Thank you.
I would like to take this opportunity to provide a brief overview of the ABF's current priorities, challenges and operating environment. Since I last presented evidence to the committee, the Australian Border Force has continued its evolution as a contemporary border management agency, and recent events have shown that the ABF today is greater than the sum of its parts that were integrated in 2015.
In this reporting period, we have delivered strong operational outcomes, managed increasing volumes of trade and travel and worked within our budget throughout what has been a complex and high-tempo period that has seen the ABF play a leading role in the response to the COVID-19 outbreak and a small supporting role in responding to the catastrophic bushfire season. In doing so, we have prioritised efforts on the basis of risks and threats and have demonstrated considerable adaptability. This has been enabled in large part by the effective and ongoing cooperation with partner agencies and stakeholders.
The ABF has been at the forefront of Australia's response to the outbreak of COVID-19, which has been led by public health authorities, including the Commonwealth's Chief Medical Officer. We have worked hand-in-hand with the departments of health, agriculture, education, skills and employment, foreign affairs and trade, defence and industry to coordinate a holistic approach to the health emergency. Specifically, the ABF have been focusing on travel movements at borders and ports, as well as supporting the repatriation of Australian citizens, permanent residents and some foreign nationals evacuated from Hubei province, and facilitating their subsequent arrangements.
The ABF was able to commence the enforcement of the enhanced border control measures within a very short space of time, and airlines were advised of the initial announcement on 1 February—within a couple of hours of the government's decision. Formal written advice to airlines followed the same evening. I accept that some people's travel plans were disrupted and some people were significantly inconvenienced, but this was a necessary part of what was a difficult and unprecedented situation. In subsequent weeks, we have continued to successfully enforce these measures, minimising the impact on travellers where possible through regular and thorough engagement, including with airlines, ports, maritime authorities and the cruise-ship industry.
Modern, well-equipped quarantine facilities were established rapidly on Christmas Island, and a little later at Howard Springs near Darwin, to enable the safe return of Australians, permanent residents and their families from Hubei province to Australia. All of those people have now returned home and resumed their lives. I note that many have expressed their appreciation for the whole-of-government effort, including Qantas, to ensure they could safely return home. A further 170 people who were on the Diamond Princess cruise ship were also evacuated to the Howard Springs facility in the early hours of 20 February and are currently undertaking a 14-day quarantine period. I should note our condolences to the family of Mr James Kwan, who unfortunately passed in the last couple of days.
I am very proud of the way my officers have conducted themselves, whether on the front line or in the huge planning effort behind the scenes, particularly when considering how quickly we implemented the new border control measures—over just a few hours. Throughout the operation ABF officers have performed with the professionalism, commitment, diligence and compassion expected of them by the Australian public, and I commend their efforts.
Over the past four financial years, the number of international air travellers has risen by more than 17 per cent, from 38 million to 44.7 million. While imported air cargo consignments have increased by about 52 per cent, from 34.9 million to approximately 53 million. International mail gateways received more than 119 million inbound mail articles in the 2018-19 financial year.
Such enduring increases in volume necessitate a range of responses that improve efficiency and optimise the impact of our finite resources.
Our partnerships across the Home Affairs portfolio and with other intelligence and law enforcement agencies are delivering exceptional operational results, while our Australian Trusted Trader program is enabling us to focus our compliance efforts in more targeted ways. The ongoing Operation Cabestro, for example, is a joint investigation involving the ABF, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian tax office that started as a simple compliance activity in the ABF and is now targeting individuals and groups suspected of defrauding the Australian government of what could be hundreds of millions of dollars through claiming false duty drawbacks on imported alcohol.
The ABF-led whole-of-government Illicit Tobacco Taskforce has also continued to produce exceptional results, seizing more than 182 million cigarettes and 61 tons of loose-leaf tobacco at the border in the 2018-19 financial year. The estimated duty evaded there was more than $213 million.
Combating the scourge of illicit drugs of course continues to be one of the ABF's highest priorities. A very recent example of the continued threat was the seizure last month of 154 kilograms of methamphetamine that arrived in Melbourne via sea cargo from Mexico. It is only through working closely with partners, in this case the AFP and Victoria Police, that we can continue to maximise our capability and defend against such threats.
The ABF continues to lead the government's efforts to combat one of the most egregious forms of exploitation in the supply chain—modern slavery. A key focus of this work includes our engagement with business to ensure that supply chains in Australia are not tainted by modern slavery. Our border and supply chains also provide the mechanisms through which we can work with industry to improve the flow of people and goods for our overall economic benefit. We're developing a customs and border modernisation agenda designed to cut red tape, improve service delivery, enhance supply chain integrity and minimise revenue leakage. This is a complex program geared towards improving all aspects of our business while making our services more convenient, seamless and digital.
Delivering on this agenda will involve extensive partnership with industry, and to this end I have established the Customs Advisory Board and held our inaugural meeting on 25 February this year.
Whether with whole-of-government partners, industry or internal staff and stakeholders, collaboration remains the centre of gravity of the ABF's ability to continue to prepare for and respond to multiple priorities and threats.
Thank you, Chair.
