okay, and Minister, one more question, if I can, we understand from earlier reports there are 11 people missing, six of the mining executives, you've given us some detail on the seventh person, and we would anticipate a flight crew as well, can we confirm that it was 11 people in total, and who they are?
STEPHEN SMITH: The original reports were nine passengers and one pilot, and very early this morning I was able to confirm through our officials that the advice now is nine passengers and two pilots. Other than the six Australian citizens, who have all been identified by the two companies, by the Talbot Group and by Sundance Resources, and the seventh, who as I said, is a French national, but an Australian permanent resident, and lives in Brisbane, there are four others.
We're not proposing ourselves to identify the nation from which they come, we're leaving it to those nations to deal with, because I'm not at this stage able to confirm that the family members of those people have for example been contacted in the countries where they live. But essentially we're dealing with six Australians, we also have an interest in a seventh Brisbane woman, who's an Australian permanent resident, and there are four others, two of whom were pilots, or part of the charter plane crew.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Okay, and they were locals, were they, the extra flight staff?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, I wouldn't propose to go into that detail, that will emerge in due course, but it's for other countries to make that detail public.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Right, understood. Minister, we appreciate your time today, it's a difficult day for a lot of people in Perth, with how well-known these fellows are, and their families, and we do appreciate your time today.
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, you know, our thoughts really are with them, there'll be - I for example know Geoff Wedlock, I've known him since he was with BHP - so there'll be very many people throughout Perth and Western Australia in the minerals and petroleum resources industry who'll know these people personally. So this will be a time of very grave concern, and considerable distress for members of the industry, and the people of Western Australia and Queensland generally, so very much our thoughts are with the family members at this time.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Yes, okay, we appreciate the update, thank you.
STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks, Simon, thanks very much.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.
ENDS
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