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Air Force added to Comm Games security

Next year's Commonwealth Games will feature a security bubble over the Gold Coast with the Air Force patrolling the skies above the city.

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Source: AAP


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Next year's Commonwealth Games will feature a security bubble in the skies over the Gold Coast patrolled by Air Force planes.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Wednesday the security step, similar to operations performed in Brisbane for the 2014 G20 summit, had been approved by the federal government.

Ms Palaszczuk said the Air Force assistance would be on top of existing security plans to use a combined 10,000 Queensland police, army personnel and private security staff at next year's Games.

"We are going to do everything we possibly can to make these a safe Commonwealth Games," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"That means working with our police service, working with the Australian Defence Force, working with the commonwealth government and, of course, working with Peter Beattie as chairman of GOLDOC and his whole GOLDOC team.

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"Do we have the experience? Yes we do, because it was Queensland that hosted the G20."

Ms Palaszczuk said the additional airspace operation had been requested in a letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in May.

She said Mr Turnbull confirmed last week he had asked the Attorney-General and Defence Minister to establish a specified circumstances Australian Defence Force call out order.

The order means the ADF can respond to an emerging aviation threat without the need for ministerial approval.

Under normal arrangements, responding to aviation threats requires approval from the Defence Minister at the time of the threat.


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