Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis

Working closely with PNG Power Limited, Australia has provided up to A$400,000 (just over PGK1,000,000) for the purchase and delivery of ten 80kva transformers that are needed to restore power across parts of Hela Province and Southern Highlands Province, which have a combined population exceeding 750,000.

The transformers will see reliable power restored to some 3,500 PNG Power customers, including businesses, health clinics, schools and family homes.

Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis, Minister for Mining Bryon Chan, Minister for HIV&AIDs Michael Malabag, Kavieng Open MP Ben Micah, Governor for New Ireland Province (NIP) Sir Julius Chan, Secretary for National Department of Health Pascoe Kase and other high profile delegates and important guests turned up for the historic occasion.

The occasion also culminated with the opening of the state-of-the-heart Operating Theatre and X-Ray suite and provincial medical store and the swearing in of the new PHA Board.

The new hospital board includes:

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.

Parkop made this comment during the World Refugee Day commemoration in Port Moresby, which was attended by the Australia High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Bruce Davis.          

"In Papua New Guinea, we have our refugees; it's not a new phenomenon,” Parkop said, referring to displaced people as a result of tribal fights and now climate change.

“We know we have been forced into this situation with the Australia Government.

"High Commissioner, I am one of the MPs who has been against what is happening at the Manus Detention Centre.