The Papua New Guinea Defence Force has a new leadership centre, built with help from New Zealand, at its Murray Barracks in Port Moresby.

The new facility, which is modelled on New Zealand's approach to training its military leaders, was opened on Friday by the PNG Minister of Defence, Win Daki, Chief of the PNG Defence Force Major General Mark Goina and New Zealand High Commissioner Phillip Taula.

Head of the NZDF's Pacific Leader Development Programme, Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Milward, said the PNG facility is part of a wider Pacific commitment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NZDF.

Similar programmes are being established in Vanuatu, Tonga and Fiji.

He said 'we've learnt in the New Zealand Defence Force that you actually need to be with people on the journey and help them to, not only become better personal leaders, but to understand how to add value as leaders at the different levels of the organisation as they progress through it."

Milward said sometimes New Zealanders will be directly involved in the teaching but the leadership programme is geared to help the PNG officers to do the training themselves.