In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — GCF says Pacific Climate finance must deliver
2. PACIFIC — Pacific Youth demand a voice in biodiversity decisions
3. FIJI — Fiji PM denies lobbying GCC to delay General Election
4. SOL — Democracy does not end at the ballot box:Transparency Solomon Islands
5. FIJI — Constitutional Review Commission report unlikely to affect Fiji election: Turaga
6. PACIFIC — Outgoing PMC chair Antfalo highlights key gains
7. VAN — 265 new whooping cough cases reported on Ambae in two weeks
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific Media Network launches PMN Play streaming platform
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Chinese miner buys out Aussie gold project in PNG
10. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Mobility provisions in recent Australia–Pacific bilateral agreements
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific youth declaration at PCNC11 calls for integrated action on biodiversity, climate change and ocean action
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Holding the line: From Palau to Fiji – Greenpeace Australia Pacific
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Community conservation success in Vava’u Tonga heralded by birdsong
PAC – CLIMATE FINANCE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 11 Sep 2026
GCF says Pacific Climate finance must deliver
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA,11 SEPTEMBER 2026(PACNEWS)—- The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has warned that climate finance will mean little for the Pacific unless projects are delivered, citing successful investments in Tuvalu, Fiji and Nauru as evidence that climate funding can produce results on the ground.
GCF Executive Director, Mafalda Duarte told PACNEWS in an interview that Pacific leaders visiting Tuvalu ahead of COP31 would see the results of GCF-backed investment through the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP).
“The project that they are going to see in Tuvalu is our project, is a highly successful project, TCAP.
“It’s a land reclamation, a very successful project,” Duarte said.
Duarte said the project demonstrated that when countries and development partners have sufficient ambition, climate finance can translate into practical results.
“What this shows is that when there is ambition, there can be delivery,” she said.
Duarte said the GCF had a range of financial instruments available to Pacific countries, including grants, loans and equity.
“GCF is interesting in that sense because we have all of the instruments,” she said.
The Fund can support countries with institution-building, capacity development, policy development and project preparation before providing financing for implementation.
“Even here in the Pacific, actually 84 percent of what we do is grants.
“But we can do all other structures,” Duarte told PACNEWS
She said the GCF was also examining new financing models for the Pacific, including an equity fund and debt financing.
“We are looking at an equity fund right now for Pacific. We are looking at also debt. So we have all of that flexibility,” Duarte said.
However, Duarte acknowledged that implementing large climate portfolios remained difficult for Pacific governments because of limited human and institutional capacity.
“We know that capacity is constrained,” she said.
She said Pacific governments often had to manage the same responsibilities as much larger administrations but with far fewer people.
Duarte said her own experience working as a civil servant in a developing country had given her an appreciation of capacity constraints, but her engagement with Small Island Developing States(SIDS) had changed her perspective further.
“I really feel for them,” she said.
GCF Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Hemant Mandal said implementation was critical because committed climate finance would not translate into actual investment unless projects were delivered.
“If implementation doesn’t happen, money doesn’t come in,” Mandal told PACNEWS
He said the GCF had committed about US$1 billion to the Pacific, which was expected to leverage around US$2.4 billion in total investment.
Mandal said the Fund’s financing was largely concessional, including grants, highly concessional loans and junior equity designed to attract additional investment.
“From our perspective, implementation becomes critical because the need is so big that we need all kinds of financing.
“It’s not that you only do private sector or public sector, you need all kinds,” he said.
Mandal said the Pacific’s heavy reliance on public sector financing also highlighted the region’s capacity constraints.
With about 97 percent of climate finance currently flowing through the public sector, he said there was a need to increase private sector participation.
“We need to expand the private sector to do the work,” he said.
But Mandal said private investment alone would not solve the problem and that different financing instruments would be required.
Mandal said the GCF was also looking beyond individual projects to develop models that could continue operating after initial climate finance ended.
“We need sustainability to happen.
“For that, we need other sources of funding after these projects are done to continue the work and to expand the work,” he told PACNEWS.
He said the GCF was examining potential investments in areas including forestry and reefs, while also looking at ways to create private sector opportunities through adaptation projects.
“Even in adaptation, we’re trying to come up with different models that will be sustainable, financially and technically,” Mandal said.
He cautioned that some projects under consideration had not yet been approved by the GCF Board and could not be discussed publicly.
GCF Sub-Regional Head for the Pacific and Asian SIDS, Zarak Khan said the impact of GCF investment should also be measured by changes in people’s lives, not only by the amount of money committed.
“Sometimes we often forget, the numbers are obviously very critical.
“But sometimes when you go beyond the numbers, you look at it that this is not just climate projects that we’re deploying and delivering in the Pacific.”
“Many of our projects are transformational and life-changing in terms of changing the lives of Pacific Islanders,” Khan told PACNEWS
Khan highlighted the Viria Water Treatment Plant in Fiji, funded by the GCF in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which he said would provide piped clean water to hundreds of thousands of people in the Suva-Nausori corridor.
He also highlighted the Nauru Port Project, funded in partnership with ADB, which he said would create the country’s first world-class port facility.
Khan said these projects demonstrated how climate finance could deliver broader development benefits while strengthening resilience in Pacific countries.
Duarte said demonstrating results would also help build confidence that climate finance could deliver solutions that could be expanded across the region.
“It’s important in these processes to demonstrate results, to give confidence and hope that we can accomplish this and demonstrate solutions that can be scaled up.
“We actually have a number of projects that we hope that also once they are successful, they can be replicated across the Pacific,” she said…PACNEWS
PAC – BIODIVERSITY MEET: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 11 Sep 2026
Pacific Youth demand a voice in biodiversity decisions
NOUMEA, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—-Pacific youth are calling for a permanent and funded role in biodiversity decision-making, warning that the choices made over the next five years will determine whether the region’s young people inherit healthy ecosystems or a legacy of environmental loss.
Pacific Biodiversity Coordinator for the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation, Claire Oiire, delivered the Pacific Youth Declaration at the 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Noumea.
Speaking on behalf of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network – Pacific Chapter, Oiire said young people make up a large share of the Pacific population and will be responsible for carrying forward commitments made by leaders today.
“The Pacific is one if not the youngest region in the world. Nearly half of our population is under the age of 25.
“By 2030, today’s young people will be the generation responsible for carrying forward every commitment made in this room,” She said.
Oiire said Pacific youth were already seeing the impacts of biodiversity loss, including coral bleaching, forest decline, invasive species and pollution.
“These are not distant environmental issues. They are threats to our food, our cultures, our livelihoods, and our future.
“The choices made over the next five years will determine whether Pacific youth inherit abundance or loss,” she said.
The declaration supports the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration, which sets out a regional approach to biodiversity conservation grounded in Pacific cultures, Indigenous knowledge, customary rights, environmental governance, science and regional cooperation.
Oiire said young people were not seeking to replace the declaration but to help deliver it.
“As youth, we are not asking to replace this vision. We are asking to help deliver it,” she said.
She said young Pacific Islanders were already restoring mangroves, monitoring reefs, protecting endangered species, reviving traditional ecological knowledge and supporting community conservation.
The youth declaration called on Pacific governments to make four commitments.
The first is to recognise youth as decision-makers, not just stakeholders, with meaningful and funded representation in national biodiversity strategies, protected area governance and regional and international processes.
The second is to invest directly in youth leadership through accessible financing and capacity-building for youth-led conservation, Indigenous youth initiatives, research, innovation and community action.
The third is to protect intergenerational and Indigenous knowledge systems, including young Indigenous peoples’ right to learn and practise conservation through their languages, cultures and customary governance systems.
The fourth is to ensure biodiversity, climate and ocean action are addressed together.
“Pacific youth refuse to see these crises treated in isolation,” Oiire said.
“The health of our reefs, forests, fisheries, and communities depends on integrated action and finance that reflects the realities of our islands.”
Oiire said the declaration must translate into measurable action as Pacific countries take their biodiversity priorities into upcoming global processes, including CBD COP17, COP31, the BBNJ Conference of the Parties and the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.
“Declarations matter only when they change lives,” she said.
By 2030, Pacific youth want to see measurable progress in youth participation in biodiversity governance, financing for youth-led initiatives, protection of Indigenous knowledge and implementation of the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration in communities.
“We are not the leaders of tomorrow.
“We are the partners you need today,” Oiire said…..PACNEWS
FIJI – ELECTION/POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Fri 11 Sep 2026
Fiji PM denies lobbying GCC to delay General Election
SUVA, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has rejected claims by former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry that he lobbied the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) to postpone the coming General Election and extend his term in office.
“The claim is not true,” Rabuka told this masthead. “The PM doesn’t lobby the BLV (Bose Levu Vakaturaga), let alone, as alleged.”
He said the constitutional pathway to the GCC was through the Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Ifereimi Vasu, not the Prime Minister.
“I understand and respect the role of the BLV as apolitical,” he said.
Chaudhry, leader of the Fiji Labour Party, made the claim yesterday, alleging Mr Rabuka lobbied the GCC “on the quiet” while publicly promising to honour the election timeframe.
He accuse Rabuka of rushing constitutional changes through Parliament without public debate.
GCC chairman Ratu Viliame Seruvakula told this masthead he had not heard of Mr Chaudhry’s comments when contacted and was not aware of the allegations raised by Chaudhry.
Attempts to reach Minister Vasu were unsuccessful.
There is no way around the election date. Under the Constitution, the General Election must be held between 07 August 2026, and the absolute latest date, 06 February 2027.
The Writ of Election must be issued by President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu no later than December 24, which will formally close voter registration and political party registration.
The only exception is force majeure.
Under Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2014, polling may not commence or may be adjourned at one or more stations due to events such as storms, floods, riots or loss of electricity.
Section 47(5) allows the Electoral Commission to adjourn polling across an entire region, while Section 47(7) allows the Supervisor to adjourn the whole election if too many stations are affected, with a new date gazetted and published nationally under Section 47(8).
Section 41(5) also bars changes to polling venues once published, except under force majeure.
Chaudhry’s claim follows months of work by the Constitutional Review Commission, which handed its final report and Draft Constitution to the President on August 28.
Rabuka tabled it in Cabinet this week, with Bills expected before Parliament from 28 September…..PACNEWS
SOL – DEMOCRACY: INDEPTH SOLOMONS PACNEWS 2: Fri 11 Sep 2026
Democracy does not end at the ballot box:Transparency Solomon Islands
HONIARA, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (INDEPTH SOLOMON ISLANDS)—-Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) is calling on Solomon Islanders to look beyond elections and take greater responsibility for strengthening the country’s democracy.
TSI’s executive officer Ruth Liloqula said International Democracy Day on 15 September should be more than a ceremonial celebration and should instead prompt serious reflection on the health of Solomon Islands’ democracy.
This year’s national theme, “Promoting Democracy Through Collective Actions and Responsibilities,” highlights the need for government, political leaders, public institutions, civil society, the media and citizens to work together to strengthen democratic governance, she said.
Liloqula said democracy should not be viewed simply as the right to vote and elect political leaders.
“Democracy does not begin and end at the ballot box,” she added.
She said a healthy democracy also requires young people to have a meaningful voice in public affairs, access to information, freedom to express their views, confidence in public institutions and the ability to hold those entrusted with public power accountable.
For Solomon Islands, Liloqula said this means asking whether citizens are listened to when major decisions are made, whether people can access information about how public money is spent and whether government decisions are properly explained.
She also questioned whether integrity institutions can independently scrutinise those in positions of power and whether citizens can raise concerns without fear.
“These questions matter because democracy is ultimately about how public power is exercised and in whose interests that power is used,” she said.
Liloqula said elections give citizens the opportunity to choose their representatives, but elected leaders remain accountable to the people and to the institutions established to safeguard democratic governance.
She said the responsibility for protecting democracy extends across society.
The Government must govern transparently and accountably, Parliament must scrutinise the executive and represent citizens, and integrity institutions must be able to independently perform their mandates, she said.
The media also has a responsibility to inform the public accurately and responsibly, while civil society organisations must advocate, educate and encourage public participation.
Citizens, meanwhile, have a responsibility to remain informed, participate constructively and hold public institutions to account.
Liloqula said Solomon Islands has important democratic and integrity institutions, but the challenge is ensuring they can operate effectively, independently and transparently in the public interest.
“Strong democracy requires strong institutions, but strong institutions also require an active and informed public,” she said.
Liloqula said the national theme should therefore be more than a slogan and should be reflected in how citizens participate in public life, how institutions exercise authority and how society responds when democratic principles are challenged.
The United Nations International Day of Democracy is observed annually on September 15 following a UN General Assembly resolution establishing the day in 2007.
Liloqula urged Solomon Islanders to use this year’s observance to consider what kind of democracy they want to build.
“Democracy should not only give citizens a vote. It should give them a voice, protect their rights and ensure that those who exercise public power remain accountable to the people,” she said…..PACNEWS
FIJI – ELECTION/POLITICS: FBC NEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 11 Sep 2026
Constitutional Review Commission report unlikely to affect Fiji election: Turaga
SUVA, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FBC NEWS) —The tabling of Fiji’s Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) report in Parliament is not expected to have any impact on the upcoming General Election.
Acting Attorney General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga says the Commission’s recommendations are not automatically binding on Government.
Turaga said Government has instead been carefully considering both the report and the draft Constitution prepared by the Commission.
Turaga added that the Government has spent the past week reviewing the Constitutional Review Commission’s report and draft Constitution and will continue that work in the coming days.
He said the tabling of the report in Parliament is part of the normal constitutional process and does not, by itself, trigger any changes to the electoral timetable.
“It’s just a normal process; it’s just tabling. So by presenting it to Parliament, that completes the end of the process. So currently the government is considering.”
Turaga says the Commission’s recommendations remain recommendations for Government to consider.
However, he said the Commission has gone beyond simply making recommendations by producing a draft Constitution, which is now being examined by Government.
“It’s happened in the past process. It is a recommendation. It is for the government to determine. But what they have done, they’ve come up with a draft Constitution. So that’s what government is currently working on.”
Turaga also confirmed that the Referendum Bill and Constitutional Amendment Bill are scheduled to be considered during the September parliamentary sitting.
Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya said Government remains committed to advancing the constitutional amendment process within the current parliamentary term.
“We are committed to the September sitting to do the same, so as soon as we have the constitutional review report available to the public we should be able to know thereafter the timeline to file the constitutional amendment bill in parliament.”
Tabuya said Government believes the proposed constitutional changes should be considered by the full Parliament.
The Government’s position comes as attention turns to the next steps following the Commission’s six-month review process and the proposed changes to Fiji’s constitutional framework.
For now, Government maintains that the constitutional process and the upcoming General Election remain separate, with no expected impact on the election timetable from the report’s tabling…..PACNEWS
PAC – MET MEET: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 2: Fri 11 Sep 2026
Outgoing PMC chair Antfalo highlights key gains
NUKU’ALOFA, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST)—Outgoing Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC) Chair and Director of Vanuatu Meteorology, Levu Antfalo, has highlighted two major achievements from his two-year term and expressed confidence that the council’s work will continue under its incoming chair.
The Pacific Meteorological Council brings together the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of Pacific island countries. Antfalo said the council currently represents 15 Pacific countries and provides a platform for meteorological and hydrological directors to collaborate on regional priorities.
He said ministerial participation in the council’s meetings was particularly important, as it enabled technical discussions to be elevated to the political level. Ministers are able to hear directly from meteorological and hydrological experts before taking key issues to leaders’ forums and making decisions to strengthen weather and climate services across the region.
Antfalo identified the development of a new Pacific Island Meteorological Strategy as one of the major accomplishments during his leadership.
He said the previous strategy, introduced in 2014, was nearing the end of its implementation period. The new strategy is expected to guide the region’s meteorological services over the next decade.
Meteorological directors meeting during the current PMC session are expected to review and endorse the strategy, which will guide regional work from 2027 to 2029 and beyond.
Antfalo said the strategy would provide a framework for improving meteorological services and ensuring that they respond effectively to the needs of Pacific communities.
He identified the Weather Ready Pacific platform as another major achievement of his term.
Antfalo said the initiative had been developed through collaboration with international partners, including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
He explained that the Pacific’s geographical spread, including the remoteness of many communities in Vanuatu and other island countries, presented significant challenges for delivering weather, climate and ocean services.
He said the platform aimed to ensure that services were accessible not only to people in urban and easily reached areas, but also to communities in remote locations.
“We must not leave anyone behind,” Antfalo said, emphasising the need to reach every citizen with reliable meteorological information.
He described Weather Ready Pacific as a vehicle for advancing the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All initiative in the region. The platform is intended to help meteorological services improve the way warnings are developed and communicated so that they reach all communities.
Antfalo acknowledged the support of regional and international partners and funding organizations, while noting that some gaps remained.
He said the handover of the PMC chairmanship would not interrupt the council’s work. Instead, the incoming chair and member countries would continue working with partners to expand access to meteorological services throughout the Pacific and strengthen the region’s international engagement.
Director of Tonga Meteorological Services Laitia Fifita acknowledged Antfalo’s leadership and thanked him for his service as outgoing PMC chair.
Fifita recognised the work undertaken by Antfalo and the broader meteorological community over the past four years, including the efforts of council members and regional partners.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the outgoing vice-chair from the Republic of the Marshall Islands and indicated that a formal exchange of gifts would help strengthen the work and regional relationship symbolizes leadership transition.
The handover marks the continuation of regional cooperation aimed at strengthening weather, climate and hydrological services across Pacific island countries…..PACNEWS
VAN – HEALTH: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 2: Fri 11 Sep 2026
265 new whooping cough cases reported on Ambae in two weeks
PORT VILA, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST)—Two hundred and sixty-five new whooping cough cases in Vanuatu have been reported on Ambae in two weeks, bringing the total number of cases to 276.
The cases were reported from 24 August to 06 October. Of these cases, 272 have been clinically diagnosed, and four have been laboratory-confirmed.
Two cases required hospitalisation during the outbreak and have been discharged. No deaths have been reported.
The majority of the cases are reported from South Ambae, while the rest are from North Ambae. One case has been reported from East Ambae. More than half of the cases are females.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said the current investigations indicate ongoing transmission, with many cases having contact with individuals experiencing similar respiratory symptoms.
“One laboratory-confirmed case reported from North Ambae had a recent travel history to Santo Island, and investigation with both Santo and Ambae health teams is ongoing to better understand potential exposure sources and transmission pathways,” said the ministry.
Members of the public are urged to ensure children are up to date with routine vaccinations, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow, wash hands regularly with soap and water, stay home when feeling unwell, and avoid close contact with babies and young children when experiencing cough symptoms.
People are advised to seek immediate care if symptoms develop. Symptoms of whooping cough include a persistent cough lasting two weeks or longer, vomiting after coughing fits, and difficulty breathing, particularly in infants and young children.
All parents and caregivers are advised to ensure children are fully vaccinated, as it is the most effective protection against pertussis and reduces severe illness.
MOH, through the National Surveillance Unit and PENAMA Provincial Health Services, assured it will continue to implement response measures, including enhanced surveillance and reporting; active case finding and investigation; clinical management of cases; verification of vaccination status; specimen collection for laboratory confirmation; risk communication and community engagement activities; and strengthening routine immunisation services and identifying eligible individuals for catch-up vaccination in affected communities.
The whooping cough outbreak was declared on Ambae on 26 August…PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – MEDIA: PMN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 11 Sep 2026
Pacific Media Network launches PMN Play streaming platform
AUCKLAND, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN)—Pacific Media Network has launched PMN Play, a new streaming digital destination for Pacific content.
PMN Play can be accessed at www.pmnplay.co.nz , with the free app available on Apple and Android devices.
PMN Play brings together live streams of 531pi and Niu FM radio stations with a curated collection of PMN content including news, sport, documentaries, interviews, performances, children’s and language programmes, as well as content provided by the Pacific creative community and filmmakers.
PMN Play will sit alongside PMN’s main website and digital news service, www.pmn.co.nz, extending the network’s digital offering while giving audiences a dedicated place to stream live radio, video and on-demand Pacific content.
Pacific Media Network chief executive Don Mann says PMN Play is an important next step in how the organisation serves Pacific communities.
“Our audiences already connect with PMN across radio, digital news, video and social platforms. PMN Play brings content that was previously spread across multiple channels into one dedicated, easy-to-use home.
“It also reflects our wider Moanaverse strategy — a connected, multi-platform Pacific media ecosystem designed to meet audiences wherever they choose to watch, listen and engage.
“Audiences can listen to our radio stations, follow live content and explore a growing range of Pacific stories and programmes in one place.
“At launch, we’re proud to offer a strong mix of programming, including content supported through the Moana Reo Media Fund — a partnership between PMN and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples that backs Pacific-language media projects and helps grow the skills of emerging Pacific storytellers,” Mann said.
One of those projects is Algorithm of Shame: In the Village, Everybody Knows, a Pacific-led documentary examining online shaming, cyberbullying and the impact of social media on individuals, families and communities in Fiji.
The documentary had its New Zealand premiere at an event in Auckland last week and is now available on PMN Play for a limited two-week window.
PMN Play will also carry the UK Super League Finals, reflecting the strong Pacific interest in the competition and the large number of Pacific players involved.
In New Zealand, the finals will be available live exclusively on PMN Play, with viewers able to purchase a $9.99(US$5.79) Finals Pass to watch the Eliminators round, Semi-Finals and Grand Final. A selection of earlier Super League matches will remain free to watch on the platform.
Mann says the platform creates new opportunities to support Pacific content and make important cultural material more accessible.
“Whether people are at home or on the move, they can access PMN Play on their mobile phone, tablet, computer or other connected devices. It gives our audiences an easier and more flexible way to stay connected with Pacific voices, languages and stories.
“Our aim is to create a trusted, authentic platform where Pacific people can see and hear themselves, discover content from across our communities and remain connected to their cultures and languages.
“It also gives us greater oversight of how our content is distributed, reducing our reliance on third-party platforms while creating new opportunities to support Pacific creators, preserve valuable cultural content and build sustainable revenue streams to reinvest in Pacific content,” Mann said.
The PMN Play visual identity uses a frame and play-button symbol inspired by traditional Pacific patterns, representing the platform as a window into Pacific culture.
PMN Play is free to access through the Apple App Store, Google Play and online at pmnplay.co.nz.
PMN Play — press play on the Pacific….PACNEWS
PNG – MINING: AAP PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 11 Sep 2026
Chinese miner buys out Aussie gold project in PNG
PORT MORESBY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (AAP)—An Australian gold miner has sold off its operations in Papua New Guinea to a Chinese state-owned company.
Western Australia-based St Barbara is offloading its ownership of the New Simberi gold project to the Lingbao Gold Group for $410 million (US$2293 million).
The deal ensures St Barbara receives a 2.75 per cent royalty on all future gold and silver production dug out of the PNG mine, executive director Andrew Strelein said.
The miner estimates that the royalties will produce cash flows of $286 million (US$204 million) for the duration of the project’s lifespan.
“St Barbara recognises that New Simberi is an outstanding development project and looks forward to participating in the future benefits via the royalties over New Simberi’s production,” Strelein said.
Given that, its board is considering paying shareholders a further special dividend of about 13 cents per share, on top of a five cent dividend announced at its annual results in August, once the transaction is completed.
The Simberi operations are located on a small island in an archipelago roughly 300km off the PNG mainland.
St Barbara will also receive a 1.5 percent royalty from any future mineral exploration the Chinese group conducts in the surrounding archipelago.
The deal will also include a $43 million (US$30 million) repayment for capital expenditure St Barbara had invested in the project before the deal was done.
The total sale gets close to doubling the company’s cash position.
In August, the company reported a 2025/26 net profit just shy of $490 million (US$350 million), a figure that will rise to about $880 million (US$629 million).
St Barbara said it will use the funds to invest in further exploration of its other gold mine in Nova Scotia, Canada.
For Lingbao, it will add to China’s surge in buying gold.
The People’s Bank of China purchased about 20 tonnes of gold in August, its largest monthly purchase since 2023….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
Mobility provisions in recent Australia–Pacific bilateral agreements
By Jane McAdam
SYDNEY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (DEVPOLICY.ORG) —in the wake of the 2026 Pacific leaders’ meeting in Palau, it is timely to reflect on their endorsement in 2023 of the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility. Since that time, considerable attention has been focused on regional policy commitments and implementation. But an equally important development has been the growing number of bilateral agreements between Australia and Pacific Island countries which acknowledge the importance of migration.
Two starting points shape how we read these agreements. The first is that people rarely move for a single reason — there are always multiple considerations at play. The second is that movement can be a positive form of adaptation, including in the context of climate change. Migration can strengthen households and communities both at home and abroad, giving people choices and opening up new opportunities.
The Falepili Union (2023) between Australia and Tuvalu has received worldwide media attention because of its so-called “climate mobility” pathway, examined below. However, at least five other bilateral agreements also highlight the importance of movement, including those with Vanuatu (initialled August 2025, signed June 2026), Samoa (March 2023), Fiji (July 2026), Naoero (Nauru) (December 2024) and Papua New Guinea (August 2020), and this may feature in a future arrangement with the Solomon Islands as well. Mobility is viewed not only as a means of supporting economic development and skills diversification, but also as a tool to enhance peace, security and economic prosperity in the region.
The Falepili Union contains a provision creating “a special human mobility pathway for citizens of Tuvalu to access Australia” (article 3), enabling them to “live, study and work in Australia” and “access Australian education, health, and key income and family support on arrival” (article 3(1)). In concrete terms, this is reflected in a new visa called the “Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) – Treaty stream (Tuvalu)“. At present, up to 280 visas are available each year.
Although the treaty is framed by the “existential threat posed by climate change” (article 2(1)), recognising “the special and unique circumstances faced by Tuvalu and that climate change is Tuvalu’s greatest national security concern” (preamble), neither the treaty provision nor the Australian visa requires movement to be linked to the adverse impacts of climate change. In fact, the visa contains very few limitations: movement can be for any reason, requires no prior connection to Australia and is without upper age restrictions.
Despite the media headlines, there is no empirical evidence to suggest that climate change is a significant driver of movement from Tuvalu (although it may form part of the decision-making process). Demand for the pathway itself is high: in the first ballot, which opened in June 2025 and closed the following month, 8,750 people registered, more than half of Tuvalu’s citizens, at a cost of AUD$25 each (US$17). That figure needs care in interpretation. Registration is cheap, entry to the ballot is not a decision to leave, and a successful applicant may hold a permanent visa without using it. What the ballot shows is a widespread wish to keep the option of moving open, or to move temporarily for work or education, which is not the same as an intention to migrate forever.
Far less attention has been given to several other agreements that also support enhanced mobility. The Fiji-Australia Vuvale Union (2026) commits the parties to “deepen[ing] their economic and human development partnership by enhancing … cultural and people linkages, including through mobility” (article 3(3)(c)). More specifically, under article 4(4)(b), both countries “commit to the enhancement of their individual and collective peace and security through … supporting adaptation and mobility with dignity for Pacific peoples, recognising the existential threat posed by climate change”. While this has not (yet) been translated into a dedicated visa, it builds upon existing labour mobility pathways, such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and the Pacific Engagement Visa, which respectively offer temporary and permanent employment opportunities in Australia.
These two labour mobility schemes are also open to people from Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, with whom Australia also has agreements referring to the importance of mobility.
For instance, the Australia-Samoa Bilateral Partnership Arrangement (2023) acknowledges “the important contribution labour mobility makes to the economy of both our countries”, and both parties “commit to maximise the benefits of labour mobility and minimise any negative impacts on families and businesses domestically in Samoa” (para 19).
In the case of Papua New Guinea, the main mobility commitment sits within the Papua New Guinea-Australia Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership, signed on 5 August 2020. In that partnership, both countries “recognise the mutual benefits of improved labour mobility for our countries and commit to expand cooperation in resourcing and capacity building, including increasing the number of Papua New Guineans participating in the Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Worker Programme” (para 32). Two subsequent instruments have since been added to the relationship: the Bilateral Security Agreement of December 2023 and the Pukpuk mutual defence treaty of October 2025. While neither has a general mobility provision, the Pukpuk Treaty provides that the two countries can recruit each other’s citizens into their defence forces.
Finally, the Vanuatu-Australia Nakamal Agreement, initialled in August 2025 and signed in June 2026, has a standalone provision on “Enhanced Mobility” (article 6) whereby Australia commits to providing Vanuatu “with enhanced mobility arrangements for Vanuatu visitors to Australia”.
The preamble of the Nauru-Australia Treaty acknowledges “the enduring friendship and family ties between the people of Nauru and Australia, nurtured through generations through educational, cultural and sporting exchanges, and the movement and mobility of our people between our two nations”. Meanwhile, in a joint statement issued by the prime ministers of the Solomon Islands and Australia in June 2026, there was an agreement to double the number of Pacific Engagement visas offered to “Solomon Islands for the next year of the program”.
Taken together, these agreements emphasise the continuing importance of mobility in the Pacific and its contribution to economic development, human security, adaptation and regional solidarity, and they offer an important message in the lead-up to COP31: mobility can be part of proactive adaptation and resilience strategies, provided that people’s agency, dignity and human rights are respected.
Their value lies in the choices they create. Most people want to stay where they are for as long as they can, and support for staying should sit alongside the option of leaving.
Providing a migration pathway is also not the same thing as offering protection: none of these agreements says what happens to people who have to move suddenly after a disaster, or who cannot go home afterwards. Australia still has no specific visa designed for that situation, although some people may qualify for refugee status or complementary protection in certain circumstances.
Finally, the terms on which people move determine whether mobility helps or harms. If people are granted a secure legal status, have access to social supports, can bring their family with them, and have their qualifications recognised, then settlement is likely to be a far more positive and successful experience….PACNEWS
Jane McAdam AO is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and Scientia Professor of Law at the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, University of NSW Sydney, where she leads the Evacuations Research Hub.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific youth declaration at PCNC11 calls for integrated action on biodiversity, climate change and ocean action
NOUMEA, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—Biodiversity, climate and ocean action must be implemented together and not treated in isolation. The health of Pacific reefs, forests, fisheries, and communities depends on integrated action and finance and resourcing that reflects the realities and lived experiences of Pacific people.
This was one of four key asks the Pacific chapter of the Global Biodiversity Youth Network (GYBN) put on the table at the 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation through a call-to-action declaration. The declaration puts into perspective the stakes of the next five years, a critical window that will determine whether young Pacific people will inherit of future of abundance, or one defined by loss.
In a time of aging societies and shrinking populations, the Pacific region boasts a youthful population with 50 percent under the age of 25. The decisions leaders make today will ultimately shape the world youth will inherit, and with time, govern.
Pacific Biodiversity Coordinator for the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation, Ms Claire Oiire delivered the declaration during the Ministerial segment of the conference opening.
When asked about the purpose of the strategy she said, “by 2030 young Pacific people will be in or nearing positions of leadership, and the declaration was drafted with this in mind. We are putting our asks on the table now, letting our leaders know what is required for young people to meaningfully participate in biodiversity action. And by the time they assume leadership they would’ve already been included in the decision-making that will determine their future.”
In addition to integrated actions, the youth declaration calls on leaders to recognise young Pacific people as decision-makers and not just stakeholders, a recurring theme from across the week where young people were asking for meaningful inclusion in national, regional and international processes, and not merely being selected for token representation. Investment in youth leadership through financing, capacity building and support for youth-led initiatives is how this achieved according to the declaration.
Intergenerational dialogue and traditional knowledge preservation is also a key ask for young Pacific people. They recognise the strength of Pacific leadership and traditional and indigenous knowledge. Pacific youth have acknowledged that they cannot do this work without the wisdom, mentorship and experience of their elders.
“Our hope is the declaration will go far beyond PCNC-11, with the UN Biodiversity Conference and Climate Change Conference later this year, as well as the High Seas Treaty and Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. Ensuring that actions are integrated across these thematic priorities will strengthen all efforts to protect the Pacific environment. We hope our leaders will take heed of what young Pacific people are calling for now, we are running out of time”, said Oiire.
The Ambassadors of the Pacific Global Youth Biodiversity Network participation in the PCNC11 was made possible through the generous support of the Pacific BioScapes Programme, a European Union (EU) funded action, managed and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), whose continuous commitment to youth engagement and biodiversity conservation has been instrumental in bringing the Pacific Chapter to life.
Further assistance for the activity in Noumea was provided by the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership….PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Holding the line: From Palau to Fiji – Greenpeace Australia Pacific
By Simon Bradshaw
SYDNEY/KOROR, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (GREENPEACE AUSTRALIA) —What a week! Our Pacific team is back from Palau and the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, and preparing for the next big moment in our campaign for Pacific climate justice — the Pacific Pre-COP.
So grab a cuppa as we take stock of what unfolded in Palau and what it means for the voyage ahead.
Keeping 1.5°C Alive
Immediately before leaders sat down for their negotiations, the UN Environment Program dropped a bombshell report confirming the world is set to overshoot the all-important goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
Limiting warming to 1.5°C is a non-negotiable survival line for Pacific communities. Every year above 1.5°C will increase irreversible harms to communities in the Pacific and around the world. The task now is to minimise the magnitude and duration of any temperature overshoot, and to return warming to 1.5°C as soon as possible.
The good news — there is a path back to 1.5°C. But it’s going to demand the very best of humanity, and all of us working together.
“As a person from the Pacific, I know our communities will not quietly accept these dire warnings of climate overshoot as our fate; we are already living and fiercely resisting this reality every single day. With every increment of warming, our lands, our livelihoods, and our island homes are threatened, but the Pacific’s resolve only grows stronger,” said Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific, responds to the UNEP Limiting Overshoot report.
Australia, get it together
In just two months, Australia will be chairing the world’s global climate negotiations — a role it has pledged to undertake in meaningful partnership with the Pacific. It’s a major responsibility, at a critical moment in the world’s response to the climate and energy crisis, and one that requires a focussed, all-of-government effort from Australia.
So you can imagine our shock at the start of the week, as images appeared of Australian Minister for Resources Madeleine King celebrating the first extraction of gas from the giant Beetaloo Basin, alongside Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Lia Finocchiaro. Needless to say, the image of the two leaders laughing as they turned on Australia’s largest gas tap, amid the still unfolding flood disaster in Nepal-Tibet, will not age well. Skip to Thursday, and the news came that the Australian Government had approved an expansion of one of Queensland’s largest coal mines. This was the 37th new, expanded or extended fossil fuel project approved by the Albanese Government since it was elected, and the second year in a row that Australia has approved a major fossil fuel expansion during the Pacific Islands Forum.
This is not the allyship that the Pacific has been promised from Australia, the largest member of the Forum, or the leadership the world needs. Expanding fossil fuel production is utterly incompatible with our moral, legal and scientific imperative to limit warming to 1.5°C.
“Australia is not doing enough. Australia is a major producer of fossil fuels. We all know fossil fuels are the primary driver of the climate crisis. The very least a country like Australia should be doing is stopping future expansion, and it’s not doing that,” said Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Vanuatu.
‘We need all hands, all heart, all minds, in this fight together,” said Moemoana Schwenke, Pacific Climate Campaigner Powering up the Blue Pacific.
On the bright side, the week helped bring the vision of a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific one step closer to reality.
Nowhere on Earth are the perils of fossil fuel dependence and the opportunities of renewable energy clearer than in the Pacific, where countries currently spend up to 25 percent of GDP on fuel imports, and renewables truly are the path to greater energy security, affordability and sovereignty.
Tuesday saw the launch of a 100 percent Renewable Blue Pacific Investment Prospectus, designed to attract more than US$2 billion in investment to advance the vision of a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific.
Protecting our oceans
While sometimes called ‘small island states’ owing to their small land area and population, Pacific island countries are far better understood as ‘large ocean states’. If you were to divide Tuvalu’s ocean area by its population, you’d find that Tuvaluans are responsible for around 250x more ocean per person than Australians.
Pacific islanders are the world’s ocean protectors, and right now are in a fight to protect the ocean floor from deep sea mining. This year our team, led by Rae Bainteiti, hosted a moving talanoa on deep sea mining, with diverse perspectives grounded in Pacific values.
Greenpeace has been working hard to encourage more Pacific governments to join the call for a moratorium on deep sea mining, so that this destructive new industry can be stopped before it gets fully underway.
The voyage ahead
Earlier this week, a large crowd of Greenpeace staff and volunteers gathered on the dock to bid fair winds to our campaign ship Oceania as she set sail for Fiji and next month’s Pacific Pre-COP.
Hot on the heels of the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Pre-COP is the next crucial moment in our voyage towards the year’s global climate negotiations (COP31) in Antalya. It is a unique opportunity to amplify Pacific leadership, and to ensure that the core priorities of keeping 1.5°C alive, accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels, and ensuring communities can access the financial support they need, are high on the agenda for COP31…PACNEWS
Dr Simon Bradshaw is COP31 Lead for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. Simon has been a researcher, writer and campaigner for climate action for over two decades.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Community conservation success in Vava’u Tonga heralded by birdsong
VAVA’U, 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—Birdsong from the Tongan Whistler, also known as the Hengehenga bird can now be heard signaling successful conservation efforts in Tonga from the Vava’u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA).
Formed in 2009 by local community leaders and residents, VEPA is governed by seven members and works with its community to conserve and sustain the natural resources, environment and biodiversity of Tonga for resilient and health communities and future generations.
One of its activities is to eradicate rats from the native lowland forest area of Mount Talau on Vava’u, a successful undertaking by VEPA Ambassadors and community members. Working to protect endemic species, this has resulted in an amazing comeback of the Hengehenga.
“Working with our Ambassadors and community volunteers, we lay snap traps and bait stations that catch the rats,” said Talita Morley of VEPA.
“We’ve been doing this for over ten years and have seen much improvement – the birds are back and healthy, we hear the birdsong now, and we are trapping four to five rats in our traps per week. This is much less to what was collected years ago.”
Consistency has been key for this activity which began in 2015. Throughout the years VEPA Ambassadors, and Vava’u community members have worked together to strengthen endemic species in the native forest lowlands of Mount Talau.
This has seen rat management, pig control and restoration evolve. It’s also been a point of interest for visitors and tourists to Vavau’u spreading awareness of the community conservation efforts undertaken by the committed residents.
Morley is attending the 11th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas underway in Noumea, New Caledonia supported by the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) which is a service designed to facilitate the scaling up of operational management of invasive species in the Pacific.
VEPA was also the recipient of the inaugural PRISMSS Restoring Island Resilience award sponsored by Air New Zealand earlier this year.
“Seeing the results of our work has been very rewarding. We work together with our community workers to prepare our rat traps, collect dead rats, record and document all we see – the dedication from our team to continue this has led to valuable outcomes,” said Morley.
“We at VEPA are grateful for all the support we have received, and we’re thankful that our hard work is seeing some real, tangible results. Now we can hear the Hengehenga, and know that this bird has come back in numbers. It’s a good feeling.”
And as for her message for our Pacific youth:”The future of Pacific biodiversity and community resilience rests in their hands,” she said.
“Always ground your scientific training in your ancestral wisdom. Listen deeply to your elders, build trust with your community and ensure their inclusion in invasive species management.”
VEPA have four key areas those being: Biodiversity and conservation; Knowledge exchange and awareness; Resource development; and Partnerships, policies and national support. You can learn more about VEPA at: https://vavauenvironment.org/
The 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas is held from 07 to 11 September 2026 at the Tjibaou Culturel Centre in Noumea New Caledonia. Bringing together over 400 delegates from across the Pacific, the conference is organised by New Caledonia, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, and the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation with the support of partners….PACNEWS
For more information please visit: https://www.pacificislandsroundtable.com/pacific-nature-conference
