Defence Minister Stephen Smith has rejected claims that cuts to defence funding have delayed planned upgrades to base security, following a major breach at the HMAS Coonawarra naval base in Darwin.
An intruder stole 12 handguns and two pump-action shotguns from a patrol boat after overpowering the sailor on guard at the naval base last week. The guns have since been recovered and a man arrested.
Mr Smith said the government had ordered a broad-ranging review of defence base security following the foiled terror attack on the Holsworthy army base outside Sydney in 2009.
So far 31 of the 33 recommendations had been implemented, while the two outstanding recommendations were now being implemented, he said.
Mr Smith said one of those recommendations concerned the legality of defence personnel using weapons in response to a terror attack.
The other recommendation related to a major infrastructure upgrade at 16 bases, with a tender set to be released soon.
‘The parliamentary works committee approved that schedule of works in September of this year and that work is scheduled to be completed by 2015,’ he told reporters in Melbourne.
‘Coonawarra is not one of those bases. Coonawarra has had some substantial change made to it in terms of its arrangements as a result of the review we instituted.’
The opposition said last week the incident in Darwin had come after the government shelved the planned base security upgrades because of the budget cuts.
Navy chief Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said he had launched a review of security arrangements at Coonawarra following the incident last week.
‘We are doing some work at Coonawarra at the moment as a result of what happened last week. I have already instituted a number of changes over the weekend and we will continue on that,’ Vice Admiral Griggs said in Melbourne.
Base security upgrades on way: Smith http://www.skynews.com.au/elements/img/article/638x359/skynews_822652.jpg
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