Why worthwhile Australian entities like YWAM deserve greater government assistance

The report this week from a reputable international agency suggesting the real population of Papua New Guinea might be 17 million, compared to the "official" PNG Government figure of about 9 million, has sounded alarm in Canberra, but been largely ignored in Waigani.

The 17 million figure may be a bit high...I think it is closer to 12 million, but no one really knows.

Whatever the true figure, it carries one consequence. The capacity of the PNG Government to provide the education, health and infrastructure needs simply does not exist. It does not exist for 9 million people so there is zero chance it could for 12 or 17 million.

And it further brings into question the real effectiveness of our $600 million aid program to Papua New Guinea.

In my view the population explosion justifies a total review of our aid program centred on better resourcing worthy Australian groups, and churches to play a greater on-the-ground role in delivering vital services across PNG.

Today I want to highlight my own association with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) and what it has achieved in just 12 years engagement in PNG.

It was early in 2009 that I took the retiring Speaker of the Queensland Parliament, Mike Reynolds, to meet with Ken Mulligan, the CEO of the Townsville based YWAM.

After Ken outlined the proposal, I undertook to raise it with the then PNG Prime Minister, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. The Grand Chief wasted no time telling me that YWAM would be warmly welcomed to PNG.

Within a year, the first YWAM Medical Ship berthed in PNG.

Its initial mission was to call into remote villages along the Gulf and Fly River Province.

In the first week while moored off the Gulf coast an old man was brought down to the ship on a bed. He was totally blind with cataracts. Within 3 days his sight was restored. What the wonderful YWAM team of young volunteers from all over the world did not know was that the old man was a World War Two veteran who carried for the Australian Army!

Australia had neglected him. Shameful!

Within 12 months hundreds of babies had been born on the ship from communities which had experienced almost no engagement with health services ever.

Within a few years there were up to three ships operating along the coast from Fly River right around to Morobe and Madang.

The number of village people receiving medical, dental and optical procedures got as high as 20,000 in some years. It's currently between 10,000 and 15,000 annually.

YWAM has now added a dental trailer to its fleet allowing inland communities to be serviced as well as coastal communities. That number is expected to grow to three, focussed on Port Moresby.

YWAM hopes two add two smaller vessels next year enabling services to be provided to River communities across PNG.

In addition, around 1 million people have participated in health and community education programs run by YWAM.

The YWAM team now includes over 100 Papua New Guineans in its workforce.

Now how much assistance does this work from an Australian entity receive from the federal government which dishes out $600 million a year in aid?

I would have thought $10 million would be justified, given the number of people in remote communities who have received vital medical assistance from YWAM teams.

This year, DFAT gave YWAM just $700,000, and given after numerous reports, studies and so on.

There are clearly people in DFAT who don't want to give YWAM any support, possibly because it receives some support from overseas Christian churches.

But it is also generously supported by businesses in Townsville and elsewhere in Australia.

It receives limited government support in PNG.

YWAM is not the only Australian entity providing vital services to the people of PNG, especially along the Papuan coast, which is closest to Northern Australia. But its work is exceptional and could be multiplied with greater Australian Government assistance.

I hope that when PM Albanese does visit PNG he will ask why groups like YWAM don't get more support.

It is overwhelmingly in the Australian National Interest that they do so.