Austrade’s Pacific Infrastructure Roadshow held in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in early June showcased a vibrant pipeline of infrastructure projects across the Pacific Islands region, revealing nearly US$2 billion in upcoming tenders and reinforcing calls for early engagement from the Australian private sector.
Hosted under the newly launched Pacific Infrastructure brand in the lead-up to APIBC’s Pacific Infrastructure Conference in August, the Roadshow brought together development finance institutions, Australian government agencies, contractors, and financiers to discuss both the scale of opportunity and the practicalities of doing business in the region.
Austrade’s General Manager for NZ and the Pacific, Brad Williams, highlighted the agency’s role in helping Australian businesses move from “cautious to confident” by providing market intelligence, introductions to local partners, and insight into cultural and operational contexts across the region.
Austrade CEO Paul Grimes.
Austrade CEO Paul Grimes reiterated that there is a significant increase in project financing in the Pacific, but a shortage of contractors to deliver on the ambition. He introduced the Pacific Infrastructure brand as a platform to better coordinate between development partners and the private sector and simplify access to the growing pipeline of projects.
Tim Houghton, Austrade’s Trade Commissioner for the Pacific, presented the consolidated infrastructure pipeline valued at US$1.9 billion. Covering projects supported by the World Bank, ADB, DFAT/AIFFP, EU/EIB and New Zealand’s MFAT, the pipeline spans 15 Pacific countries and multiple sectors. Papua New Guinea remains the largest single market, with 45 per cent of pipeline value, while Kiribati saw a notable increase in activity.
Tim Houghton, Austrade’s Trade Commissioner to the Pacific.
Samuel Bunt, Director at the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), outlined AIFFP’s approach to climate-resilient and inclusive infrastructure, backed by a facility worth A$4 billion. Projects soon to be tendered include port and power infrastructure in PNG, hydropower transmission in the Solomon Islands, and airport works in Timor-Leste.
From the multilateral side, Mohammad Amin Saskai of the World Bank and Rubina Shaheen of the Asian Development Bank provided updates on procurement reforms and new tenders emerging from their combined portfolios, valued at over US$6.8 billion. Both emphasised a growing focus on quality, system strengthening, and streamlined access to tenders.
Colonel Paul Wright of the Department of Defence shared future plans for security-related infrastructure across the
Simon Gorman, APIBC President. All photos: Dev Nadkarni
Indo-Pacific, while Simon Gorman, Managing Director of CCB Envico and President of APIBC, gave a contractor’s perspective on the opportunities and challenges of working in the Pacific. He stressed the importance of cultural understanding, local partnerships, and long-term commitment and urged the audience to attend the Pacific Infrastructure Conference in Brisbane.
Rounding out the session, Simon O’Connell of Export Finance Australia outlined financial support available to Australian companies undertaking transformative projects overseas, particularly in high-risk environments like the Pacific.
