Australia will help Indonesia train 40 air safety inspectors in a bid to prevent accidents such as the Garuda crash in Yogyakarta last year that killed 21 people, including five Australians.
The plan is included in a new transport safety agreement that Transport Minister Anthony Albanese will sign with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta tomorrow.
Mr Albanese will be the sixth senior cabinet minister to visit Indonesia since the federal election in November, reflecting a determination by the Rudd Government to underline the importance of Indonesia to Australia’s foreign policy. “The Rudd Labor Government places great importance on our close relationship with Indonesia,” Mr Albanese told The Australian on the eve of his departure for Jakarta.
The transport safety deal builds on a memorandum of understanding negotiated by the Howard government last year. It will establish safety training and monitoring arrangements for three years, although Canberra hopes it will become permanent.
Its overall budget is set at under $30million, but this could be reviewed. It will involve Mr Albanese and Indonesian Transport Minister Jusman Syafi’i Djamal meeting twice-yearly.
The program follows the tragic Garuda airlines crash in Yogyakarta last March. “This incident has tragically brought home the reality that safety of the travelling public in Indonesia is important for Australians as well as Indonesians,” Mr Albanese said.
But the program is tailored directly to Indonesian needs. More Indonesians die in ferry mishaps than any other mode of transport, so the program has a strong maritime component.
Last month, 55 senior Indonesian aviation officials attended a course in Jakarta put on by Australian officials on human factors in safety.
Under the agreement, 40 Indonesian air-worthiness inspectors will be trained by Australia each year. There will also be a strong emphasis on improving air traffic control standards.
A major thrust of the program will be enhancing Indonesia’s capacity to conduct thorough investigations of transport accidents. Many investigations of Indonesian accidents are now quietly conducted in Australia.
The program will involve long-term placements of Indonesian officials in Australian air safety agencies.
Kevin Rudd made his first overseas visit as Prime Minister to Indonesia with Foreign Minister Stephen Smith for the Bali climate change meeting, also attended by Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong. Attorney-General Robert McClelland this week went to Indonesia for the funeral of former president Suharto.
Mr Albanese will be the sixth senior cabinet minister to visit Indonesia before parliament has sat under the Rudd Government.
Source: The Australian
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January 30, 2008 at 3:05 am