AFP boat intended to protect Kirribilli House also ferrying VIPs around Sydney Harbour

The $1m police boat bought to patrol the water frontage of the Prime Minister’s Sydney residence is making waves for all the wrong reasons.

The 11m vessel was commissioned in February 2023 and tasked with providing a water boat security presence about Kirribilli House, Admiralty House and the Garden Island Defence precinct. Picture: Charles Miranda

Exclusive: It is the police boat that’s making waves for all the wrong reasons.

Bought with great fanfare for more than $1 million dollars to patrol the water frontage of the Prime Minister and Governor-General’s Sydney residences.

But instead it has been busy ferrying VIPs around Sydney Harbour. And, after it was commissioned it was discovered there were not enough police officers qualified to skipper or crew the 11-metre vessel 24/7.

The boat as it was proposed. Picture: Supplied

Urgent training at a cost of more than $20,000 was ordered to get 21 officers – up from an initial 12 – certificates in maritime operations, short range radio proficiency and maritime safety, so they could guard the approximately 400m patch.

Now documents filed in the Senate have revealed that aside from an average of one patrol a day outside of the PM’s residence, Kirribilli House, and the GG’s residence, Admiralty House, the boat has been used for so many VIP trips it has prompted criticisms that the AFP have been running “a million dollar harbour cruise line”.

The waterfront of Admiralty House on Sydney Harbour.

Top of the list of VIP’s to enjoy a trip aboard the “AFP 10” was Prime Minister of Indonesia with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a visit to Taronga zoo.

It’s the second AFP boat brought into service on Sydney Harbour, despite NSW police holding sole responsibility for policing the state waterways with 66 boats – 15 which are already dedicated to Sydney Harbour. The newly named AFP10 is about a third of the size of the NSW police fleet flagship, the Nemesis.

NSW police Patrol Vessel Nemesis on Sydney Harbour.

Freedom of information documents show a further $10,000 was spent for AFP signage on the side of the new boat which means it won’t be able to be used for covert work.

The justification for spending so much money was boosting “protection capability” for the Prime Minister, Deputy AFP Commissioner Ian McCartney told Senate Estimates.

Deputy Commissioner McCartney said: “The AFP made the decision that the boat was required and that was a decision that was supported by government.”

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Australian Prime Minister were taken by boat to Taronga Zoo. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

The AFP only provides protection for the PM’s residence, the GG’s residence and Defence’s Garden Island, frustrating senior police who say the money could have better spent on staffing.

Greens Justice Spokesman Senator David Shoebridge said the “data shows a very bizarre set of priorities from the AFP who are devoting millions to patrolling a few hundred metres of Sydney Harbour coastline which is already fully covered by NSW Police.

Senator David Shoebridge has questioned the reasoning behind the purchase of a new AFP boat. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“There is a real question about why the AFP found it necessary to buy this million dollar speedboat and then millions more to staff it just to replicate work the NSW Police are already doing.

“There are plenty of existing harbour cruise options for VIPs to use without the AFP running their own million dollar cruise line.

The new boat named AFP 10. Picture: Charles Miranda.

“We will be asking why the AFP found it necessary to ferry 22 VIPs around the harbour and how that possibly related to their core job of keeping Australians safe?”

Senate documents show The AFP 10 in its first 150 days averaged one patrol a day past Admiralty and Kirribilli houses, 22 VIP movements, three preparedness activities, three persons checks, nine exercises, two close personal protection jobs and one assisting NSW Police.

At the time of the launch of AFP 10, AFP Superintendent Protection Operations Mark Baron said the boat will allow a timely security response on Sydney Harbour.

“The new vessels add an exciting element to our protective service capabilities and really extend the breadth of work that our Protective Service Officers can expect to face in their day-to-day roles.”

An AFP spokesman said VIP movements are “Protective Security Transfers that occur as part of the AFP’s Protection Operations capability.”

He said the AFP will not provide further detail on this as it has the potential to compromise operation methodology.

Originally published as AFP boat intended to protect Kirribilli House also ferrying VIPs around Sydney Harbour