From the High Commissioner’s Desk – Rod Hilton

Congratulations Guadalcanal on your 41^st Second Appointed Day!

Australia’s partnership with Guadalcanal grows stronger each day. From our people–to people connections, to our programs and investments, there is engagement between Australia and Guadalcanal everywhere you look! As we celebrate Guadalcanal’s Second Appointed Day I would like to share some highlights from our partnership.

Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) workers contribute so much to Australia, and to their communities when they return. Under the PALM scheme a huge 626 workers from Guadalcanal have lived and worked in Australia and another 763 are in the Work Ready Pool ready to take on new opportunities across meat works, horticulture, tourism, hospitality, agriculture and aged care. 

Australia has also had the pleasure of partnering with more than 50 local Guadalcanal businesses providing employment for more Solomon Islanders across tourism, cocoa, cassava and coconut-related industries. Some of these impressive businesses include Sape Farm, JCS cocoa, Tupaghotua, Islands’ Own, B17 Dive and Beach Bungalows, Parangiju Inland Mountain Lodge, Olotsara Retreat Centre and Dive Guadalcanal. I’ve been lucky enough to see many of these firsthand during my travels in the province.  

Guadalcanal is also home to one of Australia’s largest investments, the transformational Tina River Hydropower Development Project which will will harness the power of water to produce cheaper and more reliable electricity for Honiara.

When complete, Tina River Hydro will supply up to 70 per cent of Honiara’s electricity delivering lower power bills for households, business and the government. Australia’s SBD402 million contribution – our largest Pacific climate finance investment – includes funding the poles and wires that will transport electricity to the Honiara grid. 

Alongside large scale infrastructure we are also investing in community-driven projects in Guadalcanal. The last five years has seen Australia support 60 projects in the province. One highlight is the recent solar hybrid system installation at Good Samaritan Hospital, which now no longer needs to pay for expensive diesel – leaving more money for health services and supplies for surrounding communities. 

At the community level, the Solomon Islands –Australia Community Partnerships are helping deliver essential infrastructure and services that are improving lives, strengthening resilience, and deepening the bonds between Guadalcanal and Australia.

The impact is visible in projects like the Bubumala Water Supply Project, which has brought clean water to families; the Bloody Ridge Community Hall Resource Centre, soon to be powered by solar energy; and plans to renovate classrooms at Bubunuhu and Ngalibiu Community High Schools, enhancing learning environments for students. 

In Northwest Guadalcanal, 15 communities now benefit from solar pumps and tanks, while the Kolona Water and Sanitation Project is improving hygiene and health outcomes in the northeast. Importantly, these projects are also stimulating the local economy, sourcing materials from local businesses, creating jobs and supporting livelihoods.

Australia’s support also extends to education and inclusion. The Divit Girls Training Centre will soon open a new Life Skills Classroom, empowering young women with practical knowledge, and the Bethesda Disability Training and Support Centre will soon commence work on an ablution block improve accessibility and dignity. Schools like St Joseph’s Tenaru and Betikama Adventist College have received water tanks, toilet blocks and fencing, creating safer and healthier spaces for learning.

Australia is training teachers, providing textbooks, and working to improve school management. We are helping to establish hundreds of women’s savings clubs, which are improving financial literacy through targeted training across Guadalcanal. In response to violence against women in Guadalcanal, Australia funds essential response services to the Family Support Centre, Seif Ples and the Christian Care Centre. 

Since 2018, Australia has committed over SBD27 million in grants to help improve access to health care across Guadalcanal. A particular highlight for me was the recent launch of the HPV Vaccine Big Catch Up, aiming to vaccinate girls aged 9–14 to prevent cervical cancer. 

More broadly on the security and humanitarian front, the Solomon Islands-Australia partnership is committed to supporting the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and other agencies to keep Solomon Islanders safe and secure. In Guadalcanal Province, Australia has constructed barracks, a leaf hut in Tetere, and a police station in Avu Avu, to build the capacity of the RSIPF’s Guadalcanal Provincial Police command. 

And for when disasters strike, Australia is working to strengthen Solomon Islands sovereign humanitarian capabilities, including by committing to build a new humanitarian warehouse in Honiara. This new initiative will increase the support available to communities impacted by disasters across Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands

There is so much happening between Australia and Guadalcanal, but these highlights reflect the depth of our partnership. As we commemorate Guadalcanal’s Second Appointed Day, I look forward to strengthening our ties into the future. I hope this provides a taste of what is possible when we work together

Lukim iu neks taem!