Solomon - Bougainville border, any updates?

Last October we had the news that an official border point might be established on Taro Island to travel to/from Bougainville:

Solomons and PNG improving Bougainville border controls

I have read the post about legally traveling in the area. However, it would be interesting to know whether there is an official crossing point.

the border is officially closed and security is only likely to get tougher as we get nearer to the referendum which could be in june but more likely in october

Yes, that is reasonable. But the point is that the link with the news saying that "Solomon Islands is to open a new border station early next year in Choiseul Province to process people transiting to and from Papua New Guinea's Bougainville region" is of October, not five years ago, and by then it was clear that the referendum would be held. Furthermore, reading the article, I understand there was not a proper border station, which means that it was not that the border was closed, but Choiseul was not even an exit point officially.

well the authorities on both sides have been talking about regularising the locals who travel for trade and family reasons across the border between the various islands but the dont really have the resources - there are also political games being payed with bougainville trying to show its own authority and capacity as an independent state

there are similar arrangements in daru where the it falls on the australians to try and manage the treaty system which allows fairly free movement for the locals but strong controls for anyone else

In Solomons are elections for the national parliament on 3. April, I don't think anything will happen soon!
Politicains is Solomons and PNG are big in announcement what they will do soon, than nothing happens mainly because funds are missing.

There is some talk of moving more police to man a border crossing, but nothing happening from the Solomon Islands end yet.
I’m with Farsi. Nothing will happen until after the election one month from now.

There is a telecom underseacable from Sydney to Honiara to be laid, partly financed by Autralia. According to news it could be operationable end of 2019. It has a domestic extension to Auki, Noro and Taro Island.
This could mean Taro Island is getting more important in the near future, so immigration and customs personel might be stationed there eventually.
However about about 5 years ago there was some talk Taro Island is very vunerable to sea level rising, so existing/new facilities should be relocated to ajecting mainland Choisel Island. Have been never there, so I can't say.

I visited Bougainville last August and had a chat with the PNG immigration officers.

There is no way an official border crossing for foreigners to be opened, before the referendum is held. Authorities from both countries want to prevent foreigners from interfering with the situation in Bougainville (selling guns / trading gold with Noah Musingku): and foreigners coming by plane from other parts of PNG are the only ones who are very unlikely to interfere. This is why they are making life impossible to anyone who wants to reach Bougainville in any other way than flying from PNG.

The officers told me (but don't take it for granted) that, if Bougainville votes to stay in PNG and the post-referendum goes smoothly, PNG will surely open an official border crossing. But again, who knows...

Thanks for the reply. However, I don't think those trading gold or guns care very much about official border crossings, and whether these are open or not.

And if the referendum is done fairly, I think everyone knows -PNG migration officials included, of course- there will be a massive support for independence.

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