MEDIA RELEASE
18 September 2008
For immediate release
PNG AND AUSTRALIAN FORCES WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE SOLDIERS’ LIVING CONDITIONS
The Papua New Guinea and Australian Defence Forces have been working together for the past month to improve the living conditions for PNGDF soldiers and their families in Port Moresby.
Military engineers from both countries renovated two accommodation blocks for soldiers, the PNGDF Communications Centre, the Murray Barracks Chapel, and three classrooms at Ted Diro Primary School. Additional work also has been undertaken at Taurama Barracks, where the engineers were accommodated.
The work was undertaken as part of Exercise PUKPUK, an annual joint exercise between the Papua New Guinea Defence Force Engineer Battalion and the Royal Australian Engineers.
The Australian Deputy High Commissioner to PNG, Ms Ann Harrap, officially handed over the renovated buildings at a ceremony at Murray Barracks today.
“All defence forces rely on the strength and performance of their soldiers and I am pleased this year’s projects will directly benefit PNG Defence Force soldiers and their families,” Ms Harrap said.
“Australia is very proud to once again conclude a major exercise with our PNG wantoks. Exercise PUKPUK brings physical improvements to the lives of PNG soldiers and families living at both Murray and Taurama barracks.
“It also serves to bring us closer as friends and neighbours and to reinforce the strong people-to-people links which are so fundamental to a solid, mutually beneficial bilateral relationship,” she said.
The Head of the Australian Defence Staff in PNG, Colonel Luke Foster, described the engineering works as excellent and praised Exercise PUKPUK as an opportunity to build friendships, cultural understand and mutual respect between PNG and Australian soldiers.
Exercise PUKPUK is an element of the broader Australia-PNG Defence Cooperation Program. In total, 78 soldiers (23 from PNG and 55 from Australia) worked for over 420 hours to complete all the projects.
Media Inquiries: Francina Thomson, Public Diplomacy Officer, T: 325 9333 ext 276, Email: [email protected]