Talks on tightening Tasman travel

Press, 19 April 1979, Page 3

Talks on tightening Tasman travel

NZPA Canberra The Australian Federal Minister of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (Mr MacKellar) is expected to discuss tighter controls on transTasman travel with his New Zealand counterpart (Mr Bolger) at a meeting in Perth tomorrow.

Mr Bolger has been invited to attend one of the regular meetings of state Ministers responsible for immigration matters. Australian Government sources said yesterday that the matter of controls on Tasman travel was under constant review and it would seem “unreal” if it was not raised at the meeting, even though it was not on the agenda. Mr Bolger and Mr MacKellar are also expected to discuss a departmental report produced last year by Mr R. Caseliman, a Canadian officer on secondment to the Australian Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.

The report was commissioned because the Australian authorities felt that the existing arrangements were subject to abuse by criminals, illegal immigrants, and visitors intending to overstay. The Caseliman Report suggested posting Australian immigration officials in New Zealand to process arrivals into both countries, and the introduction of travel documents, such as a passport or visa, for travellers on the Tasman route.

Co-ordinating the input of immigration information into a computer-based link between the two countries has also been studied. The Australian Government has made no decision on the report. A Government source said yesterday: “We certainly would not want to do anything that would damage our fine relationship with New Zealand.”