Pubdate: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia) Copyright: Illawarra Newspapers Contact: http://mercury.illnews.com.au/ CUSTOMS GETS HELP AT LAST IT seems incredible that it took Throsby MP Colin Hollis three years to finally convince the Federal Government that five Customs officers to control illegal drugs and immigrants through the Port Kembla waterfront was manifestly inadequate. His persistence finally paid off earlier this week, when Customs Minister Amanda Vanstone announced that nine surveillance cameras would be installed at the port by next month to monitor illegal activities 24 hours a day. There is no suggestion that the five Port Kembla Customs officers have not been doing their best given the existing meagre resources at their disposal. However, with only five officers to oversee millions of tonnes of shipping in and out of the port every year, there can be no doubt that such a thin enforcement barrier would not have gone unnoticed by the highly professional international drug cartels targeting Australia. The introduction of a fairly comprehensive camera surveillance system will give Customs officers a major tool in their fight to stop illegal drugs and immigrants through Port Kembla. Their installation is long overdue. But if the Government is serious about stemming the growing tide of illegal drugs it must restore the Customs staffing levels at Port Kembla to those existing when it took office more than three years ago. And those officers must operate from frontline headquarters, not an office in the city. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D