Abbott spoke highly of Sir Mick during visit

SUCH was the influence of the late Sir Mick Curtain that former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, during a March 2014 visit, said his was an example of what businesses  could achieve in Papua New Guinea.
Abott said Curtain Brothers was a classic example of the business cooperation that could exist between Australia and PNG.
He said this when visiting the site of the new Motukea Island International Wharf, which opened in November 2010, and had already shown its potential by handling the massive cargo required for the PNG LNG plant outside Port Moresby, as well as a dockyard.
Talks were being held at that time for the Australian Navy and Australian commercial shipping to use Motukea as a dockyard.
“This is a very sophisticated facility, a very impressive facility,” Abbott told reporters on Motukea.
“I’ve seen the extensive dry docking and ship repair facilities that are here on this island. I understand that quite an amount of work for the US$19 billion PNG LNG Project will be done here.
“I think the people of Papua New Guinea can be very proud of this facility and I think the people of Australian should be very proud of this facility.
“This is a very sophisticated engineering work here in PNG being operated by an Australian.”
Abott said Motukea exemplified the magnificent work that had been done by Curtain Brothers for decades in PNG.
“Sir Mick Curtain, who is part of the delegation which I’m leading to Port Moresby, is very much at the heart of this business,” he said,
“This is a sign of what can be done by Australian business here in PNG.
“Obviously, what is happening here is very good for Papua New Guinea, and it’s very good for Australia too.
“This is the kind of thing I hope we will see much more of in the years to come.”