DEBATES – Wednesday 21 August 2013

NORFORCE over the years. He has been The accompanying story has been translated into patrolling with NORFORCE for 25 years. French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Russian, Latvian, Indonesian and Hebrew. It is In the local paper which reported this Award, Zac probably in Chinese and Japanese too, but they said, and I quote: do not come up when I Google NORFORCE. The story and photos were run on ABC and in the It has taught me the bush skills and Sydney Morning Herald as well as by newspapers navigational skills which are now a part in India, Malta, Malaysia, Brunei and Brazil. That of my recreational life. is pretty incredible recognition of NORFORCE and our home-grown recruits. Well done to the I know that to be true. Zac has been part of a and well done to NORFORCE local group of keen bushwalkers over the years because you cannot buy that type of publicity. who has headed off on some incredible walks around , and other parts of the It is now 32 years since Northwest Mobile Force . I cannot say too much about it was formed to establish a military presence in the other than it is akin to secret men’s business, but remote regions of Northern . Its 600 he is a mad keen bushwalker and part of the soldiers do a fantastic job patrolling across the building of those bushwalking skills and love of Northern Territory and the Kimberley. The unit being out in the bush has come from the time he employs around 250 men and women from spent with NORFORCE. remote communities, making it one of the largest employers of Indigenous workers in the region. Madam Speaker, I was also very pleased to meet What a fantastic outcome that is for our people Major Tim Robinson, the new officer commanding who live along the coastline in remote the NORFORCE Arnhem Squadron based in communities and possess some of the inherent Nhulunbuy, and his wife, Katherine. Tim kindly skills of not only knowing their country, how to live made an appointment to come and see me and on their country, and also looking out for signs of introduce himself just prior to Anzac Day. I always things not right and out of place. This is why, love it when people drop by and let me know they back in 1930s, one of the first group of troops was have arrived in town. I always enjoy having a chat put together under Donald Thomson - the with people, finding out where they are from and reconnaissance group that worked off the coast of who they are. and did incredible work.

It is a small world; both Tim and his wife have It employs around 250 men and women from connections to Gove through their families. For remote communities, one of the largest employers them it is a little like coming home for both of of Indigenous workers in the region. It also them. Tim and Katherine are enjoying their time includes 540 reservists, of whom around half are in Nhulunbuy and the region, and the new work Indigenous men and women from our remote and new challenges Tim has with NORFORCE. communities who bring into the Australian Army the traditional knowledge and networks they I would like to add that last month NORFORCE possess. was responsible for some priceless publicity for the Northern Territory, all around the world. One I would like to congratulate the NORFORCE of Australia’s finest photographers, David Gray, Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Paul from Reuters, spent a week with NORFOCRE on O’Donnell, and all his soldiers; and to Vinnie, patrol to the English Company Islands which sit Danny, Jonah, Drew, all the patrolmen and all the just off the coast to the northwest of Nhulunbuy. squadrons, well done to all of you! You are fantastic role models to people in your community, Mr Gray joined a patrol which travelled through to your family and friends, and to your children. the islands in two zodiacs setting up observation You are doing a tremendous job sharing your posts and generally looking for signs of any illegal knowledge and skills and protecting our country. or any unusual activity on the islands. Mr Gray took a series of stunning photographs of young Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would Territorian soldiers: Lance Corporal Vinnie Rami like to say a few words about part of the trip I did from Numbulwar, Lance Corporal Danny Daniels recently from Mataranka to Wollogorang Station from Ngukurr, Private Jonah Thinglere from which was mainly to look at a number of mines Ngukurr, and Drew Perry from Katherine. These which I will probably report on later. To visit those photographs have since been published in some mines you have to travel along the Roper of the world’s biggest newspapers, including the Highway, down the Nathan River Road, along the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune in the Carpentaria Highway, then – I am trying to think of US, The Guardian and The Telegraph in the UK, the proper name of the Savannah Way to the and Le Temps and Paris Match magazines in Queensland border. It has a name, but it escapes France. me at the moment.

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