Daru Island
Daru Island is one of the few Torres Strait Islands that do not belong to Australia, but to Papua New Guinea. It is also the most highly populated of the Torres Strait Islands, although scarcely any original Torres Strait Islanders live on the island. The main industry on the island is fishing although few fisheries are locally owned. The island has an international airport which is mainly used by Australian aircraft chartered by mining companies for customs clearance or to pick up jet fuel. Commercial flights service Daru Airport four days per week.
History
The first recorded sighting by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition of Luís Vaez de Torres on 5 September 1606.
The island's airport was used to refuel Allied aircraft during World War II and seaplanes operated from nearby waters.
In 2020 the PNG Government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Fujian Zhonghong Fishery Company which intends to build a "comprehensive multi-functional fishery industrial park" on the island. Another Chinese company, WYW Holding Limited, reportedly proposed building a city to be called "New Daru City" on the island in a letter to the PNG Government in April 2020. However, the Government has stated that it has not considered such a proposal, and has no plans to designate the island a 'business, commercial and industrial zone' as the letter proposed.
References
- ^ Hilder, Brett (1980). The Voyage of Torres. St Lucia, Qld: U. Queensland P. pp. 67, 73.
- ^ "Daru Airfield Western Province (Fly) Papua New Guinea (PNG)". Pacific Wrecks. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ Cluff, Renee (15 December 2020). "China's plan to build a fish processing facility in the Torres Strait raises alarm over fishing, border security". ABC News. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ Whiting, Natalie (5 February 2021). "Chinese company's multi-billion-dollar plan to build a city on Papua New Guinean island near Australian border". ABC News. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ Kuku, Rebecca (6 February 2021). "PNG says it has not seen proposal for Chinese-built city on island 50km from Australian territory". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2021.