Boosting Pacific engagement

A greater emphasis on subnational diplomacy, particularly regional Australia’s links to the Pacific, presents a significant opportunity for Australia’s regional foreign policy.

When Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape met with Cairns Mayor Amy Eden in December 2025, the public focus was on the practical agenda: aviation links, labour mobility, sport, education and cultural exchange. Yet what is not often understood is the power that these relationships hold, and how deeply they are valued by our Pacific counterparts.

Given the depth and breadth of those links, Australia would be wise not to rest on federal-government diplomacy alone in promoting its credibility and influence in the Pacific.

Sister-city arrangements and mayoral visits are often dismissed as symbolic or ceremonial. Especially in times of tighter budgets and increased costs of delivery. In northern Australia, that assumption no longer holds. Cities such as Cairns are not peripheral actors; they sit at the frontline of Australia’s engagement with the Pacific, connected by geography, trade, aviation routes and deep people-to-people ties forged through long-established diaspora communities.

The discussions between Marape and Eden illustrated what this looks like in practice. Improved aviation connectivity, workforce pathways and education partnerships are not abstract policy ideas: they translate directly into access to jobs, training, health services and mobility for communities on both sides of the Torres Strait and Coral Sea. These are outcomes that matter locally and resonate nationally.

The engagement between local Cairns leaders and PNG national leaders highlighted a growing awareness that local partnerships can complement Australian federal-government efforts. While it remains early to assess long-term impact, the meeting underscored the practical potential of subnational diplomacy to support Australia’s broader regional objectives.

Australia’s domestic political environment adds another layer of complexity. Indeed, a shift in domestic politics could complicate Australian consensus on regional policy, threatening the continuity of Australia’s regional engagement. For Australia’s Pacific neighbours, such developments are not insignificant. Regional partners watch Australia closely, not just for policy settings but for signals about stability, values and reliability. In the Pacific, where relationships are built on trust and continuity, tone matters as much as policy.

This is where subnational engagement provides strategic ballast. Deepening relationships beyond Canberra acts as a hedge against political volatility. City-to-city partnerships, education exchanges, labour mobility programs and cultural initiatives create multiple points of connection that endure beyond electoral cycles or leadership changes.

Local governments are particularly well placed to do this work. They manage the infrastructure that enables engagement, including airports, ports, training institutions, housing and community services. They work directly with employers, service providers and diaspora communities. And they operate with a level of proximity and practicality that national governments, by necessity, often cannot.

Cairns, Townsville and Darwin already function as regional connectors. With the right support, they can become diplomatic anchors, reinforcing Australia’s presence and reliability.

The proposal to expand air links between PNG and Cairns highlights this. Aviation connectivity is not just commercial; it is strategic. It supports tourism, trade, health access and emergency response, while reducing distance between societies. Northern hubs can support a Pacific mobility network that aligns local development with national goals.

Labour mobility tells a similar story. While it is central to Australia’s Pacific engagement, its success depends on local implementation. Regional cities host workers, employers and services. Proposals for orientation centres for PNG workers in Cairns reflect a model grounded in community. Done well, these programs could support both workforce and social outcomes.

Soft power also matters. Plans for a PNG boarding school in Cairns linked to elite sport offer a platform for education and identity-building. Friendship gardens and public art embed Pacific presence in Australian spaces—visible signs of shared commitment.

If subnational diplomacy is to succeed, it needs structure. This includes recognising city diplomacy as a core tool of foreign policy. That means increasing the engagement by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with local governments, including by funding partnerships with measurable outcomes and developing shared success metrics.

Traditional connections remain vital, but they are no longer sufficient. In a volatile era, Australia must diversify the sources of its trust and influence.

Subnational diplomacy offers that depth. Cities such as Cairns are building connections that endure beyond election cycles and geopolitical shifts. These relationships may prove to be among Australia’s most enduring strategic assets.

This article was published by The Strategist.