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Recovery crews face a mammoth task to assess damage to tens of thousands of homes as waters recede from deadly and record-breaking floods.

An estimated 50,000 people in more than a dozen towns across the NSW Hunter and mid-north coast regions remain cut off and many emergency warnings are still in place despite most river levels falling.

Five flood-related deaths have been confirmed since the latest bout of flooding hit the state.

Efforts are under way to clean up and help the hardest-hit communities, including in Taree, Kempsey, Dungog, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, with essential supply drops delivered by boat and helicopter.

Early estimates indicated at least 10,000 properties had been damaged in the floods, the NSW State Emergency Service said on Saturday.

Crews were prioritising starting washouts and performing damage assessments in areas where floodwaters were beginning to subside, SES chief superintendent Paul McQueen said.

“We will have an increased number of volunteers out in force today to start the damage assessment process,” he said.

Before any evacuation orders were revoked, assessors needed to evaluate access and safety issues.

“This is still a dangerous situation where significant impacts to infrastructure and properties are likely to have occurred,” Mr McQueen said.

The state will face more settled conditions over the weekend after severe weather warnings were cancelled late on Friday evening.

“This is welcome news for those in clean-up and recovery operations,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Helen Reid said.

But as floodwaters start subsiding in some locations, other areas downstream face renewed threats.

A moderate flood warning for Tuggerah Lake, on the Central Coast, has forced a community evacuation, while there were numerous minor flood warnings in place on Saturday morning.

The Pacific Highway was closed between Coopernook and Purfleet, near Taree, due to flooding, while a section of the highway was closed at Charmhaven on the Central Coast.

Motorists are advised to avoid non-essential travel in flood-affected areas.

Farmers are also beginning to take stock of their losses after cattle were washed down rivers and many properties suffered significant damage.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns will tour flood-impacted areas on Saturday.

More than 1600 insurance claims had already been made, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.

Assistance grants of $180 per person or $900 for families are expected to roll out in the coming days and those unable to work will have access to a disaster recovery allowance from Monday.

The flood-related death toll stands at five, while the SES conducted 85 flood rescues in the 24 hours to 5am.

A man believed to be in his 80s was found inside a burnt-out vehicle in the shed of a Cooplacurripa property, about 50km northwest of Taree.

Severe weather conditions stopped emergency crews from accessing the man’s home when a concern for his welfare was raised two days earlier.

The body of a man in his late 70s was also found on Friday after his vehicle appeared to be swept off a causeway at Nana Glen, near Coffs Harbour.

Another man died at a flooded home near Taree, as did a driver west of Port Macquarie and a 60-year-old woman near Coffs Harbour.

Volunteers are focusing on getting supplies to the 50,000 people still isolated by floodwaters.

“We ask you to be patient, remain in a safe location and please don’t be tempted to drive through flood waters or go sightseeing,” Mr McQueen said.


Written by: William Ton and Samantha Lock © Australian Associated Press 2025

Travellers from Pacific Island nations will find it easier to travel in New Zealand after changes to visa rules.

Movement from much of the Pacific to either Australia and New Zealand is currently expensive and onerous, with most citizens of most countries required to apply for visitor visas, and wait for their approval.

On Friday, NZ announced a pair of changes that will make travel easier: waiving visa requirements for nationals of Pacific Islands Forum member countries who already have Australian visas, and extension of visitor visas from 12 to 24 months.

“We deeply value our Pacific relationships. Being able to visit New Zealand to connect with family and friends is an important part of this,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said.

Mr Peters – on his 80th birthday – revealed the changes while on a visit to Tonga in a joint announcement with immigration minister Erica Stanford.

The changes fall short of the holy grail for Pacific Islanders – visa-free travel of the sort that Australians and New Zealanders benefit from when they travel through much of the developed world.

However, this remains a possibility.

The NZ government is currently reviewing its visa settings with the Pacific, which could see more significant changes to visa settings in the period ahead.

“Downstream is it likely to happen? Sometime from now, possibly,” Mr Peters told reporters in Nuku’alofa.

“In this computerised age, we are finding it extraordinarily difficult … to get this part of area of our operations right, immigration visas and all those things.”

The lack of visa-waiver travel has been decried by several nations as unfair, especially given Australian and Kiwi travellers are often afforded visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to many Pacific Islands – though they don’t offer the same in return.

In 2024, Australia instituted a new Pacific Engagement Visa, which grants permanent residency to 3000 applicants across the region through a ballot process each year.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked about the prospect of visa-free travel for Pacific nations last year at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit, saying leaders hadn’t asked him for it.

“People haven’t raised visa arrangements, and we don’t have any plans to change the existing arrangements,” he said.

NZ’s changes come into effect from July and apply to nationals of 12 countries: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

People from the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau are already New Zealand citizens who do not need visas, while those from New Caledonia and French Polynesia are French citizens and already eligible for visa-free travel.


Written by: Ben McKay © AAP 2025

As the wait continues for official results in the Vanuatu elections, one outcome is clear: women will be severely under-represented in the next parliament.

Vanuatu is an outlier even in the Pacific, the region that elects fewer women than any other.

Just six women have been elected to the 52-seat parliament since independence in 1980, and just one in the past 15 years: Gloria Julia King.

Ms King earned the support of voters in the Efate constituency in 2022, and is running again in this year’s snap election.

Speaking in the village of Mele, north of Port Vila, after casting her vote, she told AAP she was feeling “a lot more relaxed” second time around.

“In 2022 it was just a lack of knowledge with the whole political process of campaigns. I was a bit overwhelmed. This time I’ve grasped it a little bit better,” she said.

The factors behind the male-dominated parliament are multi-faceted, but tackled in a recent report by Pacific women’s advocacy group Balance Of Power, titled ‘Unspoken Rules of Politics‘.

Funding a run for office can be harder, with fewer women enjoying financial independence, producing fewer candidates.

There are just seven women among the 217 candidates in this year’s poll.

The electoral system – a single non-transferable vote, electing multiple members in constituencies – heavily favours incumbents, who are almost wholly men.

Voting in Vanuatu is also subject to intense community pressures, particularly to support incumbent MPs who are seen as delivering for their communities.

Police escort a prisoner (in orange) to vote at a polling station in Blacksands, a village to the north of Port Vila Mele, north of Port Vila, Vanuatu Thursday, January 16, 2025. (AAP Image/Ben McKay)
Police escort a prisoner (in orange) to vote at a polling station in Blacksands, a village to the north of Port Vila Mele, north of Port Vila, Vanuatu Thursday, January 16, 2025. (AAP Image/Ben McKay)

That occurs through the shady use of constituency funds: public money given directly to each MP to spend in their electorate, which often indirectly or directly buys votes.

Ms King said a lot of her effort in this campaign was aimed at freeing women of these pressures to think and vote independently.

“My primary goal was just to get more women to vote, and get them to understand their democratic power enhances the whole voting process,” she said.

“For a long time, I knew that women were intimidated by men when it comes to voting, so we had to change the campaign messages to make them more approachable, educational, empowering.”

The Balance Of Power report found men believed female MPs might be controlled by their husband, while women – drawing on their own experiences – also felt they may not be able to act autonomously.

ANU Pacific Affairs fellow Kerryn Baker said research showed men supported greater representation, but held unflattering perceptions.

“There’s strong in-principle support (to elect more women) but then when you ask, ‘are men are better at political leadership than women?, a majority agree,” she said.

Ni-Vanuatu are also cautious of external powers – including Australia, which has made gender equality a priority of its development partnership – tilting the scales in favour of women. 

“There is an awkwardness around efforts to get more gender representation in parliament, it can be seen as outside interference,” Dr Baker said.

Dr Baker said that women arguing for women to be elected, such as Ms King, can also be seen as “self-interested or self-serving”.

“It’s a lot harder for women to generate the political capital to make change in this space and women politicians, of course, must endure the double burden of representing both their constituencies and ‘women’ as a broad social group,” she said.

Ms King, who expressed delight the campaign was over after an exhausting effort, agreed with that sentiment.

“The last legislative was very dominated by men and everyone wanted me to get up and speak all the time,” she said.

She is confident her work will pay off at the polls.

“I’ve done the work, done the yards, I’ve done the sacrifices,” she said.

“I have a lot of faith in the women of Vanuatu. This has been my message for the last two years: if you want women to be represented, you have to vote for the women.”


Written By: Ben McKay © AAP 2025

Vanuatu has made fresh requests for help from Australia and other development partners, as community tensions mount around the pace of Port Vila’s recovery from last month’s earthquake.

The 7.3 magnitude tremor on December 17 killed at least 14 people, injuring hundreds and displacing many more.

Vanuatu officials concede that may not be the final death toll.

A month on from the quake, the response has moved from a life-saving and humanitarian effort towards a rebuild.

There is much to do, with technical structural assessments of key pieces of infrastructure – including the wharf, roads and bridges – being prioritised.

So too is the hardest-hit area, the CBD and picturesque city waterfront, which remains off-limits, barricaded by police checkpoints until it is cleared as safe.

John Ezra, chairman of the Recovery Operations Centre (ROC), told AAP that work requires outside help, and Vanuatu had made formal requests of countries including Australia.

“We would like this rapid structural assessment to be completed soon,” he said.

“We would like Australia to assist us to complete a structural assessment, New Zealand, we would like them to support us in demolitions of the identified buildings … and we would like Japan to assist us in a geotech survey, especially in the Port Vila area.”

AAP was granted access to the town centre to review progress, finding a deserted precinct that would usually be full of life and economy-boosting tourists.

At the centre is the wreckage of the Billabong store, the site of a life-saving rescue operation, but also deaths.

It has been reduced to rubble, tidied but left in situ, with other businesses mostly shuttered, waiting for the return of customers, or left decrepit.

“It’s a ghost town,” Ballarat-born CBD cafe owner Ivan Oswald tells AAP.

Mr Oswald has operated the Nambawan Cafe for two decades, and while understanding of the obvious difficulties, is frustrated with a lack of activity.

“The sooner we can get buildings which need to be condemned for public safety need to come down, the better … Vanuatu obviously doesn’t have the manpower ability to do it easily and safely,” he said.

“We need to get the assessments finished, buildings pulled down, and town needs to get back to some sort of normality.”

Mr Ezra offers no timeline for the reopening of the CBD or the wharf, with landslips affecting key access roads, but concedes under questioning it is likely to be “months”.

Official situation reports show 219 buildings have been assessed to date, with 22 “red-stickered”, requiring demolition, and 51 “yellow-stickered” and needing repairs.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reports hundreds of people have been rendered unemployed by the CBD closure.

Mr Oswald is attempting to keep up cash flow and his employees in work by setting up shop in Saralana Park, where local women have also set up stalls selling traditional arts, craft and dresses.

Others business owners have been less constructive.

Over the course of an hour at the ROC hub, which itself is operating out of marquees as government buildings await assessment, several people arrive to vent displeasure at officials.

Some business owners want to reopen, some want fast-tracked assessments for insurance claims, others want relief from landlords.

The lack of timelines in the wake of the disaster has the rumour mill churning, with some fearing a higher-than-disclosed death toll.

Mr Ezra confirms the search for bodies has ceased, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be found during excavations.

He said a forthcoming meeting with Vanuatu’s regional council of chiefs may confirm additional fatalities.

“We would like to say that 14 is final but there could be a few other deaths,” he said.


Written By: Ben McKay © AAP 2025

Voting is under way in Vanuatu’s snap election, which is remarkably going ahead despite the turbulence of a severe earthquake one month ago.

Thursday has been declared a public holiday in the Pacific nation, when voters will elect their next parliament.

On Efate, and further across the archipelago, voters defied the hot sun to do their democratic duty.

In Mele, north of the capital, voters began waiting outside their local polling station well before its 7.30am opening.

There are few signs of electioneering, given the formal campaign period wrapped up on Monday.

Polling stations are open until 4.30pm, when the challenging counting process will begin.

Given there are 352 polling stations, staffed by police and electoral workers, with ballots brought to Port Vila to be counted and officially ratified, an official outcome is not expected for days.

Ni-Vanuatu in Australia, New Zealand and other regions can cast proxy ballots.

Then comes all-important negotiations among parties to form a coalition government, given Vanuatu’s tendency to elect a multitude of parties.

The election is taking place almost two years ahead of time.

In November, Prime Minister Charlot Salwai opted to dissolve parliament rather than risk a no-confidence vote in his fractured coalition government.

While the December 17 earthquake upended Port Vila, killing 14 people and injuring many more, the election is going ahead as Vanuatu’s constitution requires an election to be held within 60 days of the dissolution of parliament.

The date selected – January 16 – is the latest day possible allowed by law.

Vanuatu’s Electoral Office has worked around the clock to secure the necessary polling materials, train workers, and send ballot boxes across the archipelago.

VEO principal electoral officer Guilain Malessas confirmed two ships were dropping off the tools of democracy with nature’s assistance.

“We are grateful for the good weather conditions currently in Vanuatu. The deployments are proceeding safely and on time,” he told the Vanuatu Daily Post.

Mr Salwai opted for the election after a number of issues eroded confidence in his leadership, including a proposal to double an already-dubious constituency funding program and give every MP $A130,000.

Graeme Smith, senior fellow at the Australian National University’s Pacific Affairs department, said voting patterns suggested particular villages and towns often stuck with the same party or candidate.

“It’s quite similar to to a lot of Melanesia in that there is a fair bit of expectation based on where you are, what village you’re from, what clan you’re from, and who you will then vote for,” he said.

“So certain candidates who are locked in, and we’ve seen some of them rotating as prime minister.

“What’s interesting about Vanuatu, as opposed to PNG and Solomon Islands, is that you do have some politicians that are just there time after time after time, and it doesn’t seem there’s any easy way for them to be dislodged.”

A number of candidates are former prime ministers, including Vanua’aka Party leader Bob Loughman, UMP leader Ishmael Kalsakau, and Sato Kilman, who has held the post four times while People’s Progressive Party leader.

The Leaders Party’s Jotham Napat has been tipped as a possible prime minister, while climate advocate and Land and Justice Party leader Ralph Regenvanu is also interested. 

The government will be decided after the vote, when party leaders jockey and negotiate for positions in coalition negotiations.

There are 217 candidates vying for win seats, including just seven women.

Vanuatu has historically elected the fewest women in the Pacific region: just six since independence in 1980.

Gloria Julia King, the sole woman in the last parliament, is hoping to win election in Rural Efate, as is high-profile candidate Marie Louise Milne, Port Vila’s deputy lord mayor.


Written By: Ben McKay © AAP 2025

Australia’s regional security ambitions are on the ballot this week in Vanuatu, where voters will elect a fresh government in the wake of political turmoil and a major earthquake.

The Pacific nation is off to the polls on Thursday for a snap election, given Prime Minister Charlot Salwai’s dissolution of parliament in November.

In the tumultuous weeks since, opposition MPs twice failed with legal bids to cancel the election, while Port Vila was rocked by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake a week before Christmas, killing at least 14 people.

Despite that tragedy, there was revelry on the capital’s streets on Monday.

In typical Melanesian style, convoys of cars and vans packed with supporters clad in party colours flooded the capital’s main roads, making one final, noisy, pitch to voters on the final day of the formal campaign period.

With a midnight deadline for all campaign activities, many ran that right to the line, creating a racket late into the night.

Plenty is at stake, for both Vanuatu and the region.

Many ni-Vanuatu are frustrated at the political instability, given the churn of 20 different prime ministers this century.

There are serious issues facing one of the Pacific’s poorest nations, which must now contend with yet another recovery from a major disaster.

Australia also has skin in the game.

In 2022, Anthony Albanese’s government announced a bilateral security agreement with Vanuatu, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong leading a bipartisan delegation to Port Vila to sign the deal.

This pact was the first of several signed in the region during Mr Albanese’s tenure, including far-reaching treaties with Tuvalu and Nauru, the NRL-enabling deal with Papua New Guinea, and a major policing investment with Solomon Islands.

In 2024, Australia also helped create two new regional entities: a Pacific Response Group to coordinate military co-deployments, including to disasters, and the $400m Pacific Policing Initiative.

However, the Australia-Vanuatu deal never entered into force: instead, it was cause for deep introspection in Vanuatu, with many MPs upset with prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau’s handling of the agreement.

“The agreement was not widely enough consulted amongst Vanuatu politicians and also then amongst the community,” Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Blake Johnson told AAP.

“That was a reason for a vote against him as prime minister, in which he ended up losing the position (though) not necessarily the biggest reason.”

Australian National University Asia Pacific Affairs senior fellow Graeme Smith agreed it helped remove Mr Kalsakau from office.

“It was part of the political upheaval. It did play a role,” he said.

Several parties want Vanuatu to sidestep the geopolitical contest between the United States and China, viewing their home as a non-aligned nation.

Mr Kalsakau lasted another nine months before shifting allegiances in parliament allowed Sato Kilman a sixth stint as prime minister.

Mr Kilman was replaced by Charlot Salwai in October 2023, who looked like losing office himself late in 2024, before he dissolved parliament to head off a no-confidence motion.

While Mr Kilman and Mr Salwai did not ratify the security agreement, Mr Kalsakau has vowed to do so if his opposition bloc is returned to power.

“We will get the ratification through,” he told AAP in December.

Mr Johnson said that promise would depend on the shape of the government after the election.

“His coalition will likely be made up of multiple small parties, each with their own agendas, and if he tries to rush too fast on security agreements with Australia, it can lead to one party getting up and moving to the other side in a motion of no confidence,” he said.

Mr Johnson said he imagined that “people sitting back in Canberra would have fingers crossed hoping to see Kalsakau returned” as it was “a good time for the relationship”, though he believed there were no poor outcomes for Australia.

“But in comparison to maybe some of the other leaders across the Pacific, there’s no one (Australia) butts heads with as much as in other countries.”


Written By: Ben McKay © AAP 2025

Older planes have been blamed for Qantas narrowly losing out on a aviation safety top ranking to a New Zealand competitor as the Aussie airline awaits new jets to replace its ageing fleet.

Air New Zealand took pole position on website Airline Ratings’ list of the world’s safest airlines for the second year running after overtaking its trans-Tasman rival in 2024.

Virgin Australia came in at fourth on the list, however three airlines tied in third place.

Qantas last topped the list in 2023 and its second-place ranking over the last two years has been attributed to an ageing fleet.

“This is a fair point as they do have an older fleet – quite old actually – and they did have some issues recently with some of their older aircraft,” Sydney University professor and aviation expert Rico Merkert told AAP.

“That said, if maintained well, older aircraft can also be incredibly safe,” he added.

Airline Ratings chief executive Sharon Petersen said there was not much difference between the top-ranking airlines.

“Whilst both airlines uphold the highest safety standards and pilot training, Air New Zealand continue to have a younger fleet than Qantas, which separates the two,” she said.

Virgin’s ranking largely came down to having a smaller fleet and operating fewer flights.

“Between Qantas, Emirates, Qatar, Cathay and Virgin, there’s less than a point separating it, it’s minuscule,” Ms Petersen said.

Griffith University aviation management lecturer Bojana Spasojevic said fleet age did not directly correlate with safety.

While newer planes could boost passenger confidence, comprehensive maintenance and safety protocols remained crucial.

“However, passengers often perceive newer aircraft as safer and more comfortable, which can enhance their overall travel experience,” Dr Spasojevic said.

“Safety perceptions significantly influence passenger choices … sometimes even over cost considerations.”

Qantas-owned Jetstar also took out second place in the ranking for safest low-cost airlines, behind Cathay Pacific-owned Hong Kong Express.

A Qantas group spokesperson said both airlines were committed to safety as a top priority.

“The whole aviation industry is focused on ensuring flying remains the safest way to travel through continual learning and improvement,” they said.

Airline Ratings uses fleet age and size, pilot skill and training, serious recent incidents, fatalities and profitability alongside other factors to determine its rankings.

Qantas might regain top spot on the coming year’s ranking as new planes enter service as part of fleet renewal that began in 2023.

The airline’s program includes several models of Airbus aircraft as well as more long-haul Boeing 787 planes.

Procuring planes was an expensive and prolonged process, and manufacturers faced backlogs with many airlines competing for newer aircraft in a bid to lower emissions with more fuel-efficient models, Prof Merkert said.

Ms Petersen said air travel was one of the safest modes of transport but it also had the most nervous passengers, partly because crashes – like those in Kazakhstan and South Korea that killed more than 200 people in late December – attracted global attention.

“When things go wrong, everyone knows about it,” she said.


Written By: Jack Gramenz © AAP 2025

WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Darren Lockyer has been unveiled as the new coach of the Brisbane Broncos.

OUR VERDICT
False. The coach of the Broncos is Michael Maguire.

Fake stories about former and current NRL players are being pumped out on dubious sites and spread in rugby fan groups on Facebook.

One post, which has garnered over 3700 likes, claims Brisbane great Darren Lockyer has been revealed as the new Broncos coach.

The post links to an article from a website called USSportUpdate.com with the headline: “Breaking News: fans rejoice as Darren Lockyer has become the Brisbane broncos head coach to take over 2025…”

The article claims that “the announcement” follows weeks of speculation and marks “the beginning of a new era for the Broncos”.

However, there has been no such announcement by the NRL club, which appointed Michael Maguire as coach in September 2024.

Articles featuring the false claim about Lockyer have also been published by sportzpresz.com, which has also published a false claim about Canterbury-Bankstown NRL star Stephen Crichton.

Another post spuriously claimed Penrith star Nathan Cleary had been announced as the Panthers’ head coach, replacing his father Ivan Cleary.

Another post linked to a fake story about Penrith player Isaah Yeo signing a contract with the Broncos worth $128.5 million, more than ten times the salary cap for an NRL club’s top 30 players.

A link to a fake article about former NFL quarterback Drew Brees taking over as coach of his old team, the New Orleans Saints, was also shared in another Facebook post.

The same website has published near-identical false stories claiming certain sports stars had died in the same manner, with the only difference being the name of the athlete.

In November 2024, USSportUpdate published false headlines about English snooker player Kyren Wilson, French judoka Teddy Riner and Venezuelan baseballer Wilyer Abreu dying in house fires when all three men were alive and well.

The Verdict

False – The claim is inaccurate.


Written By: Tom Wark © AAP Fact Check 2025

AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network.

Cocktails from a Fiji resort where seven people fell ill from a suspected poisoning incident did not contain methanol or illicit substances, authorities say.

Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka says a toxicology report of the pina colada mixture served at the five-star Warwick Fiji resort found the drinks were not laced with illegal alcohol.

“After testing the ingredients of the drinks served to guests by the Fiji police force, I can confirm that no illicit substances or methanol were found in the ingredients or liquor samples,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

A resort representative previously said the pina colada ingredients included a powder smoothie mixture from New Zealand, coconut liqueur, pineapple juice and white rum. 

The resort bought them from established suppliers, he said.

Fijian police and its health department continue to investigate the cause of the group’s illness.

Mr Gavoka also said the seven affected people, which includes four Australians, had been discharged from hospital and had recovered.

The group, aged between 18 and 56, was taken to hospital on Saturday after drinking the cocktails at the resort on Viti Levu island.

“The findings that there is no evidence of alcohol poisoning is great news for Fiji,” Mr Gavoka said.

Australian mother and daughter, Tanya and Georgia Sandoe landed back in Sydney on Monday evening after being released from hospital.

Mr Gavoka, who is also the tourism minister, said the South Pacific nation was a safe and reliable destination for travellers and the community was in disbelief about the poisoning allegation.

“We were rocked by this, the whole industry was quite affected … No one in Fiji would do anything harmful to any of our guests,” he said.

“Fiji holds the highest standards when it comes to food, beverages and overall safety (and) the health and wellbeing of our visitors remains our top priority.”

Mr Gavoka also asked foreign governments to remove travel warnings related to the incident.

A health official told reporters the symptoms the group suffered could have been caused by an infection or other chemicals and these were lines of inquiry.

The incident follows the death of two Australians in Laos, where they were among several victims of a suspected mass methanol poisoning.

About one million Australians visit Fiji each year and tourism contributes significantly to the nation’s economy.


Written By: Aaron Bunch © Australian Associated Press

In a significant move to support regional solidarity, Prime Minister for Papua New Guinea, James Marape announced the approval a K20 million relief package to assist the government and people of Vanuatu in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation earlier this week.

The funding will enable immediate deployment of aid and resources, including personnel from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), to assist in relief, rescue, and recovery efforts.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the people of Vanuatu during this difficult time,” Prime Minister Marape said.

“The National Executive Council’s decision to approve K20 million in relief reflects our commitment to standing with our Pacific neighbours in their time of need. This funding will facilitate urgent assistance, including the mobilisation of PNGDF engineers, medics, and logistical experts, along with critical supplies such as food, water, and medical aid.”

The PNGDF is preparing to deploy a contingent to Vanuatu in the coming days.

Their mission will focus on addressing immediate humanitarian needs, supporting search and rescue operations, and assisting in the restoration of essential services.

“This is not just about delivering aid but also about reaffirming our shared commitment to the Pacific family. When one of us is impacted, we all stand together,” he said.

Meanwhile, Australia has already begun aid efforts in Vanuatu.

The Australian government has repatriated 148 citizens on two air force planes sent to deliver search and rescue teams and other assistance following the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that devastated Port Vila.

With the airport reopening on Wednesday afternoon, relief and support from Australia was able to touch down including a C17 Globemaster and C130 Hercules with personnel from Queensland and NSW fire and rescue.

Australian Federal Police, a foreign affairs department crisis response team and a medical assistance team were also deployed.

Vanuatu relief response.
A supplied image obtained on Thursday, December 19, 2024, of AustraliaÕs disaster response teams arriving in Port Vila, Vanuatu, Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Australian rescue and medical teams have arrived in Port Vila as the Pacific nation races to respond to Tuesday’s 7.3-magnitude earthquake. (AAP Image/Supplied by DFAT)

Their first priority was to help people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings as “there are lives to be saved there right now”, taskforce leader chief superintendent Douglas May said.


Parts of this content © Australian Associated Press

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