2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

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CHAPTER TWO: STRATEGIC OUTLOOK
SECTION ONE STRATEGY
2.59 These enhancements to Defence’s maritime capabilities will provide
Australia with enhanced situational awareness of activities in our
maritime domain, earlier detection of emerging threats to our border
security and faster responses to deter and defeat any such threat.
2.60 The Australian Antarctic Territory faces no credible risk of being
challenged in such a way that requires a substantial military response
for at least the next few decades. It is in our interest to work with
like-minded countries to prevent any militarisation of Antarctica which
could threaten Australia’s sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic
Territory and its sovereign rights over its offshore waters. Australia
is a strong supporter of the Antarctic Treaty System, which expressly
prohibits any mining in Antarctica. Australia also strongly supports the
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources,
which regulates fishing activity in Antarctic waters.
2.61 Defence will continue to support maritime resource protection operations,
particularly in the fisheries of our Heard and McDonald Islands Exclusive
Economic Zone, and will provide niche support to the Australian Antarctic
Division’s operations, including Royal Australian Air Force heavy air lift
missions in support of Australia’s stations in Antarctica.
Our immediate neighbourhood
2.62 Geography, shared history, business and interpersonal links tie
Australia’s interests closely to stability and prosperity in our immediate
neighbourhood spanning Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Pacific
Island Countries in the South Pacific.
2.63 Australia places a high priority on our defence relationship with our
closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea, with which Australia has an
increasingly broad-based relationship. The Government plans to
increase our cooperation with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force
and Department of Defence in the decade ahead.