PNG, Australia Deepen Maritime Ties With Coastal Charting Mission

Royal Australian Navy Leading Seaman Chelsea Styan and Papua New Guinea Defence Force officer Lieutenent Samual
Bayagau inspect the SPS855 Global Navigation Satellite System receiver during surveillance operations in Papua New
Guinea. Picture supplied by AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION.

A joint survey between Papua New Guinea and Australia has produced fresh navigational data for previously unmapped waters off Morobe Province, in an operation defence officials say reinforces one of the region's oldest bilateral partnerships.

The Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Leeuwin carried out the survey between July 13 and August 16, covering coastal and offshore zones that had never been formally charted. Over the five weeks, the crew mapped beaches, recorded tidal patterns and gathered data that will be used to produce updated charts covering the area — work that officials say directly supports safer passage for everyone from small ferries to larger commercial vessels moving through PNG waters.

The mission doubled as a training opportunity for the PNG Defence Force Maritime Element, whose personnel worked alongside the Australian crew throughout the deployment, learning hydrographic survey techniques while sharing knowledge of local waters that helped guide the operation. Organisers say the exercise also builds on PNG's efforts to strengthen its grip on its own maritime territory as coastal shipping and trade continue to grow.

Commander Danny Finn, who commands HMAS Leeuwin, pointed to the long history behind the current cooperation.

"We've had a very long relationship with Papua New Guinea and about 50 years' worth of history surveying Papua New Guinean waters, and it's great to come back to help improve the charting quality here for the safety of PNG personnel and also for ships transiting through," he said.

"Deployments like this deepen our partnerships with the PNG Defence Force and the local community.

"We have also been working with our Papua New Guinea Defence Force partners to upskill them in survey work, while our PNGDF partners help our crew gain local insights."

Lieutenant Samuel Bayagau of the PNGDF Maritime Element said the deployment carried weight beyond the technical work involved.

"We are here as equal partners in sharing our knowledge and our environment," he said. "Working with the Australians has been a worthwhile experience, strengthening ties that go back to World War II."

"Working with HMAS Leeuwin has been a great experience and an honour to operate in our territorial seas. The relationship between PNG and Australia goes way back, but now we have created our first alliance with the Pukpuk Treaty, and this has strengthened our ties."