Read full article here. Scrambling to keep up: THE first group of asylum-seekers subjected to Kevin Rudd's Papua New Guinea Solution will be shipped to Manus Island within a week as Labor fights to contain a surge in boat arrivals and steps up efforts to complete a dramatic expansion of the 300-person processing centre... Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare's office confirmed 17 boats carrying 1350 asylum-seekers had been intercepted since Mr Rudd signed the deal with his PNG counterpart Peter O'Neill... Ernie Lohberger, who runs water engineering business Lohberger Engineering, told The Australian yesterday he had been contacted on Thursday by Toll to ask him to have a desalination plant and chlorinated water tanks installed on Manus Island within four days. The plant will provide enough water for 600 people, but much greater capacity would be needed if the population expands to the anticipated 3000, he said.