PM O’Neill officially opens Games Village

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill officially opened the XV Pacific Games Village yesterday at the University of Papua New Guinea, Waigani Campus.
The Prime Minister said after their use for athletes at the Games, the facilities will stand for decades in support of education in Papua New Guinea.
"These facilities are not only going to serve these one off event of the Games, they will be passed on for the education of future young leaders and citizens of our country," O'Neill said.
"There will be close to 4,000 students using these facilities into the future.
"We are going to work with the university in making sure that we have the maintenance and the management of these facilities, so that we can maintain the standards we all expect.
"We will not be in the culture of letting them run down and then look for things to be rebuilt.  We must maintain it so that it can last a long time."
During his inspection of the facility the Prime Minister met a number of representatives from games countries who were already using the facilities and he wished them well in their competition.
"We must stand together and support not only our athletics but please, extend the same support to all the other athletes that are going to come and join us.
"They are our visitors, and we must never forget our Melanesian way of welcoming visitors.
"We must look after them, making sure that they all return home safely."
O'Neill said the completion of the facilities is a testament to the commitment of the people involved to deliver the infrastructure.
"Thank you very much for all the hard work that contractors and everyone involved has put in."