30th Australia-PNG Ministerial Forum

The largest delegation of Australian ministers attended the 30th Australia-PNG Ministerial Forum on 19 June, which saw Australia commit to a suite of new initiatives aimed at strengthening PNG’s national security and law and justice priorities.

These initiatives will be funded out of the A$200 million budget from the Bilateral Security Agreement announced by Australia and PNG in December 2023.

The announcement was made a little more than a month after reports that PNG was considering signing a policing deal with Beijing. Australia has also donated a vessel from Tasmania Police as a maritime gift to PNG.

It was also announced that Australia would deliver 12 new armoured vehicles to the PNG Defence Force in October 2024 for internal security operations as well as fund the refurbishment of the Air Transport Wing. https://www.thenational.com.pg/aust-to-help-improve-pngdf/

You can read more at https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/delivering-under-australia-papua-new-guinea-bilateral-security-agreement and https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/21-june-2024-the-week-in-australian-foreign-affairs/

Private Sector Cheques Stopped

As of 28 June 2024, the Bank of South Pacific (BSP) stopped accepting private sector cheques as a means of payment. Only Public Sector cheques, including BPNG, all levels of Government, and State-Owned Enterprise cheques will be exempt.

Mt Hagen Checkpoint

The Western Highlands Provincial Police Commander was planning to establish a checkpoint outside of Mt Hagen city in late June to clamp down on the movement of illegal firearms and ammunition to the Upper Highlands provinces, as well as monitor vehicles and commuters for illegal weapons moving into Enga, Southern Highlands and Hela provinces. https://www.postcourier.com.pg/checkpoints-to-monitor-movementof-firearms-into-upper-highlands/

68th Goroka Show

Goroka will host the 68th Goroka Show between 13–15 September 2024. The first day of the festival, Friday 13th, will see the Pikinini Festival take place to educate the younger generation about the values of their cultural identity and heritage. The main event, on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th, will see 150 traditional groups from all over PNG showcase their unique performances. https://www.postcourier.com.pg/498921-2/

PNG Minister Charged

In early July, the Hon. Jimmy Maladina, PNG Minister for Petroleum, stepped aside following alleged domestic assault charges during a visit to Sydney. He remains on bail under set conditions.

Read further at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-07/png-minister-charged-with-domestic-assault-in-sydney/104068390

New Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy

In December 2016, the ABC announced it was shutting down its long-running short-wave radio service across northern Australia and the South Pacific. On 13 July 2024, the Commonwealth committed A$40.5 million in the ABC over five years to the new Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy to create new content, grow digital engagement and ongoing support for media partners in the Pacific, Southeast Asia and South Asia, and expand Radio Australia’s FM footprint across the Pacific.

Read more at https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/indo-pacific-strategy-aims-to-boost-media-development-in-region/104091708

Ongoing Ethnic Clashes

In late June, four primary schools in Tewae-Siassi’s Sialum in Morobe had to close down for the academic year due to ongoing ethnic clashes. Provincial Education Officer, Keith Tangui said that the Nunzen and Gerup primary, along with two other schools, were closed for the remainder of 2024 due to continuous fighting in Sialum. Read more at https://www.thenational.com.pg/four-schools-shut-due-to-fighting/

PNG Resources Week

This commenced with the PNG Industrial and Mining Resources Exhibition and Conference on 3–4 July in Port Moresby, bringing together all sectors of the industrial, mining and resources industries, and featuring over 100 displays of equipment and stands.

Exercise Pitch Black

PNG has one of the world’s youngest air forces, but that didn’t stop it from taking to the skies in war games alongside stealth cutting-edge fighter jets in Exercise Pitch Black from 12 July to 2 August 2024. Held every two years, sorties operated from the RAAF bases in Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory and Amberley, Queensland.

Exercise Pitch Black is the RAAF’s most significant flying activity. It focuses on large-force employment and aims to strengthen international engagement and enhance Australia’s ability to work with overseas partners. PNG’s first-time participation boosts its defence ties with Australia and the United States.

https://images.defence.gov.au/assets/Home/Search?Query=20240716raaf8165233_0054.jpg&Type=Filename

PNG National Rugby League (NRL) Bid

PNG Prime Minister James Marape is pushing hard to have a PNG team included in the 2028 Australian NRL competition. He was quoted as saying:

Rugby league is part of our contribution to ceasing lawlessness, ceasing unemployment, ceasing unengagement by the youths. We still have politics that divide, we still have tribes that we are affiliated to, but our common denominator right across the land of 1000 tribes is rugby league and the passion for rugby league. Sports unites.

Extract from the Daily Telegraph (Sydney) newspaper, 23 July 2024

Another PNG politician who strongly advocates for the inclusion of PNG in the NRL is Michael Marum, the Governor of East New Britain and former coach of the Kumuls and Hunters RL teams.

Three New Judges

In late June, the Governor-General of PNG, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae, officiated the swearing-in of three judges to the National and Supreme Court of Justice, each to serve ten-year terms.

They were Justices Lawrence Kangwia, Justice Peter Toliken and Justice Iova Sebea Geita. Refer to https://www.looppng.com/png-news/three-judges-reappointed-126474

Team PNG

The line-up for PNG’s Olympic team, which got underway in late July, represented various disciplines. They included two from swimming (Josh Tarere and Georgia-Leigh Vele), taekwondo (Gibson Mara and Kevin Kassman), weightlifting (Morea Bau) and Leoni Beu (sprinter) from athletics. Georgia-Leigh was the team’s flag bearer. Chef de Mission was four-time Olympic swimmer, Ryan Pini MBE.