Australia’s support includes an AUD91.9 million financing package for the Laitim Hauslain project to improve national power infrastructure. This investment will connect 30,000 to 40,000 households, schools and clinics in Morobe and East New Britain provinces to electricity, many for the first time.

Australia’s financing forms part of the PNG Electrification Partnership, which supports a key Papua New Guinean Government priority to achieve 70 per cent electrification by 2030. Improved access to electricity will improve economic and development outcomes in Papua New Guinean, support economic development in local communities, and improve the delivery of vital services for the people of Papua New Guinea.

Australia has also invested AUD76.3 million to support the national road network, connecting communities and supporting improved access to markets. The investment will support the Papua New Guinean Department of Works and Highways to undertake long-term rehabilitation and maintenance of approximately 359 kms of roads along the Wau Highway in Morobe Province and the Sepik Highway in East Sepik and West Sepik (Sandaun) provinces.

Funding will contribute to designs for the proposed Trans-National Highway. This will assist the Papua New Guinean Government progress their priority Connect PNG Strategy, a plan to increase strategic connections across Papua New Guinea’s four regions over the next 20 years.

Both investments will provide employment for Papua New Guinean people and use local materials where possible, to help stimulate Papua New Guinea’s economy and recovery from COVID-19.

Laitim Hauslain Project

Wau and Sepik Highways 

For more information, contact aiffp@dfat.gov.au

*Updated AUD figure based on exchange rate: 1.0AUD/0.70USD

The upgrade, to be delivered by AIFFP in partnership with the Nauru Department of Transport, includes resurfacing of the runway and upgrade of some critical air traffic control equipment. The funding will also enable climate-resilient upgrades to sections of the Nauru ring road.

As a small and remote island-state, Nauru is heavily dependent on the airport to connect Nauruans with their families overseas and deliver fresh food, medicine and other critical supplies.

The airport upgrade is a major infrastructure priority for Nauru, and its people, and will ensure the airport continues to operate safely and meet international standards.

Joint statement: Australia-Nauru cooperation on critical transport infrastructure | Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister for Women (archived link)

Nauru airport refurbishment 

Australia, through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, is providing a USD22 million financing package to Solar Pacific Pristine Power for a landmark solar and battery energy storage facility in Palau.  

The financing was announced by the Minster for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Marise Payne during her visit to the Republic of Palau in December 2021. The agreements were signed on Monday 31 January 2022.

The project will deliver high-quality, renewable and sustainable energy infrastructure for Palau. It is anticipated to provide approximately 20 per cent of the country’s energy needs reducing dependency on imported diesel for power generation.

Palau Solar Plant Investment | The Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP)

For more information contact aiffp@dfat.gov.au

Schools across Fiji are switching on to 24/7 clean solar energy through our REnew Pacific project with It's Time Foundation and Fiji's Ministry of Education, supported by the Australian Government. 

Now more than halfway complete, the project is not slowing down and is already delivering: 

• Reliable, round-the-clock solar power to 26 remote and maritime schools
• New computer labs and Starlink internet, connecting students to digital learning for the first time
• Around $150,000+ in annual fuel savings, with money going straight back into classrooms
• Training for Fijian women in solar installation and electrical trades, building local skills to last a lifetime

What does this look like in real life? 

Nuku Secondary School, which serves 121 students in Nuku and surrounding villages, was one of the first schools to switch on power back in March.

Veremo Qalica, Principal at Nuku Secondary School, said that the financial savings from the switch to solar energy is creating opportunities to use that money to invest back into the school. “The cost of fuel, in the past decade, for the running of the school has been so enormous. From term one when we have full supply of electricity up until today, we have started to see that we have saved huge amounts of money. That money can be diverted to other areas of improvement for the school.”

Mereisi Taukena, a teacher at Nuku Secondary College, said that since the installation students no longer need to travel long distances to access internet and educational resources. “Things that they normally do, like they have to do all the way down to Navua to access internet. Now they don’t need to go, we have them here. They don’t need to go down for printing, we have our copier machine functioning very well.”

Nuku Secondary School student, Salome Seruwata, said that since the installation, they can now access laptops and internet whenever they need to. “Before the solar came, we usually borrowed our teachers' laptops to use for typing up our projects, but right now the laptops are there and there is internet connectivity.”

A new video, released this week, shares updates from staff and students about how reliable power and internet access have changed daily life at the school, from evening study to new digital learning opportunities.

Watch it here:

Every system is built to last, supported by the Solar Fund (Fiji) with a dedicated maintenance model to keep the lights on for years to come.

With the final schools to be connected later this year, Australia and its local partners are closing the energy and technology gap for rural students and teachers one solar panel at a time. 

Learn more. 

REnew Pacific is Australia’s $75 million investment in off-grid renewable energy for rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. It’s part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (#PCIFP), delivered through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (#AIFFP).

Around 600 students and 31 teachers at Goldie College in Solomon Islands’ Western Province are celebrating their new solar energy system delivering reliable, 24/7 power to support learning and school life.

Delivered through a REnew Pacific partnership between Superfly Limited, Goldie College and the Australian Government, the project will provide consistent electricity to power classrooms, improve study conditions and support the wider school community.

The official handover brought together government leaders, partners and the local community to celebrate this achievement, including representatives from Solomon Islands Government and the Australian High Commission.

Acting Australia’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Andrew Schloeffel, said the project highlights how renewable energy systems can improve education outcomes. 

“Renewable energy is cheap, clean and reliable, and a great solution to deliver more opportunities for students in remote areas,” said Acting High Commissioner Schloeffel.

“We’re also proud to partner with local businesses like Superfly to deliver these practical improvements for Solomon Islanders across the country.” 

Superfly Director, Gavin Pereira, said the project demonstrates how renewable energy can support both education and long-term development outcomes. 

“Access to reliable electricity is critical for schools. This system will enable students and teachers to learn and live more comfortably, while also providing a model that can be scaled to other communities,” said Mr Pereira.

Goldie College is one of three sites being supported through REnew Pacific’s first Solomon Islands project, which will support more than 81,000 people across Isabel, Western and Malaita provinces through improved access to renewable energy.

REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s $75 million investment in off-grid renewable energy for rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. It’s part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million initiative delivered through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by Palladium.

Learn more.

Staff from the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) have improved their understanding of issues relating to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) in the delivery of major infrastructure projects, thanks to the training provided through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

The focused training, delivered in collaboration with specialist training provider Evawtech over five days to senior leaders and board members as well as safeguards, human resources, procurement, finance, communications, technical and delivery teams, aimed to build leadership and staff capacity to better understand, protect from and respond to issues related SEAH. It covered topics including gender-based violence in road operations and engineering; SEAH expectations during procurement and of contractors; SEAH complaints handling; and inducting FRA staff and contractors on SEAH matters.

Evawtech Gender-Based Violence Specialist, Tevita Seruilumi, said the training aimed to equip staff to respond to instances of SEAH in their everyday work. “We’ve talked based on the experiences of the participants on a lot of realistic situations but also talking to them about possible responses from FRA in relation to diverse groups that FRA engages with,” he said.

The AIFFP and FRA are working together to improve roads and bridges across Viti Levu, with the Fiji Transport Infrastructure Restoration investment having upgraded more than 1.5 million square metres of road surface and eight critical bridges.

The training module forms part of the project, with the AIFFP committed to supporting partners beyond project delivery and building corporate capacity. In 2024, FRA launched its first-ever strategic plan with support from the AIFFP.

FRA Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Apisai Ketenilagi, said the training was particularly valuable for FRA’s male leaders. “It provided an opportunity for participants to differentiate between gender attributes, privileges and opportunities associated with specific genders, as well as understand the different types of gender-based violence and safeguarding measures,” he said.

The completion of Tonga’s second international undersea cable, the Tonga Hawaiki Cable Branch System, was celebrated in Vava’u today by HRH Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala. 

The cable will provide essential back up support to Tonga’s existing international undersea cable, strengthening Tonga’s telecommunications resilience and enabling a more reliable service for communities and businesses.

With a focus on long term sustainability, the project has supported Tonga Cable Limited staff capability development, including through training in system maintenance and business planning, to build in country expertise and sustain ongoing operations.

This project is jointly funded by Australia, through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) with a grant of AUD35.6 million, and a contribution of AUD19 million from New Zealand. 

This initiative forms part of Australia’s ongoing efforts to bolster telecommunications resilience across the Pacific and ensure communities have access to secure, reliable digital connectivity.

Today 23 June on International Women in Engineering Day, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) celebrates the women designing, building and delivering infrastructure across the Pacific.

Graduate engineer Leilla Lialu is applying her civil engineering training to real-world situations working for Pacific Marine Group on the marine infrastructure works of the Kimbe Port Refurbishment Project under the AIFFP's PNG Ports Infrastructure Investment Program. Leilla is building her technical and management skills by overseeing dredging, pile driving and lab testing, alongside supporting project managers with daily reporting and contract administration. 

Originally considering a career in mining engineering, Leilla was encouraged by her family to study civil engineering given the range of career pathways it presents – “you could work on roads, you could work on bridges, on buildings, anything. Anything you want to be, you can work on it.” This is proving true as Leilla sees her experience on the Kimbe Port Refurbishment Project broadening her career ambitions and potential future opportunities. 

In line with the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles, the AIFFP embeds local content and inclusivity across its investments - creating opportunities for Pacific women and their businesses to participate in infrastructure projects and supporting local jobs, skills development and inclusive economic growth.

 Leilla’s experience reflects our shared commitment across the Pacific to inclusive, transformative and locally driven infrastructure. Our investments are not only building physical infrastructure but also elevating the next generation of Pacific women engineers and creating pathways for them to participate, lead and shape the future of infrastructure in the Pacific.