bxr307@csc1.anu.edu.au (05/22/91)
From: bxr307@csc1.anu.edu.au It was announced yesterday (21 May '91) that the Australian Cabinet had approved the largest shakeup of the Australian Defence Forces since WWII. The package of reforms are expected to include the shedding of over 10,000 regular defence personnel over the next decade, extensive contracting out to private industry of support services such as third line maintenance and the introduction of a new reserve force of approximately 4,000 which the government intends to serve as a highly trained back up for Australia's regular combat forces. Some of the RAAF's facilities at Point Cook and Laverton in Victoria would be shut down or relocated and the two regular army infantry Battalions in Brisbane would be replaced by reserves. This decision brings together the results of a series of reviews of the Department of Defence operations, including the Wrigley Report's recommendations on civilianisation of defence activities and the force structure review by defence chiefs. It is intended that efficiency gains made will then allow the defence forces to purchase more expensive equipment which had been shelved due to cost such as a Airborne Early Warning aircraft and a helicopter carrier, in order to further enhance Australia's defence posture. The Leader of the Opposition, Dr.John Hewson, said that while he believed that there was considerable room for trimming defence expenditure, the Opposition would oppose any effort by the Government to cut the existing combat forces. -- Brian Ross