Australia will give USD50.6 million to bolster land policy reform process in the Pacific. “Pacific governments are under pressure to reconcile new and competing interests relating to land ownership and land use with the customary systems that have offered their people a form of safety net for countless generations,” Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance Bob McMullan averred. “These pressures include new technologies, rapid population growth and social change. Our program is designed to provide support to governments undertaking reforms to strengthen and improve their land systems and deal with these pressures.” The initiative will initially benefit Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. (Press release: Australia to Work with Pacific on Land Policy Reform/AusAID)