PM Marape and Cairns Lord Mayor discuss direct Lae flights

Prime Minister James Marape has held wide-ranging talks with Cairns Lord Mayor Amy Eden in Cairns yesterday, outlining new opportunities where, Papua New Guinea and Far North Queensland deepen their historic ties.

Speaking during the meeting, PM Marape said the PNG Government is committed to expanding direct air links between Lae and Cairns to support business, tourism, labor mobility and regional trade.

He noted that up to 500 seats a week are currently available between Port Moresby and Australia, but demand is expected to surge “to more than 3,000 to 5,000 seats a week” in the coming years as economic activity expands and national airlines increase fleet capacity.

“Port Moresby–Cairns is only an hour, Cairns can be a loading point for PNG visitors and a gateway for tourists into our regions.

“We want more regular flights, more seats, and more open space for airlines to grow these routes.” PM Marape said.

He said a second privately-owned PNG airline is preparing to operate routes from Port Moresby across the Torres Strait into Cairns, complementing existing Air Niugini services and improving access for travelers, businesses and sporting delegations.

PM Marape proposed that Cairns could serve as a first-entry landing point for Papua New Guineans participating in Australia’s labor mobility programs.

He suggested establishing a structured arrival and acclimatization center in Cairns to prepare workers before deployment across Australia.

“Cairns can be our easy gate into Australia — a place where workers familiarize themselves, learn, and then move into the rest of the country,” he said. “This will strengthen our pursuit for more labor mobility opportunities.”

Mayor Amy Eden welcomed the proposal, noting that the city already enjoys warm relations with PNG communities and employers.

The meeting also explored an ambitious proposal for a boarding school in Cairns dedicated to Papua New Guinean students, linked to rugby league excellence pathways.

Mayor Eden informed PM Marape that a PNG businessman owns land in Cairns and is interested in donating it for the project, which would be jointly funded by the PNG and Australian Governments.

The school would serve students entering rugby league development programs, including pathways linked to the North Queensland Cowboys and Trinity Bay State High School, a major feeder institution.

PM Marape said the PNG Government would respond formally: “We will write to you through the appropriate minister. This aligns with our vision to base PNG student-athletes and sports programs here, in partnership with the council and the Cowboys.”

PM Marape reiterated that PNG’s future NRL men’s and women’s teams will be based in PNG but require a structured support base in Cairns for health, training, administration and high-performance programs.

Cairns has longstanding sporting ties with the Pacific and hosts significant AFL and rugby development activity.

Mayor Eden said the council is pursuing a PNG–Pacific cultural marker in the Cairns CBD — a major piece of public art symbolizing the city’s deep links with Papua New Guinea.She humorously noted local feedback that the artwork should read “South Moresby” to reflect how embedded the PNG community is in Cairns.

PM Marape welcomed the proposal and said PNG would likewise seek land in Cairns for cultural and mobility-related initiatives.

Cairns will also open a Papua New Guinean Friendship Garden in its botanic gardens as part of 150-year commemorations since the early labor and cultural exchanges between PNG coastal communities and Far North Queensland.

The garden will feature five traditional totem poles carved in PNG and shipped to Cairns with support from Deputy Prime Minister and Lae MP Hon. John Rosso.

Mayor Eden noted Cairns’ PNG population is believed to exceed 10,000–15,000 residents, many owning homes across the region.“Our PNG community feels at home here — they are part of Cairns,” she said.

Mayor Eden informed PM Marape that Cairns had raised with DFAT the possibility of funding small-scale cross-border projects in horticulture, disaster preparedness and tourism through the sister-city arrangement with Lae.

She also expressed interest in advancing the regional tourism corridor, positioning Cairns as a gateway city for travelers entering PNG.PM Marape said the PNG Government is fully supportive.

“Your city is important, and you understand our line of thought. Cairns must be part of our future regional integration with Australia.” PM Marape confirmed.