Australian Border Force expands Cairns presence as maritime security focus increases

The Australian Border Force has confirmed a significant expansion of its Cairns operational capacity, including the basing of a new marine patrol vessel at the Cairns Marine Precinct and a doubling of dedicated biosecurity staff at Cairns Airport and the seaport, reflecting the growing strategic and biosecurity significance of Australia's north-eastern maritime border.

The new patrol vessel, a 58-metre Ocean Shield class vessel capable of extended operations across the Torres Strait and Coral Sea, will join ABF's northern maritime fleet and be based at the expanded Cairns Marine Precinct. Its primary roles will include border protection operations, search and rescue, and monitoring activities across the area from Cape York to the outer reef systems.

ABF Commissioner Michael Outram said the Cairns expansion reflected both the growth in legitimate vessel traffic through the region — including the surge in superyacht transits following the COVID-19 reopening — and the persistent challenge of managing people and goods movements through a maritime border of extraordinary scale and complexity. "The Torres Strait is one of the world's most significant maritime chokepoints. We need the capacity to know what is moving through it," he said.

The biosecurity expansion at Cairns Airport responds to the record international passenger volumes and the associated biosecurity risk, particularly from passengers and cargo arriving from South-East Asia and the Pacific where foot-and-mouth disease and other agricultural biosecurity threats remain active concerns. The expanded team will allow the ABF to increase detector dog patrols and passenger secondary screening rates.

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