Transcript
Prime Minister Rick Hou's support for the project is significant given the controversy over the new deal with Australia prior to the downfall of the previous government which reportedly did not go down well with some former cabinet members.
CONCETTA FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: We have been in discussions with the Solomon Island government over the past few months. We do welcome the new government's support for this project as has been expressed by the incoming prime minister and we can now continue to work with the Solomon Islands in our planning. And can I just say Australia and Papua New Guinea are working with the Solomon Islands to lay this cable at the same time.
KOROI HAWKINS: Now between Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea you will be footing quite a big bill. Where is that funding going to come from and is it money well spent?
CF-W: Well we of course Australia will provide the majority funding for this cable and we will also as a first step be using about 25 million dollars of our overseas development assistance to fund the initial consultation work with PNG and an experienced Australian telecommunications company which has experience in the management of undersea cable projects. So we have been working with PNG and looking at a number of and a range of options and funding models in this area for a number of years. And PNG of course does have an existing underwater cable connection to Australia but it has become clear in recent years that this cable has reached its end of life use and therefore requires upgrading and therefore we believe that this investment will not only reduce the amount of debt that will be required by both the Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands government but it will also provide faster cheaper and more reliable telecommunications needs as well as respecting the sovereignty of both countries.
KH: Just going a bit wider with the wider geo-politics of the region with the current US administration's Indo-Pacific Region focus is any of the funding for some of this or is any of the strategic influence for this position, taking into consideration that the Australian government probably wasn't as involved in the previous moves by especially Solomon Islands for an undersea cable, is any of this coming from the United States?
CF-W: Look we have a very important objective in our region. Australia has indicated that it will be stepping up its engagement in the region and as part of that step engagement we have we are working regionally and bilaterally with different countries as to how we can better integrate into the Pacific Islands economically, security wise and strategically. After the defence of Australia the stability security and prosperity of our region is vitally important and so it is in, very much in Australia's interest to have a well-connected both Papua New Guinea and a well-connected Solomon Islands with more development friendly IT infrastructure which in turn will have a much stronger and more positive impact on the long term economic trajectory of both countries.
KH: Do we have a timeline on the current projects any figures on the costs and maybe contractor announcements?
CF-W: Well I think at this stage the first step will be to use overseas development assistance funding to work in consultation with the countries and to work with both countries in relation to this issue. Now we have entered into discussions with a significant Australian telecommunications company which is experienced in the management of undersea cable projects. For reasons of obviously commercial confidentiality we are unable to name the company at this stage but we hope to do so in the future when we have proceeded and had further discussions with Papua New Guinea and with the Solomons but of course the selector, provider and any work that is undertaken will be undertaken in accordance with our own procurement rules.
KH: Just what you said about working with PNG to help Solomon Islands. Is it the case that this cable project is going to go Australia, PNG, Solomons as opposed to Solomons Sydney?
CF-W: Well I think at this point in time that’s some of the technical things that are being looked at. We have been discussing a range of options and funding models in relation to this for some time but we see that there are significant efficiencies from implementing both cables at the same time and therefore what I said earlier reduce the costs that would have been involved in two separate parallel projects as both countries had been contemplating previously. So we see this project as representing the best opportunity to not only deliver an international telecommunications standard to both the countries but also provide both economic and development benefits for both countries as well.
