Scott,
From the SMH Feb 16 2007;


The evacuation of Australians from Lebanon last year cost the federal government more than $30 million.

And the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it expected to recover only a fraction of the money after the government decided not to force evacuees to repay the cost of their repatriation.

DFAT on Thursday said the total cost of getting around 5,000 Australians out of Lebanon after fighting broke out with Israel last August was almost $30.4 million.