PACNEWS ONE, 13 OCTOBER 2026

In this bulletin:

1. PACIFIC — Pacific partner pact boosts police, not military ties
2. PACIFIC — El Nino breaks Pacific temperature record as weather pattern intensifies
3. NIUE — ‘Imminent threat’ of drought in Niue, Yellow alert declared
4. FIJI — Gender will not change ministerial standard: Fiji PM
5. PACIFIC — Pacific election officials gather to discuss shared challenges
6. COOKS — Woman unable to leave Cook Islands after NZ, Australia decline transit visa
7. AUST — Fight erupts between union and ABC’s head of news
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Constitution Bill proposes right to strike, chastisement clause
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Amid Middle East crisis, ADB supports Energy Security in the Pacific with $40.1 million
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Rising fuel prices put pressure on Solomon Islands shipping industry
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Leaders accused of dropping the ball before fuel crisis
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Offshore wind emerges as an option to diversify energy supplies across small island states
13. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — More Than Matcha: Discovering Trust and Respect in a Japanese Tea Ceremony
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — UNSW supports Pacific priorities in global climate talks

PAC – SECURITY: AAP PACNEWS 1: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Pacific partner pact boosts police, not military ties

CANBERRA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (AAP)—Australia’s recently agreed treaty with Vanuatu will step up policing partnerships but not stop foreign military from setting up shop as domestic law already forbids it.

The Nakamal Agreement, signed by leaders Anthony Albanese and Jotham Napat in Port Vila in June, was probed by senators on Monday.

The treaty includes a clause which explicitly states Vanuatu should not allow foreign powers to use its territory for defence bases or infrastructure.

Australian leaders, including Pacific Minister Pat Conroy, have trumpeted that the Nakamal Agreement acts as a bulwark against a possible foreign miliary foothold in one of Australia’s closest neighbours.

On Monday, Jan Hutton, a foreign affairs department executive, told the Senate that this clause simply reflected Vanuatu law.

“This article and that particular commitment, it’s a reflection of Vanuatu’s own stated – not just policy – but legislative requirements,” she said.

“Vanuatu passed its own national legislation that committed to ensure that its territory didn’t host foreign military bases and security … it’s not the case now and not the case in the future.”

Policing is another matter, with Australia increasing its efforts in the Melanesian nation.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner David McLean said the agreement would see the number of Australian police stationed in Vanuatu rise in coming years.

“There’s eight AFP serving currently in Vanuatu (and) as a consequence of the treaty, and the existing bilateral program that we’re now better resourced to deliver, I expect that number could nearly double in size,” he said.

McLean said Australian assistance could be granted on everything from administration, general policing, forensics and training, to infrastructure including new police stations, headquarters and stores.

“The full suite of police capabilities, services, and internal organisation relative to their needs,” he said.

Last year, Vanuatu’s parliament passed an amendment to its national security act which confirms the Melanesian nation is a “non-militarised state”.

Vanuatu is also a proudly non-aligned nation, with infrastructure and policing deals with other nations including China.

Since coming to office in 2022, Albanese’s government has pursued bilateral deal-making across the Pacific to solidify Australia’s position as the partner of choice for Pacific nations.

This has proved harder to achieve in Port Vila than other Pacific nations such as Papua New Guinea and Fiji, which agreed to defence treaties, and minnows Nauru and Tuvalu, which signed deeper pacts.

The Nakamal Agreement was first agreed in 2022 but never ratified in Vanuatu, until it was picked back up in 2025 under the newly-elected Napat…..PACNEWS

PAC – ELNINO: AFP PACNEWS 1: Tue 13 Oct 2026

El Nino breaks Pacific temperature record as weather pattern intensifies

BRUSSELS, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (AFP)—An intensifying El Nino broke a temperature record in a key zone of the Pacific in September, the EU’s climate monitor said Monday, in another sign the weather pattern is gaining exceptional strength.

Global forecasters have been warning for months that this El Nino would likely become the strongest ever observed and the latest record has tumbled even before the episode’s expected peak later this year.

The warming phase of a natural climate cycle, El Nino raises sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific, triggering changes in weather that can increase the risk of drought and flooding, and exacerbate man-made global warming.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service said sea surface temperatures in a tell-tale El Nino monitoring region of the Pacific, known as Nino3.4, had reached an “all-time high” of 29.70C last month.

This exceeded the peak temperatures of previously strong El Nino events of 1982/1983, 1997/1998 and 2015/2016, “underscoring the exceptional intensity of the current El Nino”, the EU monitor said.

But in a statement to AFP, Copernicus said it “cannot yet say that the current El Nino is the strongest ever recorded”.

As climate change raises ocean temperatures, it can make recent El Nino events appear stronger than past ones, complicating historical comparisons.

Copernicus said it had adopted a new index, which accounts for the warming of tropical oceans, that suggested the current event is not yet stronger than past ones.

But the values observed in September “point to an already exceptionally strong El Nino, especially given that the event has not yet reached its peak”, Copernicus told AFP.

Not all forecasters use the same scale to interpret El Nino.

On Friday, Japan’s weather agency said that El Nino conditions had reached their “strongest intensity on record”, with temperatures in the phenomenon’s monitoring area 4C above normal.

As El Nino gathers strength, global average sea surface temperatures hit a record 21.05C for September, topping the previous high of 20.92C for the same month in 2023, according to Copernicus.

Overall, the world experienced its second hottest September on record, with surface air temperatures averaging 16.27C, the EU service said.

September was 1.63C hotter than the pre-industrial average, a period defined as 1850-1900.

Nations agreed at the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris to keep global warming “well below” 2C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5C, in order to limit the effects of climate change.

But the United Nations declared in September that the long-term 1.5C target would be missed in a matter of years.

“We are in a new run of months above 1.5C, and with a strong El Nino still intensifying it is likely to last into 2027,” Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo said in a statement.

“Crossing the Paris Agreement’s long-term limit is only a matter of time. How far we overshoot, and for how long, is still up to us,” he said.

Scientists say it is crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels to limit the period of “overshoot” above 1.5C and bring temperatures back down as quickly as possible.

Experts have warned that this El Nino would likely push global temperatures to a new record in 2027.

El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

It typically takes place every two to seven years and lasts around nine to 12 months…..PACNEWS

NIUE – ELNINO: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 1: Tue 13 Oct 2026

‘Imminent threat’ of drought in Niue, Yellow alert declared

ALOFI, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—Niue is under a yellow alert for an imminent threat of drought.

Niue’s disaster management ffice says wildfires have already happened in several areas – Tualihega, Kavata, Paluki, Tumau-Alofi, Liku and Hakupu.

The government said water infrastructure and plantations have been damaged.

“The decision follows a series of fire incidents that have resulted in damage to critical water infrastructure and plantations, while also placing homes, property, and essential services at significant risk.”

The National Disaster Council has assessed that the threat has moved beyond a potential hazard and now requires immediate protective action, including a total burn ban.

It said there was an “extremely high” fire risk in Niue.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has provided a 4WD firefighting truck and equipment.

The C-130 aircraft also brought a Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) team, personal protective clothing, and drone mapping equipment with thermal imaging capability.

FENZ national commander Megan Stiffler said the New Zealand contingent will provide training and technical advice to Niue firefighting staff to help them manage wildfire risks.

The NZ High Commission in Niue said the FENZ team would provide specialist technical advice, operational planning, and logistical support to help manage ongoing wildfire risks, and will also support recovery efforts and strengthen Niue’s future fire management capability and resilience.

“This work is especially important as El Niño forecasts indicate that dry conditions in Niue will likely persist in the coming months, with the risk of bushfires remaining elevated.”

El Niño is underway in the Pacific, bringing dry conditions to several areas.

The Tonga Meteorological Service has declared drought across all major islands that make up the kingdom, including Tongatapu, Niuatoputapu, Ha’apai and ‘Eua.

The World Meteorological Organisation said sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific are forecast to increase to record levels during October-November-December 2026….PACNEWS

FIJI – POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Gender will not change ministerial standard: Fiji PM

SUVA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the standard applied when Lynda Tabuya was removed from Cabinet in 2024 will also apply to the male minister at the centre of an explicit video, “regardless of gender”.

“Yes, yes, same thing. It will be the same,” Rabuka said.

He said he had not spoken to the minister, who was “probably overseas”.

“I will talk to him personally. And then I will decide what to do,” he said.

Asked whether the minister would be suspended, Mr Rabuka said: “He must have the opportunity to defend himself.”

Rabuka said he did not know whether the minister appeared in the video.

“I haven’t seen any pictures or any videos or anything like that,” he said.

Rabuka dismissed Ms Tabuya as Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection on December 26, 2024, after an explicit video of her surfaced on Christmas Eve.

He cited her oath and the “standards expected of any Minister”. She remained a Member of Parliament.

Rabuka earlier told this masthead that he wanted someone prepared to testify and urged accusers to report to him and the Online Safety Commissioner.

The video allegedly appeared on the minister’s Facebook Story last Friday and was removed 28 minutes later. The minister has yet to respond….PACNEWS

PAC – ELECTORAL OFFICIALS MEET: PIANZEA PACNEWS 1: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Pacific election officials gather to discuss shared challenges

HONIARA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (PIANZEA)—Senior electoral officials from across the Pacific gathered in the Solomon Islands last week to share insights and discuss common issues impacting electoral management.

This year’s annual in-person meeting of the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand Electoral Administrators (PIANZEA) Network brought together representatives from 15 Pacific electoral administration bodies.

This year’s meeting focused on emerging challenges, including the use of AI in elections, threats to electoral integrity, and ensuring electoral institutions are adequately resourced to deliver their mandates.

Longstanding items of importance for the Network were also discussed – such as voter turnout and youth engagement, as well as insights on the benefits and risks associated with different methods to enable out-of-country voting in the current environment.

Deputy Australian Electoral Commissioner Kath Gleeson, who is also the PIANZEA Chair, said the face-to-face meeting was an important opportunity for senior electoral administrators, many of whom have limited opportunities for formal engagement with other electoral administrators.

“PIANZEA was established almost 30 years ago. It is a fundamental forum for strengthening electoral integrity in the Indo-Pacific region, for building a shared understanding of best practice electoral administration, and for dynamically sharing insights on how to manage the many risks and complexities associated with election delivery now and into the future. electoral administration across the region,” Gleeson said.

“A key feature of this year’s meeting was exploring the opportunities and risks for electoral administration associated with AI.

“The AI environment is changing rapidly, so the ability to share insights on potential impacts amongst the PIANZEA network and our regional partners is invaluable,” Gleeson said.

Discussions on AI follow last month’s UNDP’s Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections in Ottawa.

Building on these discussions, participants at last week’s PIANZEA meeting also had presentations from the UN Development Programme and other intergovernmental electoral organisations, including International IDEA and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

Chaired by the AEC, PIANZEA is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“Of course, this year’s meeting wouldn’t have been possible without the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission generously hosting us all in Honiara.”

The PIANZEA Network was established on 10 October 1997 in Fiji….PACNEWS

COOKS – VISA: COOK ISLANDS NEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Woman unable to leave Cook Islands after NZ, Australia decline transit visa

RAROTONGA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (COOK ISLANDS NEWS)—A foreign national has been stranded in the Cook Islands for three years. Despite assistance from Cook Islands Immigration, neither New Zealand nor Australia has approved a transit visa for her return home.

The 49-year-old arrived in the Cook Islands on 8 November 2023, and has been unable to leave since then. She also does not possess a visa to stay in the country. Neither Australia nor New Zealand has approved her transit, for which she does not even require leaving the Airport.

Cook Islands principal immigration officer Chere Arthur wrote to Immigration New Zealand on 11 April 2025, offering assistance by having someone escort the South Asian national to Auckland Airport until she boarded her connecting flight to Singapore.

Nothing has eventuated from Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

Responding to queries from Cook Islands News, Arthur said in an email that the Cook Islands government understands there is public interest in this matter.

‘The individual remains in the Cook Islands not because options for departure have not been explored, but because of difficulties obtaining the transit visas needed to travel through other countries on the way to her final destination,” Arthur said.

“Transit visas are issued by the countries a person needs to pass through during their journey. Decisions about these visas are made by those countries and are outside the control of the Cook Islands government.

“While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has worked to identify possible travel arrangements, any departure depends on the approval of the necessary transit and travel documents by the relevant authorities.

“The government continues to manage the matter in accordance with the law and, to protect the individual’s privacy, will not comment further on the details of the case.”

INZ said it would comment on the matter when a privacy waiver is provided to them authorising this newspaper to seek responses on the foreign national’s behalf.

A waiver or a consent was provided to INZ on Friday; however, because of time differences, no reply has been forthcoming yet.

New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands Catherine Graham said she had contacted Wellington.

“I’ve contacted the relevant team in Wellington for a response and will come back to you as soon as I can. As it is the weekend, I don’t imagine I’ll get a response until our Sunday at the earliest,” she told Cook Islands News.

Questions sent to the Australian High Commission remain unanswered.

The foreign national left her country after her husband was killed. She worked in Hong Kong for almost a year before being granted a work visa in New Zealand in March 2023. Whilst working, she applied for an asylum visa.

The woman claimed that while her visa was being processed, she was told by the lawyer helping her out that she needed to leave New Zealand and return later.

She claimed that her family is assisting her but wants to return to her home country, and the only obstacle is a transit visa through either Australia or New Zealand…..PACNEWS

FIJI – RIGHT TO STRIKE: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Fiji Constitution Bill proposes right to strike, chastisement clause

SUVA, 13 OCTOBER 2-26 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji workers would gain a constitutional “right to strike”, while parents would be allowed “lawful and moderate chastisement” of children.

These are under the Coalition Government’s Constitution of the Republic of Fiji Bill 2026.

Neither provision appears in the 2013 Constitution.

The Bill has passed its second reading but is not yet law. It also proposes changes to how the State may limit constitutional rights.

Section 23 of the Bill adds the right “to strike” to workers’ existing right to form or join a trade union and participate in its activities and programmes.

It also removes the 2013 Constitution’s specific limitations relating to strikes, lockouts and essential services. The Bill retains a provision allowing reasonable restrictions on members of a disciplined force.

Section 40 of the Bill states: “Lawful and moderate chastisement is permissible for the purposes of correction.”

However, section 14(2) of the Bill says every person is entitled to be “free from any form of violence from any source at home, school, work or in any other place”.

The 2013 Constitution contains the same wording in section 11(2).

Section 6(5) of the 2013 Constitution allows rights to be limited where this is “necessary and… prescribed by a law”.

Under section 8 of the Bill, a limitation must be “reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society”. The State would be required to demonstrate this to the court.

The Bill retains a 24-hour deadline for children to be brought before a court and a 48-hour deadline for adults.

It also introduces a right “to be promptly released if not charged”.

However, the Bill removes the 2013 Constitution’s standalone right “to remain silent”, although people must still be informed of that right.

Other provisions removed

The Bill omits several provisions contained in the 2013 Constitution, including:

*The power to regulate “the conduct of media organisations”.

*The requirement for the State to “show that the resources are not available” when seeking to justify limits relating to social rights.

*The land, minerals and environmental rights contained in sections 28 to 30 and 40 of the 2013 Constitution, which are not included in the Bill’s Bill of Rights chapter……PACNEWS

AUST – MEDIA: SMH PACNEWS 1: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Fight erupts between union and ABC’s head of news

SYDNEY/MELBOURNE, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (SMH)—The ABC’s new head of news Simon Robinson is staring down the barrel of a staff revolt just four weeks after joining the public broadcaster, with its union committee labelling a threat of disciplinary action against a senior journalist an attack on press freedom.

The ABC’s Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance house committee called an urgent meeting for its members on Monday after Michael Slezak, who is also the federal president of media at the union, was threatened with disciplinary action over a piece he wrote in The Australian Financial Review.

Robinson, who joined the ABC as director of news last month, called Slezak into a meeting last week to raise concerns over his conduct, an email from the union to its members alleges.

Robinson and national and digital news boss Lee Glendinning said he may have breached the ABC’s external work policy and code of conduct over the article, which advocated against plans to limit publicly available information about company directors in Australia.

In the piece, Slezak said that the Australian Institute of Company Directors and its chief executive Mark Rigotti was using the Bondi terror attack as a “shield” to help push forward changes to an issue it has long pushed for, access to personal information of prominent company directors.

The pair refused to rule out the possibility of disciplinary action or dismissal, the email sent out to about 1000 union members on Monday said. The union has called a meeting of members for Tuesday and called on ABC management to rule out action on Slezak and ensure union representatives can undertake legitimate advocacy in future “without intimidation or reprisal”.

An open letter calling for these assurances was signed by 165 union member staff as of Monday afternoon, including a number of senior journalists. Angus Grigg, David Marr, Avani Dias, Paddy Manning and Ian Verrender were among those to put their name to the letter.

Any attempts to intimidate elected staff representatives “must be met with a collective response from the members they represent”, the email said.

The ABC has strict rules that demand its staff follow an external work request process.

However, the union says that Slezak had a pre-existing written agreement with the broadcaster that predated Robinson’s arrival, which permitted him to engage in public comment on behalf of journalists, as part of his senior and public role with the MEAA.

Robinson joined the ABC last month following the exit of Justin Stevens in May. Robinson joined from news agency Reuters where he was the outlet’s second-most senior editor globally.

An ABC spokesperson said Robinson’s meeting with Slezak was conducted to ensure there is a clear and consistent understanding of how the broadcaster’s guidelines should be applied and upheld.

“The guidelines for external work and public comment are important and protect the reputation of the ABC,” the spokesperson said. They did not comment on whether Slezak would face any disciplinary action, or the pre-existing agreement with management, as framed by the union.

The acting chief executive of MEAA, Adam Portelli said it is deeply concerning that Slezak has faced threats of disciplinary action over advocacy he was previously approved to undertake by the ABC as an election union representative.

The article in question was published by the AFR last Monday. In it, Slezak argued against proposed changes to the corporate regulator, ASIC, which would limit the amount of public information made available about company directors.

“The ABC cannot publicly champion press freedom while privately targeting a national union representative for doing the same thing,” the union’s ABC house committee said.

“What message does targeting the highest profile ABC union member, by the biggest media organisation in the country, send to union members, delegates and journalists across newsrooms across the country?

“Our union representatives are elected to advocate for us. They cannot do their jobs if they are only permitted to say things with which their employers agree. The ABC’s targeting of Michael is an attack on press freedom and an attack on our freedom of association.”

The ABC has had a tense relationship with its unionised staff over the past 12 months as a drawn-out enterprise agreement bargaining process led to its first strike in two decades. Union representatives and management clashed at several points throughout the process, before an agreement was finally struck in March shortly after a staff walk-out.

An open letter to Robinson and managing director Hugh Marks had 165 signatories several hours after…. PACNEWS

PACNEWS BIZ

PAC – ENERGY SECURITY: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Amid Middle East crisis, ADB supports Energy Security in the Pacific with $40.1 million

MANILA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (ADB)—The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved US$40.1 million to help Kiribati, Tonga, and Tuvalu manage fuel price volatility as the Middle East conflict raises import costs across the Pacific.

“Pacific island economies have little room to absorb sudden increases in the cost of imported energy,” said ADB President Masato Kanda.

“When supplies are disrupted and prices rise, the impacts are felt across the economy, hitting electricity, essential services, household budgets, and the cost of food. ADB is helping Kiribati, Tonga, and Tuvalu strengthen energy security and protect people from the hardest effects of this crisis.”

The Pacific Regional Energy Security Emergency Assistance Project will provide grants of US$12.77 million to Kiribati, US$15.39 million to Tonga, and US$11.94 million to Tuvalu to manage exposure to fuel price volatility.

It will also help Tonga maintain affordable electricity services through support to Tonga Power Limited and provide targeted assistance in Tuvalu to around 6,000 people from low-income households affected by rising fuel, electricity, and living costs.

Kiribati, Tonga, and Tuvalu depend heavily on imported fuel and face high transport costs because of their geographic isolation.

Recent increases in global fuel and freight prices have heightened the cost of electricity generation and essential goods, disproportionately affecting low-income households that spend a larger share of their income on energy and essential goods and services.

The economic impact of higher fuel prices and related disruptions to energy security across the three countries is estimated at more than US$80 million.

The three governments have already taken proactive measures to protect households and maintain essential services, including absorbing higher energy costs and providing support to electricity consumers.

These measures have increased government spending while reducing utility revenues, putting additional pressure on public finances and the financial sustainability of utilities as fuel prices remain high……PACNEWS

SOL – SHIPPING: SIBC PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Rising fuel prices put pressure on Solomon Islands shipping industry

HONIARA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (SIBC)—Rising fuel prices are increasing operating costs for shipping businesses in Solomon Islands, forcing operators to tighten spending and review freight rates to maintain services.

Vice-Chairman of the Solomon Islands Transportation Association, Kitchener Wheatley, highlighted the impact during a Public Accountability Forum hosted by the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) and the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) on Friday, 9 October.

Held under the theme “Navigating the Surge – Economic Impacts of Fuel Price on Solomon Islands Industry,” the forum brought together industry representatives to discuss fuel-related challenges, supply chain disruptions and financial pressures.

Wheatley said fuel was a major operating cost for businesses that depend heavily on marine transport.

“An increase in fuel prices immediately affects the cost of operating our vessels, including fuel consumption, maintenance, freight movements and other logistics-related expenses,” he said.

He said higher fuel prices had also increased the cost of transporting goods, spare parts, equipment and supplies, putting further pressure on company finances.

In response, shipping operators were monitoring fuel consumption, improving voyage and route planning, reducing unnecessary vessel movements and reviewing freight rates.

Wheatley said operators were also prioritising preventive maintenance to improve vessel efficiency and avoid unnecessary fuel consumption and costly losses.

“Therefore, our approach has been to manage the increases carefully and transparently while trying to maintain reliable and affordable shipping services,” he said.

He said the challenge was to keep shipping services financially sustainable while continuing to serve customers and communities.

MASI President Ofani Erimae said the forum provided an opportunity for industry representatives to discuss accountability issues affecting businesses and the wider economy, and to identify concerns that could be raised with the Government.

The forum aimed to encourage informed, evidence-based policy discussions and develop recommendations to improve the business environment….PACNEWS

AUST – FUEL CRISIS: AAP PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Leaders accused of dropping the ball before fuel crisis

CANBERRA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (AAP)—The fuel crisis caused by Middle East conflict would have had a softer landing if Australia been clear-eyed about its vulnerabilities, the RSL president says.

Peter Tinley has used Australia’s dependence on foreign fuel as an example of where Canberra failed to mobilise in the face of obvious challenges.

He says economic, technological and security threats are encroaching rapidly and on top of one another, outstripping the nation’s well-meaning but toothless defence strategies.

A government duty-bound by law to keep Australia prepared, a commission analysing national resilience and an adviser to determine if the country is ready would help cushion blows such as the one caused by the Middle East conflict,Tinley told the National Press Club on Monday.

“There was a crisis and there we are found wanting,” he said.

Tinley’s proposal would involve passing a law which, among other things, would mean parliament and the public were informed annually about whether Australia was becoming more or less prepared.

“If this architecture or something like it was in place before the Iran crisis, we wouldn’t have had the same problem,” he said.

Tinley’s address is the RSL’s latest foray into a string of hot-button political issues.

In September, it weighed into a vicious feud between Liberal frontbencher and former Special Air Services soldier Andrew Hastie and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, over a cartoon calling the coalition MP a traitor.

“The word ‘traitor’ has a particular meaning for somebody who’s worn the uniform,” Tinley, who also served in the SAS, said.

“That was beyond the pale, and we need to make a contribution to civil debate.”

Labor’s plan to sell off 67 defence assets to rake in about $1.8 billion (US$1.2 billion), including Sydney’s Victoria barracks, also met full-throated resistance from the advocacy group.

The RSL’s spirited response to the proposal was partly for the sake of future veterans, Tinley revealed.

“We are in some disagreement with the government, but also the government’s been listening,” he said, with Defence Minister Richard Marles among the press club attendees.

On the issue of national readiness, the former state Labor minister pre-empted criticism about the RSL’s position propelling the organisation out of its lane.

“This is the lane. It always has been,” Tinley said.

“How well this country prepares itself is a veterans’ issue, because veterans and their families are among the people who pay when it does not.”

Tinley came to the RSL presidency in October 2025 with well-burnished military and political credentials, having served 25 years in uniform in Lebanon, Syria, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan and Iraq, rising to the rank of major.

He also commanded the SAS counter-terrorism force infamously deployed to Christmas Island in 2001 to ward off the MV Tampa when it was carrying asylum seekers.

Tinley later labelled the move, green-lit by then-prime minister John Howard, an overreaction.

After his service, he spent 15 years as a Labor MP in the WA parliament where he held several portfolios including veterans issues…..PACNEWS

PAC – ENERGY: REVIEW ENERGY GLOBAL PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 13 Oct 2026

Offshore wind emerges as an option to diversify energy supplies across small island states

NADI, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (REVIEW ENERGY GLOBAL)—Offshore wind could play an increasingly important role in strengthening energy security across Small Island Developing States (SIDS), particularly where limited land availability constrains the expansion of renewable generation.

A new report by the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), launched at Pre-COP31 in Fiji, examines the potential role of offshore wind across the group of 39 island and coastal developing countries in the Pacific, Caribbean, Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions.

SIDS are home to more than 65 million people and account for more than 16 percent of the world’s exclusive economic zones, while contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. According to the report, fossil fuels account for around three-quarters of their energy mix, while reliance on imported fossil fuels for electricity generation reaches as high as 90% in some countries. These conditions contribute to some of the highest electricity prices in the world.

The vulnerability of these energy systems was highlighted in 2026, when several Pacific island states experienced blackouts linked to fuel shortages following the Strait of Hormuz crisis and a cyclone. Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands declared emergencies during the disruptions, according to the report.

Against this backdrop, GOWA and IRENA identify offshore wind as a potential option for diversifying electricity generation and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. Unlike land-based renewable projects, offshore wind can access wind resources without placing additional pressure on scarce land, while offering the potential for larger-scale generation alongside solar PV and other distributed technologies.

Significant technical potential

Renewable capacity across SIDS increased from 3.4 GW in 2014 to 11.2 GW in 2025, representing growth of around 230 percent. Solar PV accounts for most of this expansion, while onshore wind has played a smaller role. The report argues that offshore wind could complement this growth in countries where land availability, population density or competing land uses limit further deployment.

The technical potential identified by the report is significant in several SIDS. Fiji has an estimated 186 GW of offshore wind technical potential, including 27 GW from fixed-bottom projects and 159 GW from floating technologies. Tonga has 127 GW, Vanuatu 93 GW and the Dominican Republic 65 GW.

However, the report stresses that technical potential should not be interpreted as economically or practically feasible capacity. The suitability of offshore wind varies between countries and depends on factors including wind resources, electricity demand, grid capacity, project economics, environmental and social considerations, and access to affordable finance.

Globally, offshore wind capacity surpassed 90 GW in 2025. The report notes that floating foundations could be particularly relevant for SIDS, as around 70% of their offshore wind potential is located in waters considered suitable for floating structures. However, floating offshore wind remains at an earlier stage of commercialisation and costs need to decline further for wider deployment.

Costs and infrastructure remain key barriers

The economics of offshore wind have improved significantly. The global weighted-average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) for fixed-bottom offshore wind stood at $78/MWh in 2025, 63% below its 2010 level, according to the report. At the same time, costs can vary considerably between regions, with deeper waters and more challenging conditions increasing project costs.

For SIDS, the challenges extend beyond generation costs. The report highlights the need for stronger electricity grids and port and marine infrastructure, clearer permitting frameworks, marine spatial planning and access to financing.

The authors also point to the importance of considering biodiversity and other environmental and social impacts from the outset. Concessional finance, grants and mechanisms to reduce investment risks could help countries with limited fiscal capacity develop projects and attract private capital.

Regional cooperation could support deployment

The report points to growing political and institutional momentum around offshore and other ocean-based renewable energy in several regions. In the Pacific, the Regional Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting in May 2026 recognised the potential of ocean-based renewables and launched the Pacific Regional Ocean Energy Roadmap and Investment Pipeline (PROERP).

Other SIDS are also beginning to explore offshore wind. Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago have joined GOWA, while preliminary offshore wind studies in Dominica have received support from the World Bank.

The report argues that regional cooperation could help SIDS overcome some of the constraints associated with developing offshore wind markets independently. Pooling resources, coordinating project delivery and strengthening regional supply chains could reduce costs and improve access to technical expertise.

GOWA and IRENA ultimately stress that offshore wind will not be suitable for every SIDS. Its role will depend on each country’s resources, electricity system, infrastructure, financing conditions and environmental and social context.

The report recommends that SIDS integrate offshore renewable energy into national energy and grid planning, develop marine spatial plans, strengthen permitting and technical standards, improve access to finance and deepen regional and international cooperation.

For island states seeking to reduce their exposure to imported fossil fuels, offshore wind could therefore become part of a broader strategy to diversify electricity generation and strengthen long-term energy security, particularly where the availability of land limits the expansion of renewable capacity…..PACNEWS

PACNEWS In Focus

The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS

More Than Matcha: Discovering Trust and Respect in a Japanese Tea Ceremony

PACNEWS Editor in Chief Makereta Komai shares her experience from the tea-making ceremony in Asakusa, Tokyo

ASAKUSA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Five visiting journalists from the Pacific and Caribbean got a taste of Japanese culture through a traditional tea ceremony in Asakusa, Tokyo Monday.

But it was more than just drinking tea. It was a lesson in patience, respect, trust and the simple beauty of doing things together.

Our tea ceremony was led by a well-renowned female Japanese tea master known as ‘sensei, Rie Takeda,who spoke excellent English and made us feel relaxed from the moment we arrived.

We began by watching a short video about the history of Japanese tea and the meaning behind the ceremony. We then ground our own matcha, a finely powdered green tea, before entering a traditional Japanese tea room.

There were delicious and colourful Japanese sweets to enjoy, followed by bowls of freshly prepared matcha served by our hostess.

Every movement had a purpose. From cleaning the utensils and preparing the hot water to carefully whisking the tea, everything was done with patience and care.

There was no rushing. No cutting corners. Just a quiet focus on getting every step right.

We were then given the chance to whisk our own matcha, following the instructions we had been given.

As I watched the ceremony unfold, I began to understand that making tea was only one part of the experience. It was also about the care, respect and thought that went into preparing something for another person.

The experience also offered a lesson in equality.

To enter the traditional chashitsu, or tea room, we had to pass through a small, square crawl-in entrance measuring just 60 centimetres by 60 centimetres.

The entrance, traditionally known as a ‘nijiriguchi’, is a reminder to leave the outside world behind. In the past, even samurai warriors had to leave their swords outside before entering the tea room.

Everyone had to bow and humble themselves to enter, regardless of their position or status.

Inside the tea room, there were no titles, positions or social status. Everyone was equal.

It was a powerful reminder that we are all human beings, and that respect and humility matter more than the positions we hold.

Another lesson was trust — trusting the tea master to guide us through each step and allowing ourselves to slow down and enjoy the moment.

The Japanese tea ceremony is deeply connected to the ideas of ‘wabi’ and ‘sabi,’ which value simplicity, quiet beauty and the imperfect nature of life.

For our small group of visiting journalists, the experience offered a welcome pause from our busy APIC Japan Fellowship programme.

One bowl of matcha brought us together in a shared moment of calm, conversation and smiles.

We arrived as journalists from different parts of the world, but inside that tea room, we shared the same experience.

And perhaps that is the beauty of the Japanese tea ceremony: sometimes, bringing people together does not require many words. It simply takes a bowl of tea, an open heart and the willingness to share a moment of peace…. PACNEWS

PACNEWS DIGEST

The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS

UNSW supports Pacific priorities in global climate talks

SYDNEY/NADI, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (USNW)—UNSW researchers and students worked with Pacific partners ahead of COP31 – from convening discussions that helped shape the negotiating agenda to supporting Pacific delegations in Fiji.

Three demands emerged clearly from the recent Pacific pre-COP31 discussions in Fiji – to keep the 1.5°C temperature goal alive, deliver sufficient finance for climate adaptation and to put ocean protection on the global agenda.

Before ministers and senior negotiators began those talks, the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response (ICRR) helped convene a forum in which Pacific researchers, leaders and communities could define what those priorities mean.

Led by ICRR Research Associate Dr Wesley Morgan, 1.5°C to Stay Alive brought together Pacific and Australian researchers, ministers, policymakers, climate practitioners, artists and community representatives at the University of the South Pacific in Suva.

“Pacific countries played a key role in securing the 1.5°C goal in the Paris Agreement because, for the region, this is not an arbitrary number. It is considered a threshold for survival,” Dr Morgan said.

The forum was organised by the COP Universities Alliance and co-hosted by ICRR, the University of the South Pacific and the University of Melbourne.

A condensed session opened the official pre-COP31 stakeholder program, carrying key themes directly into wider international discussions. The official gathering attracted more than 3000 participants, including senior ministers and officials from major negotiating countries.

The Pacific priorities will now help inform negotiating positions ahead of COP31 in Türkiye in November.

The survival of nations

For generations of Pacific islanders, the sound of the ocean has been a familiar and reassuring presence. But as Marshall Islands Climate Envoy and COP31 Regional Envoy for Oceania Tina Stege told the forum, “Hearing the waves at night was once a source of comfort. Now they are a source of fear.”

Her words captured how 1.5°C is connected to homes, livelihoods, health, cultures and the survival of nations.

ICRR Director Professor Ben Newell, who attended the forum and official pre-COP discussions, said the experience demonstrated why responses to climate change must be informed by more than scientific data alone.

One concern was the way temporary overshoot of 1.5°C is sometimes framed. The suggestion of temperatures being brought down ‘later’ implies communities and ecosystems could return to their former state.

Professor Newell said that framing understates what could be lost forever.

“We cannot return to the same world after we overshoot,” he said.

While economic modelling can estimate the cost of damaged infrastructure, the loss involving culture, identity, health, community and connection to the ocean cannot be reduced to a financial figure.

Merging knowledge systems

The forum also looked at how traditional Pacific knowledge and Western science could be meaningfully integrated.

Coral Pasisi, Director of Climate Change and Sustainability from The Pacific Community (SPC), addressing the forum, said cultural knowledge acquired over generations – such as knowing which fish to target when teaching children to spearfish – is in many ways as valuable as having a PhD.

However, Professor Newell said the world in which that knowledge was acquired is changing rapidly.

What are now familiar biological and environmental markers may change along with the climate, he said, which reinforces the need to strengthen regional research capability and place Pacific climate science in the hands of Pacific researchers.

From climate finance to practical action

Forum participants said the challenges go beyond attracting more funding to creating the mechanisms that suit small island states and deliver resources effectively.

During the wider pre-COP, the Pacific Resilience Facility reported pledges of US$118 million towards its US$500 million target. The Pacific-owned and managed fund is intended to direct finance towards community-level climate and disaster resilience.

Research led by Dr Morgan has also identified the economic opportunity in the region’s energy transition. Pacific island countries spend between 10 percent and 25 percent of their GDP on fossil-fuel imports, while replacing diesel electricity with solar and battery storage could save approximately US$700 million each year.

This work shows how climate action, energy security and regional resilience are inseparable – and how UNSW research can contribute practical evidence to international policy discussions.

While some public debate about the pre-COP focused on its cost and the number of world leaders attending, its importance will be measured by whether Pacific priorities influence the negotiations to follow.

Professor. Newell said his strongest impression from the forum and pre-COP was the way Pacific spirit and culture infused the scientific, legal and political discussions in an inclusive and good-humoured way.

He quoted a panellist: “We get frustrated, but we don’t give up.”

Students experience climate diplomacy firsthand

UNSW engagement at the Pacific pre-COP also gave seven UNSW Law & Justice students an opportunity to experience international climate diplomacy from inside the negotiations.

Invited to embed with the Fiji delegation, the students attended the stakeholder program and observed how Pacific nations work to focus international attention on the climate challenges they face and shape the global response.

Several of the students will continue to COP31 in Türkiye in November, where they will support delegations representing Pacific and other island nations during the negotiations.

The placements build on the last 12 months of work by the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Development Reform (CSDR) to support Pacific partners in developing Pacific-led responses to climate change and bringing them into the COP31 agenda.

Students attended side-events involving CSDR staff – including a session co-chaired by Arthur Sokimi (Pacific Regional Director of the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership, CSDR secretariat) on decarbonising Pacific shipping with the Solomon Island Maritime Authority. Another was on developing new regional finance models based on work out of the Niue NOW Trust with CSDR Director Eliza Northrop as a panellist, and CSDR’s Edoardo Santagata presented renewable energy monitoring and transition work underway with Tuvalu and Tonga.

These experiences connected the formal negotiations with the practical legal, reporting and policy work required to Ssupport Pacific responses to global climate and biodiversity challenges.

“What was made clear in Fiji is that Pacific countries are ready with working models developed in the region, not just asks or ideas. Solomon Islands has the evidence base for a cleaner fleet. Niue has shown how to fund ocean protection on its own terms. Now COP31 participants need to be ready to back them,” said Eliza Northrop, Director of the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Development Reform…PACNEWS