Canberra, 18 September 1968
Top Secret
Submission No. 274—Papua and New Guinea—Strength of the Pacific Islands Regiment1
The Cabinet noted and accepted the need, referred to in the first paragraph of the Submission, for revision of the programme adopted by the Cabinet in 1963 for the expansion of the Pacific Islands Regiment to three battalions plus supporting units.
2. Further, having regard to the views expressed in the Submission, the Cabinet agreed that it would be a reasonable course to hold the strength of the P.I.R. at approximately the present level until the review of the overall defence forces of Papua–New Guinea recommended by the Defence Committee (and referred to in the second paragraph of the Submission) can be carried out.
3. It was noted that the overall review could be made early in 1969. It was the Cabinet’s view that it should take place as soon as possible.
4. In accepting that the strength of the P.I.R. might be held at its present level pending the review, the Cabinet specially noted that it was not ruling out such marginal increases in numbers in the meantime as would serve operational efficiency and as may be agreed upon by the Minister for the Army and the Minister for External Territories in consultation.2
[NAA: A5868, 274]
1 Document 216.
2 Defence had in early September commissioned its own review of the PIR. See ‘Report of the review committee into the future size and role of the army in Papua New Guinea’, 11 December 1968, NAA: A6846, 18.