The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee The Torres Strait: Bridge and Border November 2010 © Commonwealth of Australia 2010 ISBN 978-1-74229-295-3 Printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Parliament House, Canberra. Members of the committee Core members Senator Helen Kroger, LP, VIC (Chair from 23 June 2010) Senator Russell Trood, LP, QLD (Chair until 23 June 2010) Senator Mark Bishop, ALP, WA (Deputy Chair) Senator the Hon Alan Ferguson, LP, SA Senator Michael Forshaw, ALP, NSW Senator Scott Ludlam, AG, WA Participating members who contributed to the inquiry Senator Sue Boyce, LP, QLD Secretariat Dr Kathleen Dermody, Committee Secretary Ms Jane Thomson, Principal Research Officer (from 20 September 2010) Dr Tim Kendall, Principal Research Officer (until March 2010) Ms Erja Vanhalakka-Stephenson, Senior Research Officer (until 5 November 2010) Ms Pamela Corrigan, Research Officer Ms Angela Lancsar, Administrative Officer Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee Department of the Senate PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Australia Phone: + 61 2 6277 3535 Fax: + 61 2 6277 5818 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fadt_ctte/index.htm iii Table of contents Members of the committee ............................................................................................iii Index of maps, tables and images .................................................................................. xi Abbreviations ...............................................................................................................xiii Executive summary and recommendations ................................................................ xvii Chapter 1 Introduction and conduct of inquiry ...................................................................... 1 Referral of inquiry .................................................................................................. 1 Terms of reference .................................................................................................. 1 Conduct of inquiry .................................................................................................. 2 Visit to the Torres Strait ......................................................................................... 2 Related inquiries ..................................................................................................... 5 Scope of inquiry ..................................................................................................... 5 Structure of report ................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgments .................................................................................................. 6 Part I—Overview of the Treaty Chapter 2 Torres Strait and the Treaty ................................................................................... 9 Torres Strait and its people ..................................................................................... 9 Torres Strait Islanders—way of life ..................................................................... 13 Torres Strait Treaty ............................................................................................... 15 Territorial boundaries ........................................................................................... 15 Territorial sea and fishing boundaries .................................................................. 16 Protecting the traditional way of life .................................................................... 18 Protecting the environment ................................................................................... 20 Promoting economic development ....................................................................... 20 Complexity of the Treaty ...................................................................................... 20 Views on the Treaty .............................................................................................. 23 Part II—Health and law and order Chapter 3 Health service provision in the Torres Strait ....................................................... 27 Access to health services under the Treaty .......................................................... 27 Concerns about PNG nationals accessing health services in the Torres Strait .... 29 Incentives for seeking medical care in the Torres Strait ...................................... 35 v Disparity in available health services ................................................................... 35 Accessibility to Torres Strait health clinics .......................................................... 40 Provision of humanitarian assistance ................................................................... 40 Perceived access to social welfare ........................................................................ 45 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 45 Chapter 4 Addressing health issues in Torres Strait ............................................................. 47 Health challenges in PNG .................................................................................... 47 Health initiatives for Western Province ............................................................... 49 Twinning arrangements ........................................................................................ 53 Cross-border movement of health professionals .................................................. 54 Cross-border communication officers .................................................................. 56 Effectiveness of Australia's aid ............................................................................ 58 Chapter 5 Health and border control measures .................................................................... 67 Key border control measures ................................................................................ 67 Providing health care and mixed messages .......................................................... 71 Cost of health care to PNG nationals in Torres Strait .......................................... 73 Collecting data ...................................................................................................... 76 Chapter 6 Law and order ......................................................................................................... 79 Movements across the border ............................................................................... 79 Overstayers ........................................................................................................... 83 Disorderly behaviour ............................................................................................ 86 Chapter 7 Addressing law and order challenges ................................................................... 91 Understanding local laws and community expectations ...................................... 91 Restricting free movement ................................................................................... 93 Identification of PNG traditional inhabitants ....................................................... 97 Chapter 8 Policing the Torres Strait ....................................................................................... 99 Police presence in the Torres Strait ...................................................................... 99 Adequacy of police presence .............................................................................. 101 Costs of providing police presence ..................................................................... 103 Community police .............................................................................................. 105 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 116 vi Part II—Conservation, biosecurity and border control Chapter 9 Conservation ......................................................................................................... 119 Protected species in Torres Strait ....................................................................... 119 Management of fisheries in Torres Strait ........................................................... 123 Chapter 10 Conservation—meeting the challenges ............................................................... 135 Sustainable management––Australia's role ........................................................ 135 Community engagement ..................................................................................... 136 Sustainable management—PNG's role ............................................................... 139 Research on the Torres Strait ............................................................................. 143 Compliance and enforcement ............................................................................. 151 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 152 Chapter 11 Biosecurity ............................................................................................................. 155 Biosecurity in Torres Strait ................................................................................ 155 Increased risk ...................................................................................................... 161 Conclusion .........................................................................................................