Staff Notice No. 08/2004

UNIVERSITY TRAVEL ADVISORIES - WARNINGS TO UNIVERSITY STAFF

Dear Colleagues

The increasing threat of global terrorism, the degeneration of law and order in some countries, in some cases leading to civil war, and the increasing threat of kidnap to travellers require that the University carefully monitor the situation in overseas countries in order that our staff are aware of the more dangerous places in the world and are protected from that danger by not being required to travel to those countries.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issues periodic advisories for each country in the world, setting out the dangers (if any) facing travellers to those countries. Those countries which are assessed as having the greatest danger to travellers contain one of the following advices:.

.“Australians should defer all travel to….” (category 1 – highest level of threat).

.“Australians should defer non-essential travel to…..” (category 2).

While we cannot stop travelling because of a general threat of terrorism, insurgency, civil war, kidnapping or ethnic assault, it is common sense that travel restrictions be considered for those areas identified by DFAT as having the highest levels of threat. Accordingly, I have asked our Insurance Manager, David Middleton, to advise all staff at regular intervals of those areas assessed by DFAT as having category 1 or category 2 threats. In respect of official University travel to those areas so identified:.

.travel to countries having a category 1 threat will not be authorised or approved;

. travel to countries having a category 2 threat will only be approved by myself or the person acting in the appointment of Vice-Chancellor.

There are also countries where DFAT has no general threat warning but where there are local areas within the country – usually border areas or remote country areas – where threats to travellers are high. David Middleton will separately identify these countries in his staff announcements, and staff intending to travel to these countries should either check with him or on the DFAT Web site (www.dfat.gov.au) for specific information about these areas.

Best wishes

Roger Dean