Australia’s planned disaster relief ship to be used in South West Pacific

The Australian government plans to build a new naval ship to assist the country’s neighbours in carrying out humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of a new foreign policy strategy for the Pacific region.

Defence Minister Christopher Pyne has stated that, under the strategy, the new vessel would operate semi-permanently in the south west Pacific.

Details of the project’s cost as well as when and where the vessel will be built have not been disclosed.

Mr Pyne has said that the new vessel will be deployed to assist in preparing for natural disasters or to respond to natural disasters as they occur.