The first asylum seeker boat has arrived since the coalition government introduced a new media blackout protocol, bringing the tally to eight since the federal election.
A suspected asylum seeker boat arrived at Christmas Island carrying about 30 people on Sunday afternoon,
Christmas Island shire councillor Gordon Thomson told AAP.
The passengers were expected to disembark at Christmas Island at 3.30pm (local time).
He said there were women and children on board who were very thirsty and drinking lots of water.
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HMAS Maitland escorted the boat to the island, Mr Thomson said.
Customs and Boarder Protection declined to provide official confirmation as a result of the coalition government ending the practice of announcing boat arrivals as they happen.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison also refused to comment on the boat arrival and said information would be provided at a briefing on Monday.
Mr Morrison and deputy chief of army Angus Campbell will give weekly media briefings about Operation Sovereign Borders, the coalition's asylum seeker and border protection exercise.
The Abbott government says it won't constantly update the public on boat arrivals because it wants to starve people smugglers of information.
"Taking control of how that information is released denies people smugglers the opportunity to exploit such information," Mr Morrison told AAP in a statement on Sunday.
"Labor was impotent in response to arrivals. All they could do was announce them and run a water taxi service."
Briefings will be weekly initially, but this could change "based on operational considerations".
Extra briefings would be given when necessary about specific events. This could include instances of boats sinking.
The new protocol for releasing information was agreed to on Thursday after the minister's first meeting with Lieutenant General Campbell.
The government will also provide monthly updates on detention and bridging visa statistics for asylum seekers who arrive by boat.
Mr Morrison's cabinet colleague Greg Hunt says there will be "regular, continuous, full disclosure" about boat arrivals, but it will be in line with military operational procedure.
Labor leadership hopeful Bill Shorten said it was a disgrace if the government planned to not disclose details of drownings.
"I can't imagine who dreamed that up, not telling anyone about deaths at sea," he told the Ten Network.
"If a boat sinks ... and people drown, I don't think the government has a right to not tell people that this tragedy has occurred."
