THE Australian Government spends over SBD$5 billion on high quality disaster resilient infrastructures across the country since 2019.
This shows that Australia is a number one partner for Solomon Islands in development, the Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy said.
Minister Conroy highlighted Australia’s funding assistance to various sectors in Solomon Islands, including infrastructure, when speaking to Solomon Islands National University (SINU) students at Panatina Lecture Theater on Thursday.
He was in Honiara on a two-day visit aimed at further strengthening the Australia-Solomon Islands bilaterial relationship.
“Australia is Solomon Islands’ number one partner on infrastructure, spending over 5 billion Solomon dollars on high quality, disaster resilient infrastructure across the Solomon Islands since 2019.
“We are delivering infrastructure projects in every province, supporting people, communities, and the economy.”
In 2024 to date, Australia Government delivered these infrastructure projects:
- Seghe airfield upgrade in collaboration with New Zealand;
- Tulagi Market Refurbishment;
- Bus Shelter Construction and Central Market Extension in Honiara;
- SBD 250 million Naha Birthing and Urban Health Center in Honiara;
- Malaita’s South Road Emergency Works in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development); and
- Tulagi Shipyard upgrade in the Central Province.
In the second half of 2024, the Australian Government looks forward to:
- Delivering six mobile towers using Ericsson technology across
Choiseul, Malaita, Western and Isabel provinces in collaboration with
Our Telekom; - Construction of new terminals at Seghe and
Taro airfields in collaboration with New Zealand; - Establishment of the Choiseul Provincial Emergency Operations Center;
- Designing the redevelopments of Noro Port and Buala wharf;
- Supporting main works for the Tina River Hydropower Development Project; and
- Construction of Seghe and Malu’u markets in Western and Malaita provinces.
The Australian Government in this ambitious development activities, prioritizes local contractors in its projects – creating or supporting over 4,200 jobs in infrastructure.
It has a particular eye on the industries of the future, particularly the green industries to move away from carbon fuels to renewables.
“That’s why, through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, Australia is investing near 1 million Australian dollars (SBD5.5 million) in four small-scale off-grid renewable energy business partnerships in Central, Guadalcanal, Malaita and Western Provinces.
“And that is why we’ve been so committed to the Tina River Hydropower Development Project.
“We know great infrastructure – particularly telecommunications infrastructure – is absolutely critical.
“That’s why, again through the AIFFP, Australia is working closely with the Solomon Islands Government to explore options to connect to new trans-Pacific submarine cables under development by the telecommunications industry.
“So that Solomon Islands can have resilient, uninterrupted connectivity and not experience blackouts if the existing Coral Sea Cable System experiences a break, like what Tonga suffered in January 2022, and again in July this year,” Minister Conroy said.
By LACHLAN SHYVES EDDIE
Solomon Star, Honiara
