Help for quake victims

Cairns residents get behind PNG aid appeal

A BENTLEY Park woman who lost family to the Papuan earthquake in February has started fundraising for the stricken nation.

Six of Susan Pinot’s cousins died when the magnitude 7.5 earthquake devastated the Hela and Southern Highlands provinces. She raised $1700 with a fundraising dinner on the Cairns Esplanade last weekend, despite heavy rains courtesy of ex-Cyclone Nora.

“The Papuan community knew all about it, and even though it was raining, they came,” Ms Pinot said. “People gave with their heart.”

A second event is planned for April 21, this time to be held in Manunda.

Restaurateur and former Madang local John Japp said Papuans had invested in the Cairns economy and deserved a fundraising drive.

“Papuans send their kids to school here, they buy property here,” Mr Japp said. “Australia is deeply invested in mining and resources in PNG.”

Mr Japp owns La Fettucina restaurant on Spence St and lived on the Papua New Guinea north coast from 1986 to 1993.

He returned as a logistics consultant in 2007.

“When Fukoshima went up in Japan, there were clothing and blanket drives,” he said.

“Cairns people are always very giving.”

He said the biggest obstacle was getting donated aid into the right hands.

“The flip side is their problem with co-ordinated efforts at the other side,” Mr Japp said.

“I think the expectation is that the charity is not going to get there.”

Another earthquake shook Papua New Guinea on Friday.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said the magnitude 6.9 quake may have caused small changes in the sea locally but the danger had passed within about an hour of the quake.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was in a remote area of East New Britain province.

The February 26 earthquake killed 160 and forced 35,000 from damaged homes, injured dozens and brought work to a halt at four oil and gas fields. The work to repair roads and compile further damage assessments has been slow in the remote region, regularly hit by aftershocks.

Those wanting to help Ms Pinot’s fundraiser can contact Dianne Nialawen AustraiOmbiga from the Papua New Guinea & Wantoks Association Cairns on 0419 977 898.

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