Interview with Allison Langdon – Today Show

ALLISON LANGDON:

Confirmation this morning of the first death following the violent volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga. British woman Angela Glover was swept away by a wave while trying to rescue her dogs. We're joined now for Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja in Canberra. Thanks for your time this morning Minister, this is obviously sad news. With communication still being a huge problem, is there any word yet on whether there are more victims, and do you fear that there will be?

MINISTER SESELJA:

Well, thanks Ally, and as you say, it is very sad news overnight. And obviously, our condolences to her family on the tragic death. We don't have any further information that would suggest any more significant casualties, although, as you would appreciate, information is still relatively patchy. We know that there are no ongoing concerns for Australians at the moment. And post - the High Commission - has been working very hard to identify where Australians are. We understand at any given time, there are normally about 300 Australians in Tonga, although that would be somewhat less due to the COVID restrictions that have existed in the country for some time.

But the priority now will be to get supplies to Tonga. And the biggest constraint on that at the moment, Ally, is the airport. There is still a significant amount of ash, I understand at the airport. It was hoped the airport might open today, but that's more likely now to be tomorrow, and as soon as that is open, we'll be able to deliver some of those humanitarian supplies through those C-130 aircraft that are ready to go from Amberley.

ALLISON LANGDON:

Because I imagine those supplies are urgently in need, especially with reports of the water supply being contaminated. Is that what you're hearing?

MINISTER SESELJA:

Yeah, that's right. So water, fuel, food and clean up equipment, we understand will be the main priorities. We've offered, and it's been accepted for $1 million in assistance, at the moment. We're looking to hear back from the Tongan Government in some more specific detail, but it may be things as simple as clean up equipment such as wheelbarrows and shovels. It obviously will be food and water and fuel, telecommunications equipment as well, and we're working with Telstra to try and make sure we can get prior to the cable being restored, which will take a little bit longer, to get at least some temporary equipment, so some better on the ground communications can exist.

In addition to the C-130 planes that are being loaded up and ready to go, waiting for the airport to open, HMAS Adelaide is getting ready to deploy, and I understand we'll be ready to deploy tomorrow. Obviously, that can take a far more substantial amount of supplies, but obviously it takes a few days to get there. So we're working on a number of areas that we can help. We also have, as I mentioned yesterday, those preposition supplies with those non-government organisations in Tonga.

ALLISON LANGDON:

All right. It sounds like the ADF is working pretty hard at the moment. They were sending a surveillance flight yesterday. Was that successful? Have you heard back from them?

MINISTER SESELJA:

Well, certainly there is certainly some initial surveillance and intel that's come from those surveillance flights. I understand obviously there was the Australian and the New Zealand [flights], I think the New Zealand flight suffered a little bit more from limited visibility but what needs to be done now is a comparison with some of what's being gathered, that initial assessment and discussions with the Tongan Government as to what they're seeing on the ground to get a better assessment of what's happening on those low lying islands.

So that's a really urgent priority at the moment the Tongan Government has access to Australian provided Guardian-class patrol boats which I understand have not been damaged during the tsunami and so they have been able to do some work in terms of assessment of those outer islands as well. So, as we bring that intel together, I think over the coming hours we'll have a much better idea of the situation in those outlying islands.

ALLISON LANGDON: 

Yeah, and for the many people here in Australia have family in Tonga thank you. That level of detail you had there would have been comforting to a point. Thank you, Minister. Appreciate it.

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