Canberra Raiders keeping Kato Ottio's dream alive

The Sydney Morning Herald
By Caden Helmers
12 May 2018

Kato Ottio had a smile that could light up a room, and you would be hard-pressed to find a photo of him that doesn't show it.

Kato Ottio had a smile that could light up a room.

He arrived at Canberra Raiders headquarters with one goal - earn enough money to build his mother a house in Papua New Guinea.

Sia Soliola modelling the jersey that will be auctioned off for the Kato Ottio memorial fund.

At first he was almost silent - he knew little English and was a long way from home. But he was embraced by the club that is now working tirelessly to "keep his dream alive".
The Raiders were rocked when Ottio died of heatstroke in January, two days before he was due to fly to England to join the Super League's Widnes Vikings.
Now the club is paying tribute to Ottio through its indigenous round jerseys, which will bear his name on the inside collar when the Raiders face the Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.
The jersey was unveiled after an indigenous smoking ceremony at Raiders headquarters and boasts the handprints of players from different backgrounds.
It is the name on the inside collar that will be on Raiders prop Sia Soliola's mind when he enters the playing arena.
"He was really quiet when he first came, as expected, but he really grew group on the group," Soliola said.
"With a lot of the photos you’ve seen, he just never stopped smiling. In 99 per cent of the photos that everyone would have seen of Kato was when he was smiling, because that’s just the kind of character he was.
"He loved a good time, enjoyed anybody’s company, and he always liked to joke. He was actually a bit of a practical joker which was always nice to see. A couple of years after he was quite a cheeky fella which was actually pretty cool.
"For someone like Kato who was minimal in his English and still learning the game, taking him away from PNG and the groups he was used to, to come down here and achieve all the things he did and made a real big impact in terms of who he was.
"It’s awesome that the club can promote and take one step further in doing this for Kato and keeping his dream alive, making it more of a reality."
Ottio's presence was felt from the field to the boardroom, with Raiders chief executive Don Furner exploring the possibility of launching a scholarship for a rugby league player from Papua New Guinea in Ottio's honour.
"Honestly everyone really liked him, he was just always happy. It’s unbelievably tragic," Furner said.
"To be honest he would have been an NRL player with us the following year, but he did the knee and it was a pretty bad knee reco and he probably needed a bit more time.
"We thought it wouldn’t hurt him to go to England, do a year or two over there, and then keep our eye on him. He’d come a long way from being a volleyballer.
"He was very good over the first two years and gained confidence after the knee reco. It would have been a fantastic story. It’s just very, very sad but I know his family are very grateful for our continued efforts."
The jerseys will be auctioned off in the second memorial dedicated to Ottio after the club held a memorial service led by the Capital Wantoks following the round two clash with Newcastle.
The Raiders flew Ottio's his mother Joyce and siblings Ahulo, Opao and Helai to Canberra for that game and coach Ricky Stuart says the Kumuls flyer will always be a part of the Green Machine.
"Knowing the club how I do, it won’t be the last time we help the family," Stuart said.
"Kato was a very special member of the Canberra Raiders and I know that we will continue to support that family for a long time ahead. That’s what makes our club so great."

Donate to the Kato Ottio memorial fund here.

NRL ROUND 10

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium, 4.10pm.

Tickets from Ticketek.

Raiders: 1. Jack Wighton, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Joseph Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Blake Austin, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Iosia Soliola, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Shannon Boyd, 11. Joseph Tapine, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Josh Papalii. Interchange from: 14. Ata Hingano, 15. Luke Bateman, 16. Charlie Gubb, 17. Dunamis Lui, 18. Liam Knight, 19. Michael Oldfield.
Sharks: 1. Valentine Holmes, 2. Sosaia Feki, 3. Jesse Ramien, 4. Ricky Leutele, 5. Edrick Lee, 6. Matt Moylan, 7. Chad Townsend, 8. Andrew Fifita, 9. Jayden Brailey, 10. Matt Prior, 11. Kurt Capewell, 14. Joseph Paulo, 13. Paul Gallen (c). Interchange from: 15. James Segeyaro, 16. Avagalu Seumanufagai, 17. Jack Williams, 18. Kurt Dillion, 19. Braden Uele, 20. Briton Nikora.

Caden Helmers is a sports reporter for The Canberra Times

Russian vessel poised for historic port call in Papua New Guinea

sputniknews.com
May 12, 2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A Russian warship will make a first-ever port call this month in the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea, Russia’s Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo told reporters.

"The Perekop training ship will make a historic business port call in Port Moresby," he said.

" This will be the first port call by a Russian military ship in the history of Russian-Papua New Guinean relations."

The warship with a crew of more than 200 cadets will arrive in the capital of the southwestern Pacific nation next Wednesday and will reportedly stay there through Saturday.

Nararas proudly flying PNG flag

by Malum Nalu, thenational.com.pg
May 11, 2018

THE Flying Nararas from Milne Bay have been holding high the Papua New Guinea flag high internationally from their base in the United Arab Emirates.
The latest achievement was in February, 2018, when young Nigel Narara checked out on the Airbus A330 aircraft as a captain.

Two generations of pilots. Captains Nigel, Tico and Granger Matata in a photo shoot prior to Dublin, Shanghangai and Johannesburg respectively.

He is now flying as a commander on both the A330 and A320 under the mixed-fleet flying programme with Etihad Airways.
Nigel moved to the UAE as a seven-year-old year old when his father Granger Narara began flying for Emirates Airlines in 1991, after leaving Air Niugini to work with Emirates Airlines as an A310 captain
After 15 years in Emirates, Granger moved to Etihad Airways where he is currently a senior instructor on A330/340 aircraft.
Nigel completed all his primary and secondary education in the UAE and went on to Embry Riddle Aeronautical College in Prescott, Arizona, USA in 2001 to do a degree in aeronautical science, until the events of Sept 11, 2001 put an end to those dreams.
He then transferred to the Royal Queensland Aero Club at Archerfield in Brisbane in 2003 where he completed his commercial pilot’s license and instrument rating.
He started his flying career with Milne Bay Airlines (now PNG Air), where he worked from 2004 to 2006, flying the Twin-Otter based in Port Moresby and Kairik in Enga.
In 2007, Nigel was able to secure a job as a cadet first officer with Air Arabia, a low cost airline based in the UAE, flying the Airbus A320 on a regional network, until August 2012 when he was employed by Etihad as a first officer on the Airbus A330.
When the wheels of the Etihad Airways Airbus A330 Flight 055 lifted off the ground in Abu Dhabi bound for Brussels on March 30, 2013, another milestone in PNG aviation history was made.
At the controls of Flight 055 was Captain Granger Narara, of Dobu Island, Milne Bay, and his co-pilot was none other than his oldest son, Nigel Narara.
This was the first time that a PNG father-and-son team was in control of an international airliner and a great achievement for PNG aviation and the Narara family.
“This is the highlight of my 36-year flying career, being able to fly with my son”, Granger said at the time.
“An achievement like this is a great way to tell the world that PNG can and does produce some of the best aviators in the world, something that we as a nation can all be proud of.
“This success is also being replicated in many other top notch professions, notably in the international oil and mining sector where the number of PNG professionals around the planet is increasing.
“We can be very proud that as a small nation we are able to produce pilots, engineers, oil and gas operators and many other professionals that can stand up and be counted amongst the best in the world.”
Nigel said: “I have always wanted to fly with Dad; he wasn’t as hard a captain as I thought he would be.”
His uncle Tico Narara, younger brother of Granger, joined Emirates in 1998 and was the first PNG pilot to commercially fly the big beast, the Airbus A380.
“We feel so blessed that we have been able to achieve so much in our flying careers,” says Captain Granger Narara, the senior.
“It is an honour for our family and our country.”
After this photo shoot, Capt Nigel Narara’s next flight was to Dublin, Ireland, Capt Tico Narara’s next flight was to Shanghai, China and Capt Granger Narara’s next flight was to Johannesburg, South Africa.
The world is really their playground.
Something for other Papua New Guineans to emulate.

Papua New Guinea welcomes Pacific funding boost by Australia and New Zealand

Papua New Guinea welcomes the enhanced financial commitment of Australia and New Zealand to the Pacific, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Rimbink Pato said today.
“The big increase in their budgets by both of these close friends of PNG looks set to give Pacific Island states the opportunity to boost our capacity to develop economically and in governance and security,”Pato said.
“Australia is already our biggest development partner in the Pacific, and to PNG in particular, but this generous increase to $1.3 billion makes it the biggest assistance package ever and so is destined to have a significant impact.
“We are grateful for the support of the esteemed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, his respected Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, and all those other ministers I recently met with in Brisbane and London.
“The extremely generous assistance for us to host APEC—nearly $20 million—and to install an underwater communications cable are examples of the support, but let me also mention the funding for future leaders and many other projects too numerous to list.”
Pato  New Zealand, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced a 30 per cent increase in his country’s foreign aid budget to reach NZ$714 million, "and we are very pleased that this is going to the neighbourhood, to the Pacific".
Pato said it had become clear during recent meetings between Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his Australian and New Zealand counterparts, as well as between foreign and trade ministers, that the relationship with Papua New Guinea was highly valued.
“As the Pacific Island country with the biggest population, land area and economy, we were strong advocates for boosting the economic, security and general development of all the Pacific Island Forum states and territories, and that was well received by our allies, the Australians and New Zealanders.”

Blue Pacific

 Pato said it was time for the ‘Blue Pacific’ to become a model of development, security and stability, and environmental protection and resilience.
“Our countries form an ‘ocean continent’ and cover a third of the world’s surface, and if we can move ahead in peace and prosperity, then that is a good example to the rest of the world," he said.
“The recent renewed interest in the region by the United Kingdom and France is also a good sign that we will have more opportunities to improve the daily lives of our citizens and the future opportunities for their children.”
Pato said Papua New Guinea also welcomes the development assistance provided by friends such as Japan, the United States of America, South Korea and the People’s Republic of China.
“We encourage those friends to play an appropriate economic and security role in the Pacific as I mentioned, for example to China’s foreign minister, His Excellency Wang Yi just last month,” he said
“As host of APEC this year, we will see all the countries in our region, including the Pacific Island states, come to Papua New Guinea where we believe we will see a renewed commitment to the rules based international order under which trade will be free and fair.”

* Additional Information:

The 2018-19 Australian Government Budget was released on May 8. Total Australian official development assistance to Papua New Guinea will increase from $546.3 million in 2017-18 to $572.2 million in 2018-19.
This funding will go towards initiatives that will directly benefit the lives of Papua New Guineans, such as the new high-speed undersea internet cable to be completed in late-2019, continued access to the Pacific Labour Facility, and continued support for programs that build economic growth and trade opportunities. It will also support ongoing programs in health, education, infrastructure, law and justice, gender and subnational priorities in Papua New Guinea.
http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/corporate/portfolio-budget-statements/Pages/budget-highlights-2018-19.aspx

Australian development assistance to Papua New Guinea increases by $26 million

2018/2019 Budget - Papua New Guinea

Australia has a strong and enduring partnership with Papua New Guinea, our nearest neighbour.

Close cooperation on economic, security, and development matters, as well as a broad range of people-to-people links, highlight the depth and breadth of our relationship.

Development cooperation with Papua New Guinea

• Total Australian official development assistance to Papua New Guinea (PNG) will rise from $546.3 million in 2017/18 to $572.2 million in the 2018/19 financial year

• The bilateral allocation is estimated at $519.5 million, which includes: 

- $62 million for commitments under the Joint Understanding;
- $29.6 million towards the high-speed undersea telecommunications cable; and
- over $400 million to support ongoing programs targeting health, education, - infrastructure, law and justice, gender and subnational priorities in PNG.

Supporting PNG to host APEC in 2018
Australia is expanding its support to bolster PNG’s hosting of APEC:

• $14.4 million to strengthen PNG’s cyber security capabilities in the lead up to hosting APEC Leaders’ Week and beyond; 
• Up to $10 million  to boost internet connectivity  and strengthen telecommunications; and 
• $5.4 million in support for policing, fire fighting and other hosting assistance.

This brings our total support for PNG’s hosting of APEC to $130 million.

Australia’s development assistance priorities

In 2018–19, Australian support for PNG will focus on:

• supporting the future digital economy through the delivery of a new undersea high-speed telecommunications cable from Australia to Port Moresby, a project that will have a positive impact on business engagement and significant social benefits 
• improving the lives of women and girls across all areas of work through investments that: enhance women’s voice in decision-making, leadership and peace building; promote economic empowerment; end violence against women and girls; and increase access to support services
• enabling economic growth by investing in infrastructure, innovation and business partnerships; leveraging finance for development; supporting agriculture and rural development; improving the business enabling environment; developing improved financial markets; and deepening financial inclusion 
• supporting effective governance, with an emphasis on working with provinces and districts to improve service delivery and economic opportunity; supporting the contribution of communities, churches and the private sector; and enhancing the accountability, legitimacy and responsiveness of law and justice agencies
• enhancing health by targeting maternal and child health and communicable diseases; strengthening health security; and helping to build a more effective health system
• enhancing the education sector by improving the quality of education for young children; equipping students with the skills and qualifications necessary for employment; and nurturing the leadership qualities needed for the country’s development
• cultivating a culture of gender inclusiveness.

2018 Australian Budget aims to strengthen relationships with Pacific, including PNG

2018 Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tourism and Investment Budget
Joint media release
Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP
8 May 2018

The 2018 Budget demonstrates the Turnbull Government's commitment to ensuring Australia's economic and national security, as outlined in the Foreign Policy White Paper launched in November 2017.
We will strengthen relationships with our Pacific partners and work together to support the region's stability, security and economic opportunities.
 The region will benefit from over $1.3 billion in aid in 2018-19 - our largest ever contribution.
This includes funding for undersea telecommunications cables to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands delivering faster, cheaper and more reliable communications infrastructure, and providing economic and development benefits. 
The Budget also further delivers on the Government's largest diplomatic expansion in over 40 years and the White Paper's commitment to open more overseas missions over the next ten years, providing $10.8 million for a new Consulate-General in Kolkata, India.
The new Consulate-General will help Australian businesses access opportunities in India's growing mining sector, and protect and advance our interests in a changing Indo-Pacific.
We will also provide $8.4 million to open a High Commission in Tuvalu.
Tuvalu is a key member of the Pacific Islands Forum and an important partner in the Pacific. 
We will invest an estimated $4.2 billion in total eligible Official Development Assistance in 2018-19, including $410 million for humanitarian funding, helping those most in need after a crisis.
An additional $10 million will support the new Australian Aid: Friendship Grants scheme for Australian community groups to tackle poverty in the Indo-Pacific.
The Turnbull Government continues to seek justice for victims of the downing of MH17.
We will provide $50.3 million over four years to support the Dutch prosecution of those responsible, and assist next-of-kin to participate in court proceedings.
The White Paper committed to delivering more global opportunities for Australian businesses, which will create more jobs and economic growth.
This Budget includes a $15 million business engagement package to continue tackling non-tariff barriers on trade, which materially impact on Australian exporters.
 The package will also increase the competitiveness of our service exports and strengthen dialogue with the business community on foreign policy and security issues.
To enhance Australia's competitiveness as an international screen production destination, the Turnbull Government will provide $140 million over four years to establish the Location Incentive Funding Program.
 From 1 July 2018, the incentive will encourage more international productions to film in Australia, reinforcing our reputation as a world-class filming destination and lead to more jobs for our creative industries.
The Turnbull Government is supporting the tourism sector with $45 million in grants through the Building Better Regions Fund to help move tourists beyond the major cities.
These funds will support projects in regional areas and encourage more visits and expenditure in regional locations, creating more tourism jobs for Australians.
The Cruise sector contributes $2.7 billion to the Australian economy each year and continues to grow rapidly.
 This Budget will fund work to identify solutions to the lack of berthing infrastructure in Sydney, Australia's cruise gateway, ensuring our share of the cruise ship market continues to grow.
The Turnbull Government is also focusing on Australia's most valuable inbound tourism market, China, with the continuation of the Approved Destination Status Scheme.
 This scheme allows Chinese tourists to travel to Australia in guided groups, and plays a strong role in deepening our economic and bilateral engagement with China.
 The Turnbull Coalition Government continues to provide record funding into Tourism Australia.

Papua New Guinea: Highlands Earthquake Situation Report No. 9 (as of 7 May 2018)

reliefweb.int | May 7, 2018

This report is produced by the National Disaster Centre and the Office of the Resident Coordinator in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by the Disaster Management Team Secretariat and covers the period from 17 to 30 April 2018. The next report will be issued on or around 15 May 2018.

Background

• 270 000 people in need of assistance across four provinces of Papua New Guinea’s highlands.

• 42,557 people (11,041 households) remain displaced in nine care centres and affected communities.

• From 21-22 April, 32.5 MT of food were distributed by humanitarian partners in Urila, Lil, Kopa,
Ponga/Merep in Southern Highlands Province.

• 4,055 people reached with shelter kits in Southern Highlands, Hela and Western provinces, and 28,217 people reached to date with shelter related non-food items in the three provinces.

• 71 community mobilizers trained on providing psychosocial support.

• Total estimated cost of rehabilitating damaged social infrastructure – primarily health and education facilities in three provinces – is US$105 million.

270,000 people in need of assistance

$62 M funding required

32.5 MT metric tons of food assistance distributed

28,217 people reached with shelter-related NFI support

683 hygiene kits distributed

Situation Overview

On 26 February 2018, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea (PNG), affecting an estimated 544,000 people in five provinces – Enga, Gulf, Hela, Southern Highlands and Western provinces, with Hela and Southern Highlands the most affected. More than 270,000 people, including 125,000 children, have been left in immediate need of life-saving assistance. Since the initial 26 February earthquake, at least 202 aftershocks have occurred, of which six were of a 6.0 or greater magnitude.

A partial assessment of key social infrastructure (primarily focusing on health and education facilities) in Hela, Southern Highlands and Western provinces was commissioned by the Australian Government on behalf of the National Department of Works. The completed assessment concluded that total estimated cost of rehabilitating assessed social infrastructure across the three provinces is approximately AUD 140 million (USD 105 million). The assessment does not include rehabilitation of road infrastructure, which is estimated by the Government to cost approximately PGK 100 million for earthquake-affected sections of the Highlands Highway.

A mobile Vulnerability Assessment Mapping (mVAM) survey was conducted from 22 March to 12 April 2018. The results indicate that 14 per cent of 1,534 households contacted in affected areas were displaced in the wake of the 7.5 M earthquake. The survey further showed that households in nine of 31 Local Level Governments (LLGs) surveyed experienced high or extreme food shortages, with the destruction of food gardens in these areas removing the main livelihood and food supply source for the majority of people.