PM ORDERS COAST WATCH PROBE

Use WA Air Bases To Tighten Net On Boat People

PRIME Minister John Howard last night set up inquiry into Australia's
coastal surveillance after the capture of 58 boat people on the New
South Wales coast.

The move came as defence expert Michael O'Connor warned that Australia
needed a United States-style coast guard to give the best protection
from illegal migration by boat people.

Mr Howard announced that the head of his department, Max Moore-Wilton,
would chair the task force, which would involve senior military,
Customs, immigration and intelligence officers.

The inquiry would report by June.

Mr O'Connor, executive director of the Australian Defence Association,
said governments had debated the coastguard issue for years. Premier
Richard Court said he supported the idea. As a first step, Curtin air
base, near Derby, and Learmonth, near Exmouth, should be permanently
staffed by the military for surveillance purposes instead of being
used only for exercises.

"There is certainly a need for us to have improved surveillance and
something along the lines of a US coastguard would certainly be
terrific," Mr Court said.

The comments follow last weekend's discovery of illegal immigrants on
the NSW coast. Another four of the boat people were captured
yesterday, bringing the total to 58. It is the third time this year
that boat people have landed in Australia, prompting renewed criticism
of Coastwatch - the nation's coastal surveillance system, which has
already been the subject of an inquiry.

Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said without greater cooperation
from the Labor Party on immigration policy, the problem of illegal
immigrants would continue to grow.

The Opposition called for defence forces to play a bigger
role.

Mr Court said WA had been warning of the need for improved coastal
sccurity for years.

There were three main reasons - illegal immigration, illicit drug
imports and the need to protect the oil and gas industry off WA's north.

Mr O'Connor said the issue of coastal security was not a defence
matter, but a police operation. Australia needed the same type of
maritime police force as in the US.

"They've been fiddling with this for years," Mr O'Connor
said.

"I was a member of an inter-departmental (government) committee that
looked at this back in 1967 and we got it wrong then.

"Everybody agreed that what was needed was a properly organised
coastguard service ... but none of the departments wanted to give up
their share of the assets they had at the time."

He warned that 100 per cent security of Australia's coastline could
never be reasonably guaranteed.