Australian Government
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
IMPLEMENTATION OF JOINT UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA ON FURTHER BILATERAL COOPERATION ON HEALTH, EDUCATION AND LAW AND ORDER
Update as at 29 February 2016
- The Joint Understanding (JU) was signed by Prime Minister O’Neill and former Prime Minister Rudd on 19 July 2013.
- Under the JU, Australia committed $420 million of assistance to:
- fund 50% of the redevelopment of Lae ANGAU Hospital and contribute to the costs of senior management personnel;
- deploy an additional 50 Australian Police in Port Moresby and Lae;
- rehabilitate essential infrastructure at the University of PNG and support twinning and exchange with Australian institutions;
- scope and design the Lower Courts complex in Port Moresby;
- scope and design the Madang-Ramu Highway; and
- recruit senior positions in the Royal PNG Constabulary, and National Departments of Health and Education.
- The JU Joint Implementation Framework was signed by the Australian High Commissioner and Chief Secretary on 10 January 2014.
- The Joint Understanding Consultative Committee has met five times.
Australia to fund 50% of the redevelopment of Lae ANGAU Hospital and contribute to the costs of senior management personnel
- The Master Plan for the Lae ANGAU Hospital was finalised in June 2015.
- Hassell was selected through an international competitive tender process to undertake the Master Planning process.
- The detailed architectural design stage will commence following joint approval of the Master Plan by the Governments of PNG and Australia.
- The detailed architectural design work and construction works will both be subject to international tender processes.
- In July 2015, Dr Christopher Kenyhercz, a senior healthcare executive from the United States, commenced as the CEO of ANGAU Hospital following an international recruitment process which was undertaken in conjunction with the PNG Departments of Personnel Management and Health.
- Australia is funding the non-salary component of the CEO position.
- In 2013, PNG endorsed the release of K15 million for urgent repairs on the hospital under ‘State of Emergency’ arrangements. In 2014, a further K21 million was allocated to the emergency works.
- Three new 50-bed wards have been constructed with this funding.
- The State of Emergency for ANGAU hospital has since been rescinded.
- Australia has commenced a program of interim works valued at K20 million to improve service delivery and prepare for the commencement of major works at ANGAU.
- Site preparatory works, valued at K9 million, include designs of longer term infrastructure such as in-ground services, site survey, remediation and clearance works, and the provision of a new operating theatre and stand-alone dental clinic.
- Work has commenced on 39 projects, valued at K11 million, to improve services at ANGAU.
- In 2016, the Australian Government will fund infrastructure upgrades to increase student capacity of the Lae School of Nursing which is located at ANGAU hospital. Architectus has been selected as the contract management services consultant.
- A contractor has been selected for this work which is expected to commence in March 2016.
- A redevelopment site office will be established on hospital grounds to facilitate works coordination and community engagement. The site office will be operational in March 2016.
- A works coordinator has been engaged to assist the hospital to scope, tender and implement urgent repairs. The coordinator commenced in February 2015. A communications manager is also supporting staff and community engagement around the redevelopment.
- The Steering Committee to oversee the rehabilitation of ANGAU Hospital met five times in 2014, and four times in 2015. The next meeting is scheduled for March 2016.
Additional 50 Australian Police in Port Moresby and Lae
- All 50 Australian Federal Police (AFP) were deployed before the end of 2013 in Port Moresby and Lae under a Memorandum of Understanding for deployment signed by the AFP and Royal PNG Constabulary Commissioners.
- The PNG-Australia Ministerial Forum in December 2014 agreed to a re-shaping of the deployment to increase its focus on the professionalism of the RPNGC, combating family and sexual violence, major event security and increased training in Australia.
Rehabilitation of essential infrastructure at University of PNG (UPNG) and support for twinning and exchange with Australian institutions
- The work plan for this commitment was endorsed by the Director General for the Office for Higher Education and Vice-Chancellor of UPNG in September 2013. Australia’s support, which is guided by UPNG’s Quality Assessment, includes:
- twinning and exchange programs with Australian tertiary institutions to improve the quality of teaching and learning;
- improving the management of student records, safety and security on the campus grounds, and the rehabilitation of UPNG’s existing Main Lecture Theatre; and
- subject to detailed scoping and design, construction of an additional lecture theatre and the new School of Business and Public Policy.
- Infrastructure works at UPNG are being procured by the JU-Technical Enabling Unit, which is managed by Cardno Emerging Markets.
- scoping for the School of Business and Public Policy, a new student services building, and a new lecture theatre were completed in 2015. Detailed design work is nearing completion with construction due to commence in 2016.
- security lighting upgrades to key campus pathways and ICT upgrades to the Main Lecture Theatre were completed in 2015. Further small-scale infrastructure and maintenance support is also underway.
- Arrangements for twinning and exchange programs with Australian tertiary institutions have been finalised.
- In April 2015, UPNG agreed a twinning MoU with James Cook University (JCU) for support to improve teaching and learning services.
- In November 2015, JCU commenced delivery of the Graduate Certificate of Education (Academic Practice) to the first cohort of UPNG academics
- It is anticipated that a second cohort of UPNG academics will commence the Certificate in April 2016.
Scoping and Design of the Lower Courts Complex in Port Moresby
- Cox Rayner Architects & Pac Architects (in partnership) have completed the scoping and design of the Lower Court Complex (Magisterial Services), including preliminary architectural designs.
- The master plan and concept design were submitted in January 2016. These documents are being reviewed by the Governments of Australia and PNG with a view to being formally approved in March 2016.
- The scoping and design of the Lower Court Complex was managed by the JU-Technical Enabling Unit, managed by Cardno Emerging Markets.
Scoping and Design Study of the Madang – Ramu Highway
- The scoping and design study of the Ramu Highway is being managed by the Australian-funded PNG-Australia Transport Sector Support Program (TSSP).
- The PNG Department of Works (DoW) approved the approach for the scoping and design study tender in March 2014.
- Following an international competitive tender process, the contract for the scoping and design study was awarded to the Ramu Gateway Joint Venture in November 2014.
- A draft Scoping Study report was finalised in December 2015.
- It is expected that the Governments of PNG and Australia will consider scoping study findings in the first quarter of 2016. Once endorsed, a detailed technical design study of the recommended option can be undertaken.
Recruitment of senior positions in PNG Police, Correctional Services and National Departments of Health and Education
- The Government of PNG has not yet identified the positions for which it wishes to utilise Australian assistance. Any positions to be filled will be identified through the Joint Understanding Consultative Committee.