Photo of smiling children sitting in a boat

Australian Aid to Bougainville

Bougainville is a special focus for Australia as it works to restore peace, stability and basic services following the conflict between 1989 and 1998. Australia is assisting Bougainville to address its development challenges in a flexible and conflict–sensitive way.

Key challenges

consolidating peace and stability
insufficient funding to achieve development outcomes
shortage of skilled staff, infrastructure and equipment

What is being done

Following a long civil conflict in Bougainville, Australia's aid program is shifting its focus from immediate post–crisis support to medium–term development. This involves helping the Autonomous Bougainville Government improve its performance to deliver basic services to the men, women and children of Bougainville.

Two AusAID officers are based in Bougainville and work closely with the Autonomous Bougainville Government to monitor and coordinate Australian assistance. Funding is provided through the Government's own planning and budgeting systems to strengthen public administration, implement autonomy arrangements and improve service delivery. This assistance has enabled the Autonomous Bougainville Government to improve school infrastructure and health clinics, develop training facilities, and support agricultural development.

Results

Restoring 637 km of the Coastal Trunk Road and access roads, improving access to health facilities, schools, jobs and markets for many people.
Recruiting and training over 100 Bougainvillean Police officers and providing housing, uniforms, vehicles, equipment and ongoing training so that law and order can be restored on Bougainville.
Constructing community justice centres in Wakunai, Tinputz and Torokina to house village courts, land mediations, and other community services to improve local justice systems.
Supporting elections for the Autonomous Bougainville Government in 2005, 2008 and 2010.
Maintenance of over 90 per cent of primary schools.

Supporting vital infrastructure

In response to a request from the Autonomous Bougainville Government, AusAID funds the maintenance of 637 kms of road network, focusing on the main trunk road and the Buka ring road. In addition to improving access to health centres, schools, jobs and markets, it is also providing employment for local people, including women. Contracts have been awarded to over 1,600 community groups to carry out maintenance work, and 20 per cent of the participants involved are women.

Under the Basic Education Development Project, AusAID contributed funding for the construction of a new school building at Kieta. Four classrooms have been built for local primary aged children, more than a decade after the original buildings were destroyed during the Bougainville crisis.

June 2010