AFP and Pacific police launch regional hub and global training centre in Brisbane
Editor’s note: Media package including vision and images available via Hightail.
The AFP, together with Pacific Police Chiefs, have officially launched two key state-of-the-art training and development facilities in Queensland, as part of the Pacific Policing Initiative’s (PPI) commitment to supporting law enforcement across the region.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw and Attorney-General the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP officially opened the PPI Development and Coordination Pinkenba Hub and nearby Pinkenba Training Centre in Brisbane, with representatives from Pacific Island countries today (10 December, 2024).
Pacific representatives from Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga and Vanuatu attended the launch.
The launch included a flag raising ceremony of all 22 Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) members.
The Pinkenba Hub is an AFP-supported training and education facility created to support the PPI, the PPI’s Pacific Police Support Group (PPSG) and Pacific policing partners in further training and development. The Hub is a critical pillar of the PPI, alongside the Regional Centres of Excellence to be based in Pacific countries and the PPSG.
The PPI was endorsed by Pacific Islands Forum leaders in August 2024. The PPI’s design process, led by Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) Commissioner David Manning, is continuing with members of the PICP.
The Hub will serve as the headquarters for the PPSG, a multinational deployment group designed to respond to planned and unplanned events across the Pacific. The PPSG has already deployed in October, 2024 to support Samoa’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The Pinkenba Hub will offer secondments for officers across the Pacific, along with policing administration, management and leadership development opportunities.
The nearby Pinkenba Training Centre, which is a state-of-the-art global police training and education facility was also opened today.
Members of the PPSG will use the training centre as part of their training.
The Pinkenba Training Centre features an operational safety and practice warehouse with modern state-of-the art training capabilities.
The capabilities include a simulated house environment, a multi-floor training area and a dark scenario space, which all can be reconfigured to replicate multiple environments to enhance training for officers.
Additionally, the Pinkenba Training Centre facility features syndicate and training rooms to provide virtual training capabilities to reflect real-life emergency situations.
The Pinkenba Hub was made available to the PPI from the Australian Government in July, 2024, and since then, more than 200 Pacific police have attended and participated in training programs at the Pinkenba Training Centre. This includes operational safety training, public order management, investigations training and close personal protection.
AFP Commissioner Kershaw said the AFP was honoured to be joined by the Attorney-General and Pacific Chiefs of Police for the official opening of the Pinkenba Hub milestone.
“The AFP is incredibly proud to be part of the official opening of the Pinkenba Hub under the Pacific Policing Initiative and to deliver such a significant milestone in our efforts to support and enhance policing operations in the Pacific region,” Commissioner Kershaw said.
“This is a state-of-the art training facility that will boost the collective law enforcement capabilities of our policing partners across the region through crucial collaboration and learning opportunities.
“The Pinkenba Hub symbolises our unwavering commitment to enhancing security and law enforcement capabilities across the Pacific region based on shared values and shared cultures.”
Commissioner Kershaw said the facility provided a crucial space for the collaboration of law enforcement across the region to overcome current and future challenges across the Pacific.
“Sharing knowledge and resources, along with building stronger joint capabilities and existing relationships with our Pacific law enforcement partners is vital for enhancing the security of communities across the region and for collectively countering evolving regional security threats.
“On behalf of the AFP, we look forward to the results of the incredible work and training provided to all of our past, current and future participants at the Pinkenba Hub.”
RPNGC Commissioner Manning said the Pacific Policing Initiative reflected the unity amongst police forces in the Pacific region.
"The Pacific Policing Initiative ensures that no matter the size of a jurisdiction, we can leverage our shared expertise and resources to secure our communities,” Commissioner Manning said.
“Through the PPI, police forces across our region are committing our resources and police officers to jointly combat our shared challenges and secure our communities. The challenges to policing across the Pacific are complex and evolving, and the PPI provides a critical platform from which our Pacific policing family will combat these challenges together."
Note to media
Pacific Policing Initiative
The Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI) is “By the Pacific, For the Pacific” and represents a comprehensive effort to bolster law enforcement capabilities and ensure the safety and security of communities across the Pacific region.
This initiative is a testament to the power of Pacific cooperation, aiming to address the unique challenges faced by Pacific nations to meet law and order and internal security requirements, and to help each other in times of need.
The PPI is led by the Pacific and will help transform Pacific policing capability and cooperation through three pillars:
- Regional Centres of Excellence
- Pacific Policing Support Group (PPSG)
- Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub
Pillar 1 – Regional Centres of Excellence
Regional Centres of Excellence will be built to enhance Pacific police capabilities through delivery of specialist police training and operational support. These centres will be located across the Pacific and will be accessible by all Pacific Island Chiefs of Police members.
Each centre will offer specialised training based on priority areas including recruit training, investigations, specialist investigations, operation forensics and analytical forensics
Pillar 2 – Pacific Police Support Group
The Pacific Police Support Group (PPSG) is a multinational police response capability that will respond to Pacific Island countries requests for assistance.
The PPSG will comprise 25 AFP officers and up to 200 Pacific Island police who are trained to deploy at short notice. The requests for support could range from planned events such as Pacific Games or unplanned events such as natural disasters.
Pillar 3 - Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub
The Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub is based in Pinkenba in Brisbane, Australia and will coordinate and support the delivery of Pillars 1 and 2.
The hub will have Pacific Police seconded, deliver training to members of the PPSG, support the development of the Regional Centres of Excellence and enhance Pacific donor coordination.
Acronyms
- PICP – Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police
- PPI – Pacific Policing Initiative
- PTC – Police Training Centre
- PPSG – Pacific Police Support Group
- RPNGC – Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary