Naval base considered a potential strategic asset as Australia tries to contain China’s influence in Pacific

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Defence officials have been deployed on a “scoping visit” to Manus Island as Australia and Papua New Guinea work on plans to develop a joint naval base.

Department of Defence officers were sent to survey the Lombrum base between 28 August and 30 August, after the PNG prime minister, Peter O’Neill, expressed interest in working with Australia to redevelop the site as a joint facility.

However, there has been confusion over the proposed base. Last week, the chief of the PNG defence force denied any plans to set up a new base in Manus Island with Australia. Gilbert Toropo, the defence force commander, said the PNG defence force was not having discussions with Australia about building a new naval base.

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But at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Wednesday, the Australian Department of Defence secretary, Greg Moriarty, said Australia would likely shoulder most of the costs.

“My expectation is that should the Australian government agree to something like that, we would take the lion’s share of the funding,” Moriarty told the committee. “But PNG would make a contribution, as they do already, to the maintenance and sustainment of that base.”

The naval base is considered a potential strategic asset as Australia tries to contain China’s growing military influence in the Pacific.

Australia is already spending $5m to upgrade a wharf at the facility as it prepares to “gift” PNG four patrol boats.

The government expects to spend $40m on Defence projects in PNG this financial year.

International policy officer Hugh Jeffrey said discussions about the naval base upgrades were ongoing, and a final decision would be made at a prime ministerial level.

The foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, told the committee she met with O’Neill and various PNG cabinet ministers two weeks ago.

Asked several times whether the Lombrum naval base was discussed, Payne replied: “We discussed a broad range of issues.”

The Labor senator Penny Wong asked the chief of defence force, Angus Campbell, whether an announcement on the base would be made at an Apec summit in PNG next month.

Campbell said it was a matter for the government.

“So that’s a yes,” Wong replied.

Australia is also working on a joint base in Fiji. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and his Fijian counterpart announced a deal on the Black Rock policing, peacekeeping and pre-deployment base in Nadi in August.



After questions from Labor’s Penny Wong at a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday, senior Defence officials confirmed there was not yet a “ballpark” figure for the base, nor a memorandum of understanding.



Construction on the base is expected to start next year. There is not yet any detail on the cost of the facility.

