Australia invests FJ$1.57b to Vuvale Union

Australia will invest more than AU$1 billion (FJ$1.57 billion) over the next decade to support the new Fiji-Australia Vuvale Union, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced yesterday.

Mr Albanese made the announcement during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.

He said the funding had already been allocated in Australia's May 12 Budget and was not additional spending.

"This is the full suite of measures, including measures to fight transnational crime, measures and support in education, in health, in infrastructure," he said.

Mr Albanese said the package would strengthen cooperation across key sectors while supporting the long-term partnership between Fiji and Australia.

Mr Rabuka said Australia's development assistance to the Pacific now stood at AU$2.2 billion (FJ$3.45 billion), including a new AU$63 million (FJ$99 million) increase.