42 twin-share female accommodation block at Murray Barracks opened

The Australian High Commission has handed over the refurbished female accommodation block at Murray Barracks.

This refurbished Living-in-Accommodation [LIA] for female soldiers at the Papua New Guinea Defence Force’s [PNGDF] Murray Barracks Force Support Battalion [FSB] was officiated by Assistant Secretary Pacific Infrastructure Laura Darlington for Australia in the presence of the Deputy Chief of the PNGDF.

This was the Australian government’s continuous effort to improve living conditions for defence personnel whilst continuing the PNG-Australia bilateral relationship.

The female accommodation refurbishment exercise cost over K10 million and took over nine months to complete.

It comes with 42 twin-share rooms, which will cater for over 80 female officers. It also consists of a service corridor, a service closet, ablution blocks, laundry rooms, a washing area, a common room, and storerooms.

“We're really proud to support the PNGDF in investing in females. We think it's really important that the PNGDF have the ability to provide safe and secure accommodation for their PNGDF officers and soldiers, and so supporting that is really, really important.

“So they definitely have the best facilities on the barracks now, and it's just a delight to talk to some of the people here today and just see what a difference having this sort of accommodation is going to make to their livelihoods,” said Assistant Secretary Pacific Infrastructure, Laura Darlington.

Ms Darlington said much of this similar project has been delivered and more will be done going forward.

 “So we've actually done a continual program. So what we've been really doing is upgrading a whole lot of barracks. So there was one done a couple of years ago here, but we've also been doing some all across the country.

“So it's really important that we don't just focus on Port Moresby, that we actually do focus on accommodation around all of the PNGDF. So yesterday we were actually in Lae at Igam Barracks, and we had opened one of the Living- In- Accommodation [LIA] there as well. So doing some work there.

“There's work that's been going on at Goldie River.  Also Manus Island, so there's a big project that we've been doing on Manus Island that created a huge amount of accommodation space as well there. She added.