MORE than $100 million was spent on the newly refurbished Blackrock Camp in Nadi.
This state-of-the-art facility features a hospital, a conference room and a gymnasium.
The facility, fully funded by the Australian government will host peacekeeping training exercises for Fijians, regional military officers and facilitate humanitarian response efforts to the Pacific.
Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Senator Zed Seselja said Australia’s investment on the facility was one they were proud of.
He said they were also proud of the investment of $35m towards labour costs at a time the economy was impacted by COVID-19.
“I was speaking to the contractor, CC Pines out of Australia and they were talking about their experience pushing through COVID.
“When I visited here and met with some of the local workers and when the economy was doing very tough as a result of lockdowns and border closures, these jobs were an absolute lifeline.”
While opening the new training camp, Senator Seselja said Blackrock’s new training and accommodation facilities would help Fiji develop its peacekeeping capabilities. ”
The partnership between the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the Australian Defence Force has delivered a facility of immediate utility and historic significance. “Fiji’s longstanding contribution to international peace and security has done the region proud.”
