MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Sullivan
I am pleased to announce that Australia, together with New Zealand, will contribute additional funds for the construction of the permanent headquarters for the South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) in Apia, Samoa.
Our involvement in the project stems from a commitment made by the Prime Minister at the 1997 South Pacific Forum in Rarotonga that Australia would be willing to make a significant contribution to the SPREP headquarters project.
Australia's support for regional organisations in the Pacific, such as SPREP, helps to complement our development activities in individual countries. Sound environmental and natural resource management is particularly important to Pacific island nations and is a major focus of our development assistance program in the region.
SPREP's work in promoting regional cooperation and assisting to protect and improve the environment is based on five programs: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Conservation; Climate Change and Integrated Coastal Management; Waste Management; Pollution Prevention and Emergencies; Environmental Management Planning; and Environmental Education, Information and Training.
Australia welcomes the opportunity to cooperate with other countries in supporting regional development in the Pacific. I am pleased to note that apart from Australia, New Zealand and Samoa (which donated prime land in Apia), pledges of support for the SPREP headquarters have been made by a number of countries, including Papua New Guinea, France, China, the United States, the European Union and Japan.
Australia and New Zealand will provide combined additional funding of approximately A$400,000, in addition to an earlier contribution of A$1.25 million and NZ$1 million respectively, to the headquarters project.
Media contacts:
Judi Nixon (Mrs Sullivan's office) 07 5591 1011
Deborah Nesbitt (AusAID) 02 62064966