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Joint
service centre opened
From
Cpl Belinda Mepham in East Timor
TAKING a giant leap forward, East Timor’s first Joint Services
Centre (JSC) at Batagude was officially opened on April 27.
Designed and constructed by members of the Australian combined Battalion
VII (AUSBATT) the new facility is a multi-user facility to cater
for four East Timor Government’s security agencies; the Border
Patrol Unit (BPU), Border Customs Service (BCS) and East Timor Police
– Policia Nationale Timor Leste (PNTL) and PNTL – Immigration.
The JSC was built with supplies bought with more than $100,000 donated
by the British Embassy, reinforcing the partnership between Australia,
the UK and East Timor.
Arriving by Black Hawk, President of East Timor Xanana Gusmao officially
opened the new facility in front of A Coy, 5/7RAR, AUSBATT.
Hundreds of Timorese lined the road leading to the JSC from Alpha
Company 5/7RAR FOB to welcome the special guests and show their
appreciation for the new facility.
Traditional women dancers welcomed the President and the 5/7RAR
Pipes and Drums played the general salute for the VIPs arrivals.
The President said the JSC was another example of the significant
contribution that the Australian National contingent had made to
the peace-keeping and security of Timor Leste, as well as an example
of the solidarity and friendship between the two countries.
“I would like to make special mention of the AUSBATT Engineer
Group for their hard work and dedication in overseeing the construction
of the centre,” he said.
“We all know the enormous economical, political and social
challenges our new nation faces. Therefore support such as this
is greatly appreciated and welcome as it facilitates and thereby
strengthens the work of the Timorese Government and people, in meeting
challenges at this crucial state building phase.”
The opening recognised the hard work of the members and Locally
Employed Civilians (LEC) who built the facility.
In particular, Sgt Peter Piccinelli, Construction Supervisor and
the Battalion Engineer Group’s Works Officer, Capt Jonathan
Large received commendations from the PKF Commander Maj-Gen Tan
Huck Gim for their excellence and professionalism while overseeing
the planning and construction of the JSC.
Site Supervisor Cpl Clayton Whitfield said the task had its ups
and downs, particularly with material supplies, but the complete
product is great.
“It is an awesome feeling to know I’m leaving East Timor
with this task completed,” he said.
“The best thing was watching the LECs learn the methods and
skills of building and even the Field Engineers who worked with
us embraced it.”
Some of the LECs were awarded Certificates of Attainment for various
building qualifications, such as carpentry and plumbing.
Construction Supervisor Sgt Piccinelli said he was immensely proud
to be leaving behind the facility.
“This is the biggest project I have supervised and it is very
rewarding to see the LECs and our work recognised so highly,”
he said.
“Watching some personnel take up building tools for the first
time, not very interested at first then begin to learn and gain
self belief and pride in their work has been the most rewarding
part of this for me.”
AUSBATT VII assumed security responsibility for the Bobonaro District
on October 18.
In the main, AUSBATT’s Civil Military Affairs group (CMA)
has taken the lead with many and varied humanitarian assistance
projects in the Bobanaro district to develop local communities and
promote the primacy of the East Timor Government Security agencies.
In addition to these projects the AUSBATT Engineer Group has undertaken
two large-scale engineering projects, Border Post Charlie (BP-C)
and the Joint Service Centre – Batugade (JSC).
Commander Sector West officially opened and handed over BP-C to
the East Timor Government on December 23.
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