Australian High Commission
Honiara
Solomon Islands

Australia Day speech by Australian High Commissioner, HE Andrew Byrne

24 January 2014

Australia Day speech by Australian High Commissioner, HE Andrew Byrne

                                                        Solomon Islands and Australia: A shared day of celebration
 

 

Good afternoon everyone,

Thank you in particular for the warm and generous welcome my wife Dawn and I have received since we arrived in Honiara just over a month ago.

Australia Day on 26 January began as a commemoration of the anniversary of 11 British convict ships arriving in Sydney in 1788.

Over time Australia Day has taken on a broader meaning, as a day to celebrate Australia’s history, culture and achievements.

And on this day, we’re delighted that so many of our friends from Solomon Islands are here to share this celebration with us.

Because in any culture, a celebration is something to be shared with friends and neighbours. And for Australia, Solomon Islands is not only one of our nearest neighbours, but one of our closest friends.

Over the past year, we’ve seen many examples of the strength of our friendship.

Last February, a terrible earthquake and tsunami devastated many parts of Temotu. Australia worked closely with Solomon Islands to ensure that relief supplies and assessment teams were able to quickly reach the area. But Australia was also committed to the long-term effort, to help those communities recover in the months after the initial disaster.

Also in the past year, Solomon Islanders started travelling to Australia to participate in the seasonal worker program. I know it’s just the beginning, but I’m personally very committed to doing everything I can to make sure this scheme continues to grow. It will be one of my priorities as High Commissioner.

We opened a campus of the Australia Pacific Technical College, in partnership with the Don Bosco Technical Institute. This College will help young Solomon Islanders gain internationally recognised qualifications, opening up many new opportunities for them.

Working together, Solomon Islands and Australia continue to reduce malaria rates in this country. There are now less than 40 cases per thousand people, down from 75 cases in 2010.
And our shared commitment to financial inclusion has meant that almost 48,000 people gained access to banking services in the past year.

Our shared efforts to remove the remnants of World War II in Solomon Islands continued. Over 12,000 remnants were removed in the past year, making communities safer for children to play in. Our defence colleagues also worked closely with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to protect Solomon Islands’ fisheries, and to support search and rescue operations.

I would also like to acknowledge the Australian men and women who serve as part of RAMSI, some of whom are here today. Because of the enormous progress made in Solomon Islands since RAMSI’s deployment, the Australian military component of RAMSI went home last year after ten years of honourable service. Our friends in the police and their civilian colleagues continue their service, in partnership with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, to ensure a safe, secure country for all Solomon Islanders.

There are many other stories I could tell, of our Australian volunteers working side-by-side with community leaders in Solomon Islands, of Solomon Islander and Australian public servants working together, of our business people developing the economy together.

On a day of celebration like today, we can be pleased about all our two countries have achieved together in the past. But we should also look to the future, and there is much to be excited about as we consider the year ahead.

This year, our two governments plan to elevate our bilateral relationship to a new level, through a joint declaration of strategic partnership and a commitment to regular high level dialogue. From Australia’s perspective, this is about recognising that for us, Solomon Islands is a good friend, a good neighbour and a strategic partner. And we hope the same is true in reverse.

For me, on my first Australia Day in Solomon Islands, it is a great honour to share this day of celebration with all of you. Tagio tumas.