AUSTRALIAN Defence Force (ADF) personnel will be bolstered in the Limestone Coast with a further 40 soldiers set to be deployed to protect borders in South Australia.
There are currently 60 members of the ADF currently assisting South Australian Police on the Victorian border with around 30 of those deployed to the Limestone Coast region.
However, Task Force Commander, Colonel Graham Goodwin said those numbers are expected to be increased to 100 statewide in the near future.
“From an ADF point of view, our role is to provide support to the South Australian Police in protecting South Australia in both static and roaming patrols,” Colonel Goodwin said.
“We currently have 60 ADF members deployed and that will increase to a figure of 100 with more soldiers expected to be deployed to Mount Gambier.”
Soldiers are currently being staged at several army depots across South Australia, including the barracks on Shepherdson Road.
Colonel Goodwin said these facilities had worked well for the ADF to logistically provide the best support to the police force.
“We are staged out of the various army depots that best service the task our personnel need to do,” he said.
“The support we have received at those locations and particularly in Mount Gambier has been fantastic – the community has been really welcoming and helped with the integration.”
Colonel Goodwin said he expected the extra deployment to include Army Reserves from the Mount Gambier region.
“They have been part of that support we have received and we expect some of those to become involved in the day to day operation,” he said.
Colonel Goodwin would not speculate on how long the ADF would provide support to the police, highlighting the ever-changing environment of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As everyone knows the COVID-19 pandemic has take a number of turns and therefore I will not be putting a timeframe on how long we will be required,” he said.
“We will continue to listen to the directions and the health advice and we will remain and do the task for as long as the police need our support.”
It is second time the ADF has been engaged to assist the emergency services in South Australia this year, following the huge military response to the Kangaroo Island bushfires in January.
“A lot of what we do is to support emergency services and our relationship with them is fantastic and it is one we continue to work on and improve,” he said.
“Whether it be flood, fire or in this case the pandemic, I think being called upon to assist them is likely to become a more regular occurrence.”
Praising the personnel currently servicing the region, Colonel Goodwin said they have been enthusiastic in their response to the task at hand.
“These men and women join the army because they want to serve and protect the nation and they take a lot of pride in anytime they get to perform that function,” he said.
“They are really impressive people and all understand their role and position in relation to this response.
“They are a credit to the organisation.”
