The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) is urging the Australian Government to send its retired fleet of Taipan helicopters to Ukraine, rather than spending millions to bury them in landfill.
“The Australian Defence Force has said they don’t want these helicopters anymore. But instead of recycling them and agreeing to Ukraine’s official request, the Government has decided to break them down into parts and scrap and bury them in the ground,” said Mr Stefan Romaniw OAM, AFUO Co-Chair.
“The decision beggar’s belief: 45 Taipan helicopters would more than double the number of helicopters Ukraine has been given since the start of the war. They could be delivered to Ukraine at a lower cost than destroying and burying them. And at a value of $920 million dollars, it would double the size of Australia’s support for Ukraine to date. Where’s the downside?” Mr Romaniw said.
The AFUO has raised the matter with the offices of the Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Acting Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwhaite this week.
“Taipans would be a gamechanger for Ukraine, helping to boost air defences and defend the country and people from Russia’s barbaric and brutal invasion,” Mr Romaniw said.
“The Prime Minister has said that he stands with Ukraine, yet packages of support have become smaller and less frequent. Almost two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Australia now risks simply standing by, instead of standing up for what’s right,” he added.
“The Australian Government has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, but words won’t help us win this war. We call on the Albanese Government to reverse its decision to bury the Taipans. We know the Government can do better because it has done so before.”
The Ukrainian community will rally on the steps of Sydney Town Hall at 2pm on Sunday 14 January. Media are invited.
Other states will be rolling out rallies over the coming weeks.
Image by Bidgee
