Australia to assist Indonesia to fight forest fires

In response to a request from the Indonesian Government, the Australian Government stands ready to deploy a Lockheed L100 Hercules Air Tanker to help fight serious forest fires in Indonesia.

The fires are creating hazardous conditions in at least six Indonesian provinces. Over 135,000 Indonesians have been affected with respiratory illnesses. The fires have continued to worsen due to drought conditions across Indonesia.

The Prime Minister and I extend our thanks to the New South Wales Government and its Rural Fire Service for their agreement to release the aircraft and an expert crew for deployment to Indonesia.

While Australia has experienced a dramatic start to the bushfire season, a lull in severe weather conditions has meant we can assist Indonesia and still maintain national aerial fire fighting coverage.

Our Federal and State governments understand the social and economic impact from bushfires and are ready to support our Indonesian neighbours at this time of need.