Minister of Defence Dr Wayne Mapp and Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy today announced that Defence Review 2009 had drawn a groundswell of public opinion, with hundreds of submissions having been received on the future of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

"An excellent cross-section of New Zealanders from all sides of the Defence debate have made written submissions or attended a public meeting.  For the most part, the views expressed have been forward-looking rather than focusing on past issues," Dr Mapp said.

"In total, we have received 594 submissions for Defence Review 09 - 242 from members of the public, 204 from the NZDF (internal consultation process) and 148 as part of the consultation process that we ran in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth Development," Mrs Roy said.

"We have also heard a number of oral submissions at public meetings in Auckland, Wellington Central, Dunedin, Whangarei, Tauranga, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wanganui and Blenheim.  It is encouraging to see New Zealanders exercising their right to democracy and having their say.

"Defence Review 09 is focussed on capability requirements and we will seek to make choices that provide us with the agility and flexibility to respond to a range of circumstances out to 2035," Mrs Roy said.

"Views expressed on the Anzac relationship have been of particular interest.  Australia is our major security partner; our Defence personnel and assets are highly valued by Australia for the skills and depth they bring to our combined efforts," Dr Mapp said.

"Meetings are still to be held in Westport, Christchurch, New Plymouth and Upper Hutt and we urge people to come along and ensure that their views are heard and recorded," the Ministers said.