QLD:Diplomats see Qld recovery first hand

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2011
QLD:Diplomats see Qld recovery first hand

By Gabrielle Dunlevy

BRISBANE, April 6 AAP - Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has signalled greater international
cooperation in large-scale natural disasters while hosting more than 70 foreign diplomats
in Queensland.

The tour is aimed at showing the world the state has recovered well from January's
floods and February's Cyclone Yasi, and served as an introduction to tourism and trade
opportunities in the former prime minister's home state.

Among the diplomats, who funded the three-day trip themselves, were representatives
of Japan and New Zealand, countries also recently hit by devastating disasters.

Mr Rudd told reporters in Brisbane that no single national government could immediately
deploy the amount of help needed when a disaster on the scale of the Japanese tsunami
strikes.

A system was needed where as soon as a disaster hit, teams from willing nations were
automatically sent within 24 hours for duties like search and rescue, he said.

"Our current arrangements are not ... sharp enough for that response to be as rapid
and as large scale as it needs to be," he said.

"If we had a huge event affecting a major capital city in the region or across the
world with large scale loss of life ... the international effort which would then be required
would be massive.

"I'm not confident that currently the international system of cooperation and coordination
is up to it."

Discussions were being held in forums within ASEAN and the United Nations, Mr Rudd said.

As well as showing the world that Queensland is ready for holidaymakers, Mr Rudd and
Premier Anna Bligh took the chance to spruik trade and investment opportunities in biotechnology,
agriculture and mining.

Indonesia's ambassador Primo Alui Joelianto said his nation donated $US1 million to
Queensland's recovery effort and he was amazed at how far it had come in a short time.

"This is a good lesson for us," he told AAP.

"As you know, Indonesia is very prone to natural disasters so this is something that
we should learn from Queensland.

"But apart from that we also want to see how the people have recovered, this is very important."

Queensland was one of the top international destinations for Indonesian students, Mr
Joelianto said.

The diplomatic corps will meet mayors of flood-hit regions in Brisbane on Thursday,
and visit Cairns and Port Douglas on Friday.

AAP gd/crh/dep

KEYWORD: RECOVERY RUDD WRAP (PIX AVAILABLE)

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