Come Lae-tly? Explore the PNG city remarkably like Cairns

A lively, tropical port city surrounded lush, inspiring mountains. Population 193,000. Founded largely on gold discoveries. Its not Cairns, it’s not even in this country, yet it’s also not that far away.

Soldiers from 3rd Brigade on Pacific deployment during the Anzac day period. Soldiers from the Australian ArmyÕs 3rd Brigade visit students at Situm 7th Australian Division Memorial Primary School in Lae, PNG. Picture: Supplied

A lively, tropical port city surrounded lush, inspiring mountains.

Population 193,000.

Founded largely on gold discoveries.

No, it’s not Cairns. It’s Lae, Papua New Guinea’s second largest city, nestled on its east coast.

It is perhaps then not surprising that Lae and Cairns have become sister cities.

Papua New Guinea’s second largest city, Lae shares a similar history to Cairns, being founded on mining and then agriculture.

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden said it is home to PNG’s largest port, is considered the industrial capital of the country, and has a population of approximately 100,000.

“Our cities have been linked since 1984 when a Sister City relationship was forged and strong bonds have tied us ever since through the regular exchange of people, cultures, information and ideas,” Cr Eden said.

Lae in eastern PNG

The Sister Cities program aims to develop meaningful and long-term links with cities and communities in other countries to achieve a greater level of international understanding and goodwill between peoples, and to share economic, community, cultural and social interaction.

“Examples of this are extensive, but they include Lae’s participation in the Cairns ‘Face of a Sister City’ photographic exhibition in 2009; an official visit from 30 students and five teachers in 2013; and the Bikes for Lae program with Rotary Cairns and Lae City Authority in 2021.”

Economic ties have also been bolstered through multiple delegations in 2013 and again in 2019.

“Council has also demonstrated its commitment to strengthening the relationship through grants to Tradelinked, to undertake research and investigate the case for direct flights between Cairns and Lae.

Sim Hayward

To help facilitate and develop these relationships, Council has a Sister Cities Ambassador, Sim Hayward.

For more than 35 years, Ms Hayward has been involved in the Cairns Sister Cities program.

She was appointed as Cairns’ Sister Cities Ambassador in 2016, having previously served as chair and a longstanding member of Council’s former Sister Cities Advisory Committee.

“In my time with the Cairns Sister Cities program, I have witnessed the importance of these relationships,” Ms Hayward said.

Cairns Regional Council currently has a City Sister Relationship with seven cities: Lae; Minami and Oyama in Japan; Riga in Latvia; Scottsdale in the USA; Sidney in Canada; and Zhanjiang in China.

Consideration of Sister City status is based on a number of factors, including access and geographic location, as well as historical, economic, educations and cultural links.

“Cultural exchanges have been key in building a strong relationship between the cities, such as Lae’s participation in the Cairns ‘Face of a Sister City’ photographic exhibition in 2009; a visit from 30 students and five teachers in 2013; and the 2017 tour by our Sister Cities Ambassador Sim Hayward of Lae City Council and its Botanic Gardens.

Economic ties have also been bolstered through multiple delegations.

“In 2013, former Mayor Bob Manning visited Lae and signed Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to work together to improve municipal infrastructure and the provision of public services in both cities,” the spokesman said.

“In 2019, the ties between our cities was reaffirmed with a visiting delegation from Lae, which included PNG’s Minister for Lands and Physical Planning, the CEO Lae City Authority, President of Lae Chamber of Commerce and a representative from PNG National Museum and Art Gallery.

“Council has also demonstrated its commitment to strengthening the relationship through grants to Tradelinked, to undertake research and investigate the case for direct flights between Cairns and Lae.”

Originally published as Come Lae-tly? Explore the PNG city remarkably like Cairns