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Navy crew coming in and out of theatres of war would go straight to WA instead of US bases in San Diego or Hawaii. The people
of Western Australia have had no say in what effectively amounts to
a form of prostitution by the State Government to US interests. If Sea Swap is given the go-ahead it will mean a dramatic escalation of Australia's involvement with the US military. Jobs: What jobs? The plans are being sold as a means of boosting the State's shipbuilding and tourism industries. But the actual number of jobs created is expected to be quite low. US law requires American ships to be repaired in US shipyards except in an emergency. Local shipyards would only be allowed to undertake "essential" repairs on the visiting vessels and even then preference would be given to American owned shipyards over those locally owned. Impact on tourism in WA The presence of thousands of US sailors is likely to make WA nightclubs and other R&R venues prime targets for terrorist attack. The effect on tourism in WA could be quite profound. Even if we escape an attack like that witnessed recently in Bali, tourists are likely to stay away in droves from areas frequented by US marines, simply through fear of terrorism. Sea Swap could lead to WA becoming a no-go zone for international and interstate tourists. What about our civil liberties? The US navy has already indicated that it would require "specific rules on engagement to be put in place around facilities such as the Australian Marine Complex" at Henderson and around its vessels while anchored in Cockburn Sound. It would want control over sea and shore areas to stop small vessels from going anywhere near its warships. We could see Cockburn Sound declared a restricted waterway and recreational fishing and other boating activities banned from the area while US warships are in port. Environmental issues If the
Sea Swap proposal gets the go-ahead then it is likely that the US navy
would require further dredging to take place in Cockburn Sound to enable
its aircraft carriers to come in close to the shore. The depth of the
channel at the Australian Marine Complex would need to be at least 16
metres to accommodate the larger US navy vessels. At present it is only
12 metres. So far the State Government has said nothing about the environmental
implications of the proposed dredging. It is a long held policy of the US navy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard its vessels. We simply don't know what the ships coming into Cockburn Sound and Fremantle are carrying although we know many of them are "nuclear capable". We can only hope The US
navy has already indicated an interest in using the Royal Australian
Navy Ammunition and Weapons Depot on HMAS Stirling while its warships
are being restocked and/or repaired. Could we see a situation where
nuclear weapons are stored on Australian soil? Can the Federal Government
give the Australian people an absolute guarantee that this will not
occur? How can I stop Cockburn Sound becoming a defacto US war base? The US navy admits that Sea Swaps are untried. The first trial swap took place in January 2003, when the Guided Missile Destroyer USS Fletcher comes into Fremantle for two weeks to pick up a new crew. FANG was there to meet the vessel and we made the point that WA does not want to be a party to plans to become a naval base for any foreign power. There may be as many as six sea swap trials in 2003, and we need to make a strong statement sooner rather than later before we find ourselves committed to major military ties with the US. ...so get on the phone and make your protest heard.
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THE
Federal and State Governments are working to make Cockburn Sound a defacto
base for the US navy. The plans include flying thousands of US military
personnel in and out of Western Australia to meet US warships in Cockburn
Sound. Under the proposal the US navy would use WA as a swap over point
for the 7th fleet. 