SENATOR DAVID FEENEY
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
Parliamentary Secretary praises the Asia Pacific Civil – Military
Centre of Excellence
The Australian Government is committed to developing Australia’s civil-military capabilities to prevent,
prepare for and respond more effectively to conflicts and disasters overseas, the Parliamentary Secretary
for Defence, Senator David Feeney, said today.
Senator Feeney was commenting on the opening of the conference centre and library at the Asia Pacific
Civil-Military Centre of Excellence in Queanbeyan, New South Wales.
“The Labor government has invested $8 million in the Centre, which was estabished in 2008,” Senator
Feeney said. “We established the Centre to undertake a number of tasks to develop Australia’s civil-
military capability, including developing and facilitating training and strengthening interdepartmental
civil-military collaboration.”
“I recently had an opportunity to visit the Centre and was briefed on its work by the Executive Director,
Maj-Gen Mike Smith. I was very impressed by the enthusiasm and professionalism of the Centre’s staff
and the importance of the work they are doing.”
“I want to acknowledge the work of my predecessor as Parliamentary Secretary, the Hon Dr Mike Kelly
AM, the member for Eden-Monaro, in getting this centre established in Queanbeyan.”
The Centre is now delivering a number of key outcomes, including the development of draft guidelines
for the protection of civilians for the African Union; Civil-Military Coordination Courses, delivered
both here in Australia and in the region, on behalf of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs; and the development of a conceptual framework for civil-military collaboration
in conflict and disaster management overseas.
The Centre now includes a training and conference facility, as well as a civil-military research library,
which have been established to facilitate the delivery of the Centre’s programs in training and education,
conflict management and prevention, governance and the rule of law, humanitarian, recovery and
disaster management, and research.
“I commend the Centre for its achievements to date, and welcome the contribution it is making to
Australia’s national capacity to manage more effectively its response to conflicts and disasters
overseas,” Senator Feeney said.
Media note:
Further Information on the Centre: Simon Tidy, 02 6160 2219, 0432 472 978
Further comment: Dr Adam Carr in Senator Feeney’s office: 02 6277 3415
03/2010
Thursday, 28 October 2010
NEWS 
