Good morning, Senators, and thank you, Chair, for the opportunity to provide an opening statement.
I would like to begin by thanking approximately 1,200 personnel who are working in support of our maritime border. These personnel include 743 sea-going crew, as well as 453 land-based personnel here in Canberra and around Australia. These personnel often work in very challenging conditions but are united in their dedication to protecting Australia's maritime domain and the integrity of our border.
Operation Sovereign Borders remains successful in its mission: protecting the integrity of Australia's maritime borders, combatting people smuggling, and, importantly, deterring people from risking their lives at sea by countering the lies of people smugglers and denying an irregular maritime pathway to settlement in Australia.
It has now been almost 11 years since anyone is known to have lost their life at sea in an attempt to reach Australia irregularly by boat. It has also been almost 11 years since the last successful maritime people smuggling venture.
However, Australia remains an attractive destination and maritime people smuggling remains an extant threat to our borders.
The global context for Australia's civil maritime security efforts is becoming increasingly complex. Geostrategic push factors are generating high irregular migration flows both globally and in our immediate region, and criminal people smugglers continue to sell false hope to vulnerable people for financial gain.
Smugglers' false claims about an irregular maritime pathway to settlement in Australia continue to put lives at risk.
The safety of all persons involved in an OSB operation is always my foremost concern. I can assure the committee and the Australian public that all OSB operations under my command are undertaken with the highest regard for the safety of all officers, crew, and all persons involved. It is my job as the Commander to resolve all operations in a manner that is both safe and legal.
To achieve this mission, the protection of sensitive operational information is critical. This is to ensure we do not give any advantage to criminal people smugglers, who have no hesitation about risking the lives of vulnerable people on dangerous maritime journeys to Australia.
Equally, protecting sensitive operational information ensures that my personnel are able to do their jobs safely.
I continue to oversee an enhanced posture across all elements of the Joint Agency Task Force, including our deterrence and disruption work upstream. The Australian Government's Anti-people Smuggling Strategic Communications campaign remains active in support of these efforts - as our most effective tool to counter the disinformation spread by people smugglers and prevent people from risking their lives on dangerous journeys.
In closing, as Commander of both Operation Sovereign Borders and Maritime Border Command, I would like to express my sincere thanks again to all staff and officers involved in the delivery of the important maritime border security outcomes we work to achieve every day.
The dedication of our people is rarely visible to the Australian public, and I thank them for their service.
I thank the Chair and Committee for your time and welcome any questions.
