Aussie envoy visits Imbonggu projects

Australia’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Bruce Davis was on a tour yesterday (Sept 1) to visit several major impact development projects undertaken in the Imbonggu district of Southern Highlands Province.

The trip was a first for Davis and was accompanied by senior Australian High Commission officials, Minister Counsellor Ben David, Counsellor James Passmore and First Secretary Lyn Bell.

They visited some major impact development projects undertaken by Minister for Works and Implementation, Francis Awesa, who is also the MP for Imbonggu.

Among them is the source of raw fresh water from Imbonggu district that is proposed to be piped into Australia covering a distance of 2,500 kilometres in a three and a half metre diameter pipe.

The project is to be based on a gravity feed system that will power itself by sourcing water from 5,500 feet in altitude from Mt Giluwe, Imbonggu district down to the head waters of Murray-Darling Basin, Central Queensland, Australia roughly at Augathella, at an altitude of about 350 feet.

The Australian diplomats were also taken on a helicopter tour of proposed Southern Highlands- Gulf highway, recently completed Mendi-Kandep highway and currently under construction Mendi-Tambul Highway.

In Mendi, they visited some church-run health and community projects as well as an orphanage centre outside Mendi town.

Awesa described the visit as very significant in view of several major infrastructure projects currently undertaken in Imbonggu district.

He said  the visit was educational for Davis and his senior staff to see and learn for themselves the projects that are being undertaken.

Picture: Australian High Commissioner  to PNG, Bruce Davis (right) and Francis Awesa arriving yesterday by helicopter at Kiburu Lodge outside Mendi, the Southern Highlands provincial capital after visiting several major project sites.

Author: 
Press Release