Profile - Tradition strengthens security
SMH Picture by Andrew Meares
Sun drenched coral cays, palm trees, fishing canoes and vast stretches of impossibly blue water are the usual images conjured up when the Torres Strait Islands are mentioned.
But this 150 km-wide, island dotted passage between Cape York Peninsula and Papua New Guinea (PNG) is more than just an idyllic tropic location – it is a vital part of Australia’s border security.
Combining their traditional lifestyle with observation and intelligence activities, the department’s 28 Movement Monitoring Officers (MMOs) in the Torres Strait help keep Australia’s borders secure while managing traditional movements around the area.
The MMOs monitor about 50 000 movements a year by traditional inhabitants across the Torres Strait Protected Zone between Australia and PNG.
Under the Torres Strait Treaty, traditional inhabitants from both countries can move freely within the zone without passports or visas. Instead they have passes issued by their village chairperson.
The zone includes 100 islands, reefs and cays across 17 700 square kilometers. Thirteen of these islands are inhabited by more than 4500 people and the MMOs are drawn from these communities.
The MMOs ensure that people moving around the zone are eligible ‘traditional inhabitants’ – citizens of either Australia – indigenous Torres Strait Islanders who reside in the zone – or PNG citizens who live in identified treaty villages in PNG.
The department’s Torres Strait Regional Manager, Peter Zammit said the MMOs play a vital role in border security.
‘The MMOs show amazing flexibility and ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment. They have a burning pride in their work, their community and their country,’ he said.