PNG Treaty Villages
RRRC Factsheet
PNG Treaty Villages Resilience Program
Building Resilience in Treaty Villages, South Fly District, Western Province, PNG
An Australian funded project in Papua New Guinea’s South Fly District, Western Province, is producing real results with compelling human achievements emerging. The Building Resilience in Treaty Villages Program operates on the border between Australia and PNG, where there are strong cultural ties between Torres Strait Islanders and the PNG Treaty Villages.
While only 4km from Saibai Island in Australia, the PNG Treaty Villages face major barriers to development including a lack of basic infrastructure such as roads, water and sanitation facilities, prevalence of communicable diseases, scarce food supplies and limited livelihood opportunities resulting in high poverty rates.
Since 2015, the Program has trained 110 Community Rangers – 76 men and 34 women from local villages selected by village elders – in a wide variety of skills including first responder first aid, sanitation, construction, plumbing, timber milling, , business literacy and numeracy, governance and leadership. The first 52 Community Rangers graduated in 2015 and another 58 graduated in 2018, and are now undertaking important infrastructure projects in their villages, including water catchment and storage repairs, infrastructure improvements and community-based economic development. In 2020, Ranger training expanded to COVID-19 response for community safety. Ten Ranger Support Officers (6 female and 4 male community members with a disability) train with and support the Ranger activities in their communities.
Under the PNG-Australia Partnership for Development, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has provided over AUS $6 million for the Program to operate since 2014, with the RRRC and INLOC partners contributing another AUS $2 million. The Program has expanded from all 13 Treaty Villages to now include training of another 56 Rangers (50% female) from 28 Priority Wards in the South Fly District. The Program will operate until June 2022.
Anuual Report
Anuual Report
Media Release
11/09/2018 - PNG rangers share skills at forum
Anuual Report
Interim Phase Report
Media Release
19/12/2016 - PNG Treaty Villages Pilot extended
Final Report
Progress Reports
RRRC Factsheet