Emergency services ties between Australia and Indonesia

I announce today the establishment of the Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) Emergency Services Training Program designed to strengthen emergency services links between Indonesia and the Northern Territory.

Supported by the Australia Indonesia Institute and conducted with the Northern Territory Government, the centrepiece of the NTB Program will be a visit by emergency services personnel from Lombok to Darwin in 2015 for training.

Northern Territory and Indonesia have long enjoyed strong ties between their peoples and their educational, cultural and community organisations.

The Northern Territory emergency services sector already works with counterparts in Bali, most notably The Royal Darwin and Sanglah Hospitals have a strong working partnership established in the wake of the Bali bombing in 2002.

The new NTB Program looks to extend already established ties to the island of Lombok, where more Australians are now travelling.

The Australia Indonesia Institute supports several other successful partnerships between Indonesian and Northern Territory groups such as the Darwin Festival, Charles Darwin University, Museum & Art Gallery of Northern Territory, SkinnyFish and local schools such as Kormilda and Taminmin Colleges.

To recognise these programs and explore further options for collaboration, the Institute is holding a board meeting in Darwin today which will be attended by NT Chief Minister Adam Giles.

For more than a quarter of a century the Australia Indonesia Institute has been committed to fostering friendship, understanding and people-to-people links between Australia and Indonesia. More information regarding programs, partnerships and grant rounds can be found at www.dfat.gov.au/aii.