Strategic Significance of Ross

This book, prepared on contract to the Department of Defence, examines the major issues in govemment administration of relevance to security planners, quantifies the pattems of ship passage through the straits and then explores the current and future strategic significance of the Torres Strait region in the context of national defence planning. [...] Preparing the Report An early concern of the study team was that the leaders of the Torres Strait Islander communities be advised directly of the background to the study and its terms of reference. [...] The calls by some Islanders for secession from Australia, the difficulties that have arisen under the "traditional visits" and fisheries sharing provisions of the Torres Strait Treaty, problems of enforcement and administrative coordination in the Strait and the interests of regional countries are all addressed, The discussion in this chapter makes clear that the Islanders are generally sympatheti. [...] The Terms of Reference of your report are: (a) to review the strategic significance of the Torres Strait area in the light of the planning priorities established in Det'ence of Australia 1987 (Defence White Paper); (b) to advise on the issues and sensitivities that need to be taken into account in planning for the security of the Torres Strait region within the framework of overall Commonwealth po. [...] Flags of Registry of Ships Passing Through Torres Strait in the fune-September 1989 Period, Listed in Order of Frequenry 72 ONE THE CHARACTER OF THE REGION Geography The primary focus of this report is on the area bounded in the south by the Jardine River on Cape York, in the north by the Papua New Guinea coast, in the west by the Carpenteria Shoal near longitude 141oE and in the east by the edge.