Tongan soldiers building houses for Aboriginal township

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Updated August 31, 2009 17:12:12

Ten Tongan soldiers are working with the Australian Army in far north Queensland at the moment, helping build houses at a remote aboriginal community. The Tongan servicemen are mainly tradesmen, and they're assisting Australian troops in the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program build houses and a road at the settlement of Mapoon, on the Cape York Peninsula. They were recently paid a visit by Tonga's Crown Prince Lavaka, who is the Kingdom's High Commissioner in Australia. The commander of the program, Major Paul Wright, tells Bruce Hill the Tongans, and before them a contingent from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, have made a significant contribution which the local people and the Australian soldiers appreciate.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Major Paul Wright, commander of the Australian Army's Aboriginal Community Assistance Program

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