Australia needs to help PNG improve border surveillance

The one area Australia can help PNG is in regard to border surveillance including the monnitoring of sea lanes and activity in the extensive fishing zones around the PNG coast. The PNG nav y is small and under-resourced. Often the handful of navy vessels are tied-up in port because of poor maintenance or the incapacity of the government to fund fuel and other needs.

As China increases its PNG presence the need for proper surveillance of shipping and aircraft movements grows. Any proposal by China to help in that area ought to be treated with suspicion. But only a pro-active approach by Australia can prevent that. If China gets a foothold in the surveillance and customs and customs areas then it would be like having the fox keeping an eye on the chook pen!

PNG needs training for customs and border surveillance staff. Australia is uniquely able to provide it.

These important national and regional security areas are under-funded to an alarming extent, and the weak PNG fiscal position just makes it worse.

This is an opportunity we should embrace and include a community education campaign on the importance of secure burders and proper surveillance.