Fed: Tongans to work with ADF on indigenous housing

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2004
Fed: Tongans to work with ADF on indigenous housing

Defence Minister ROBERT HILL says a team of military engineers from Tonga will join
Australian army engineers in building houses for remote Queensland Aboriginal communities.

Mr HILL says 10 members of the Tongan Defence Service will join the 21 Construction
Squadron from next week on projects in the remote communities of Injinoo and Umagico in
far North Queensland.

The projects are part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services Army Community
Assistance Program, a joint initiative between ATSIS, the Department of Health and Ageing,
and Defence to assist remote indigenous communities.

Senator HILL says Australia has a long history of working with security forces in the
South Pacific region through the Defence Cooperation Program.

He says Tonga and Australia worked together -- under the DCP -- to build a new defence
headquarters in Tonga last year.

AAP RTV mb/sb/ajc/rp

KEYWORD: TONGANS (CANBERRA)

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