Bulolo MP takes government to task for environmental damage

Bulolo MP, Sam Basil, has published photographs of the environmental damage caused by the Hidden Valley  gold mine and berated government agencies for not protecting the interests of local landowners and instead fighting the corner of the mining companies.
“I  want to make such information available to the public especially the resource districts to show them what they may expect when such developments comes their way in the future”, he says.
“Development as we all know will come at a cost but to me development must not cost my people’s environment as their lives depend on it”.

Basil says that as an MP he finds it very surprising that he is fighting the very institutions set up by the government of the people to monitor and safeguard the landowners interests – Mineral Resources Authority, Department of Environment and Conservation, Department of Mining and the provincial mining division.
“None of these Authorities or agencies are willing to help attend to the landowners' concerns of environmental destruction to the Watut River system” says Basil.
“MRA are totally ignorant.
"This organisation recently chose to buy two new Toyota Land Cruisers for Bulolo Ddstrict’s law and order offices costing more then K200,000 while ignoring the cries of environmental damages and MOA breaches by the both Watut River communities and the Nakuwi Landowners' Association”.

“The Morobe provincial mining division  officers were often seen wearing MMJV uniforms (orange jackets) and in the company of MMJV officers.
“Benson Suwang (provincial chairman of mines), a community representative whom I as MP for Bulolo appointed him into the Morobe provincial assembly,  gave a contradicting statement supporting the MMJV activities while ignoring the environment damages by saying development comes at a cost.
“The Department of Environment has never monitored the river system since MMJV started excavation and side casting from the mine site,  leaving the provincial government's mines officers walking around with MMJV-sponsored environmental reports - blindly believing without challenges.
“There is already evidence of the Watut River system damages and I will not turn back now but will fight this issue all the way.
“I welcome support and experiences from other Landowners or brothers and sisters from PNG.
“We must all now be responsible in making all mining practices now and in the future safe for the surrounding communities.If the government and its agencies are lazy or compromises themselves then the developer will take shortcuts at the cost of the unfortunate rural people”.

NCD farewells Pora

THE Rev Sione Kami Memorial church ground was packed to capacity yesterday as the casket containing the remains of the late Paul Pora was brought in for his funeral service, accompanied by his grieving wives, including Sharon (pictured above with daughter Victoria), former business and political associates, family friends like Lady Elizabeth Kiki (below, wife of the late Sir Albert Maori Kiki), relatives and Hagen tribesmen and women residing in Port Moresby, The National reports.

As the tears flowed freely, sentiments of courage, briliance, respect and patriotism was accorded the late Pora, who died of asthma, aged 66, last Friday. 

After losing the Hagen open seat to William Duma in 2002, Pora retired to his Kuriva farm outside NCD. 

The remains of the late Pora will leave for Mt Hagen today to be laid to rest beside his mother at Kum Kona, Dobel village. – Nationalpics by EKAR KEAPU

New IT services up

INTERNET subscribers and information technology users can now avail of what Telikom calls “a door’s step services anywhere, anytime”, The National reports.

In fact, the telco has just introduced two new IT technology – the 4th generation wimax and viedo conferencing.

They could now be viewed or tried at the company’s “Telikom New Look” store in down town Port Moresby.

Telikom chief commercial officer Ajay Mathur on Monday night spoke of video conferencing, saying: “In today’s competitive environment, companies are highly concerned with improving collaboration, reducing travel-related time and expenses and cutting down on carbon dioxide emission.”

As a result, he said, the demand for high-quality video conference solution was  rapidly increasing.

Mathur was speaking to reporters and customers who attended the launch.

He said video conferencing (VC) was vital for business where a meeting could be conducted using VC facilities.

He said the latest facility available could host point-to-point conferencing, point-to-three-party conferencing and point-to-multi-point conferencing.

Telikom is also offering the Teli-NET, an internet service that could be accessed where there is a hot spot or place where a high-speed modem for internet access is available.

At the new-look shop, Telikom has opened a new internet café, which is volume-based modem and therefore, much cheaper than other internet cafés in the city.

Francis Waibe, the person in charge of the new technologies and services, explained it was very cheap and convenient because it would cost only 40 toea per megabite.

“It is the first in the country,” Waibe said.

Works' powers 'stripped'

Office of chief secretary to handle HHRP

THE Department of Works has lost all powers and responsibilities relating to the controversial Highlands Highway Rehabilitation Programme (HHRP), The National reports.

In a clear message that the government had lost confidence in the department, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare directed that all powers and responsibilities relating to HHRP be transferred to the office of the chief secretary.

While the move was welcomed by Chimbu claimants and their consultants, who had gathered in Port Moresby yesterday, it could have political ramifications as Works and Transport come under Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye.

A senior official said the Works Department had been isolated from a major project in the country.

“It demonstrates a lack of faith in Polye and Works secretary Joel Luma in dealing with the HHRP. That is a major project in the country,” the official said, asking not to be named.

The official said he understood the department would not be involved in work on the Highlands Highway and the Lae roads, which would cost about K100 million in this year’s supplementary budget.

The prime minister issued a directive to chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc on Oct 14 to approve consultants to partner with the Highlands Highway Landowners Association Incorporated (HHLAI) group and the state to do a final verification and assemble the landowners for proper payment in early December. The claims, amounting to K68.7 million, would also be audited.  

No reason was given for the stripping of powers from Works but, according to Skytech Consultant Ltd officer Joe Kile, this was done because the department was too slow, unorganised and lacked the capacity to carry out the verification exercises quickly and professionally since 2008.

Neither Polye nor Luma could be reached for comments.

Solwara licence deferred

By PATRICK TALU

THE signing and granting of a licence to Nautilus Mineral for the Solwara 1 underwater mining project has been deferred, The National reports.

Minister for Mining John Pundari yesterday attributed the deferral to conflicting advice given to him by the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA).

He said it was not due to a court injunction taken out against the state and MRA by the New Ireland provincial government as reported in The National.

“In light of the new deep sea mining method to be employed by Nautilus and the risk profile associated with the Solwara 1 project, I must ensure the state is not exposed to any unnecessary risks while preserving any benefits that the state may stand to lose in the development of the project,” Pundari said.

“With that in mind, it is my intention to use my powers under the Mining Act 1992 to grant the Solwara 1 mining licence with conditions for compliance by the company in the best interest of the state.

“I was provided with two separate documents containing a number of conditions by MRA.

“One document had 11 conditions while other had 12,” the minister said.

The 12th condition was related to the preservation of state equity in the project.

“In fact, these conditions reflect the position of the state as advocated by the minister for treasury and finance through the deliberation of the state team when assessing the development proposal of the project.

“The condition give the state the right to exercise its option to take up 30% participating interest in the Solwara 1 project up to a period of at least 12 months from the time Nautilus advises that it has successfully completed the trial of the mining equipment,” he said.

Pundari said for some reason, MRA had recommended the document with 11 conditions for approval, leaving out the bit outlining the state’s interest in the project.

MRA and Nautilus had argued that the 12th condition would limit the developer’s ability to raise capital to finance the project.

“I am not convinced by this assertion by MRA and Nautilus,” Pundari said.

“I have directed the state team to reassess this condition and confirm the assertion made by Nautilus and advise me accordingly.

“In the meantime, my position has not changed and I am determined to sign off the Solwara 1 project mining lease with the 12th condition attached,” the minister said.

Early works on pipeline halted

By PATRICK TALU

THE early construction work on the engineering procurement construction on the PNG LNG project pipeline from Kopi to Kaiam in Gulf, Kaiam to Gobe in Southern Highlands and Mubi crossing at border of the two provinces by Clough-Curtain Joint Venture (CCJV) have been halted, The National reports.

The early works stopped last Friday when 108 CCJV employees walked off their job over outstanding industrial issues with the management leaving the constructions in chaos while the early works at PDL 4 and Pipeline 2 for the LNG project was stopped by the Irakorahi people who were impacted by the pipeline as of Oct 13.

Chairman of the landowners, who owns the Mubi valve station, Soni Kanu, said the shutdown followed the lack of response to a petition to Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to address certain demands.

Team leader of the CCJV construction worker Kennedy Onzen told The National yesterday after returning from Kopi on a chartered flight from Gobe to Port Moresby that the workers walked out after the CCJV management failed to address their grievances.

Onzen said on Oct 15, the employees had petitioned CCJV to pay or be assured to pay their safety bonus, which were incident free operation entitlements, and also a pay rise for all employees after their three months probation period lapsed.

He said when they did not  receive any response, they petitioned CCJV the same issues and gave until last Friday for any response.

“However, the management failed to respond so I ordered all the boys to stop work and leave” Onzen said.

“Based on past experiences with CCJV, we have learnt that the company does not pay out their entitlements and outstanding allowance, so we wanted and demanded the company to assure us whether our grievances would be met.

“We work on risky work environments and our safety is not guaranteed. We feel that in the event that the construction is over and when we want to claim our entitlements, there is no guarantee that our entitlements will be paid.

“All we want now is for the management to tell us when it will address the grievances,” he stressed.

“We also urge the government to review all the agreements relating local content in the aspect of employment because we see that we the locals will be big time losers after the construction is over,” he said.

Both sites remain closed until today.

Several attempts to get comments from PNG LNG project operator ExxonMobil to confirm the reports were unsuccessful.

Come salsa and support Ms PNG

By SAO HOIRE

Apart from promoting awareness of marine conservation, reigning Miss PNG Rachel Sapery James is also a strong advocate of health and fitness, The National reports.

After winning the much-coveted title two months ago, James is now preparing to compete in the Miss South Pacific Pageant in Port Moresby from Nov 22-27.

Reigning Miss PNG, Rachel Sapery James on the catwalk.

With only a month to go, a fundraising committee has been established to help her prepare for the event.

This is an opportunity for James to showcase PNG to rest of the Pacific region and do the country proud.

 She is appealing to all Papua New Guineans including business houses for their support in the event.

James will be joining 10 other contestants from Fiji, Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Kiribati.

 Last year’s winner was Fiji’s Merewalesi Nailatikau who was in the country earlier this month to officially launch the pageant.

The young and inspiring Miss James is no ordinary beauty and brains.

A marine biologist by profession, she is also a tri-athlete and loves to dance salsa.

Salsa or zumba is the latest fitness craze taking Port Moresby by storm, attracting mainly women.

It is a fun and dynamic exercise which is exciting and different - fitness programme that the whole family can enjoy.

You don’t need dance training to participate and there is no partner involved.

Even the most un-coordinated person can give it a try!

All you need is an instructor to give fewer verbal cues with participants to watch the movements and feel the music.

It takes Latin music and dancing out of the dance studio and into the gym!

So if you haven’t tried zumba and want to see what the craze is all about, come on down to the indoor sports complex, Sir John Guise Stadium,  for ‘The Miss PNG Zumba Fitness Party’ happening on Saturday from 3pm-4pm.

There will be prizes for the best outfit, best dancer and the fittest looking and performing participants so come along and support the event!

Tickets are selling at K20 adults and K15 kids below the age of 12.

All funds raised will go towards supporting Miss PNG’s preparations for the Miss South Pacific Pageant.

For tickets, you can contact Chrissilla Kabe Talis on 322 9175.

The Miss PNG zumba fitness party will be coordinated by Milla Nash of McNash Fitness.

PNG Idol semi finals at Lamana

Samantha Clark, one of the finalists for this Saturday

This Saturday the Gold Club in conjunction with XOX presents the semi finals of PNG IDOL 2010, with only 20 performers remaining from the 40 that joined seven weeks ago. 

Enjoy an evening with 10 performers this Saturday and another 10 next weekend. 

Kimberley Tola, another finalist

This weekend’s Idols are Samantha Clark, Chaddy Ipah, Matthew Jordan, Ross Arek, Henry Gewang, Kimberly Tola, Daniel Fabila, Edwina Fabila, Pomsy Sayape and Rowena Awai.

Come along and enjoy an entertaining concert beginning at 10pm and continue with the outdoor party by the Gold Clubs residents DJs.

Ladies free entry before 10pm, members free entry with your gold card, non-members K25. 

Also on this Friday is the Pink Party so get those pink outfits on.

The crazier the better and come along to win great prizes for a worthwhile cause -the Port Moresby Cancer Relief Society.

Enjoy your weekend at the Gold Club, party capital of PNG!

Eastern Highlands women farmers attract interest in city

By BUSISI SIWAKA of DAL Information Branch

A group of women from the Eastern Highlands province are happy that their recent trip to Port Moresby has been beneficial.

The 18 women, mostly farmers and agricultural officers, participated at the floriculture show held during the independence anniversary celebrations.

The women, members of the Eastern Highlands Women in Agriculture Association, brought with them a wide range of floriculture products and fresh produce for display such as cabbages, tomatoes and carrots.

The different types of cut flowers attracted a great deal of interest at the four-day show held at the Waigani Arts Theatre.

Association vice-president Jennifer Kena said the women paid for the trip themselves but the experience they gained was worthwhile and they were looking forward to next year’s show. However, the women felt that the venue should be moved to a more central location to enable more visitors to participate.

The EHP women took out the first prize for the best floral arrangements and second prize for provincial participation.

Kena said eight provincial DAL staff and 10 farmers undertook the trip to learn more about marketing of floriculture and fresh produce and to seek potential buyers.

They were keen to share their ideas and experiences with other farmers and agriculture staff. They described the trip as a big success.

The EHP provincial food crops officer, Daisy Kiniafa, said the women brought limited supplies but found out that there was a huge demand during the show.

She said the women were so overwhelmed that they found it hard to price their goods.

“We learnt that there was a demand for cut flowers in the city,” Kiniafa said.

“The little we brought for display was sold out and we got many requests for new orders which we are working on after we returned home.”

Kiniafa said Chinese embassy staff were among the customers who showed great interest and had requested for a weekly supply of cut flowers.

She said the women’s group was becoming more organised and promoting and encouraging more women to be actively involved in agriculture.

Besides floriculture and fresh produce, women are encouraged in livestock farming, apiculture, rice production and cash crops.     

More awareness needed on food security and the fight against hunger

A member of the awareness team explains the petition to school students at Waigani market

The Government has been urged to conduct regular awareness on the importance of food security and how everyone can work together to prevent hunger and poverty.

Farmers, market vendors, workers and the general public made the call during celebrations marking World Food Day in Port Moresby recently.

This year’s theme was United against hunger and in the nation’s capital, staff from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, National Capital District Commission, other government agencies, non-government organisations and farmer groups took to the streets to conduct awareness on food security and how government, private sector and the public can work together to fight hunger and poverty.

Ward councilors, for the first time, joined government officers and others to campaign for improved food security and more efforts to stop hunger.

The team, numbering over 100, convoyed in vehicles and also asked the public to sign a petition called the 1billion hungry project.

Many people in the city’s markets and suburbs responded to the awareness team by saying that the government needs to conduct regular awareness and educate the public on important issues concerning their welfare and livelihood.

 They said that food security was an important issue because people in the urban centres faced hardships and they need more assistance on ways and means to survive and have access to food and cash income.

Gustave Ivarature, 31, who resides at Gerehu, said many people were struggling to find food to feed their families.

There was limited land available for backyard gardening and people were resorting to making gardens on the hillsides.

He was sorry to hear about millions of people starving from hunger in the world and wanted to know what the PNG government was doing about our own situation here. 

He suggested that relevant government agencies should work closely to promote food security programmes and educate the people on ways to overcome hunger and poverty.

The WFD programme ended at Ela Beach where official speeches were made and the campaign team and supporters had refreshments.

DAL team leader and chief livestock officer Regina Nukundj thanked all the public servants, workers, company staff, farmers, ward councilors, school children and others who joined the campaign and visited the markets to talk about food and hunger.

Nukundj also thanked the government departments and agencies who provided assistance in cash and kind.

NCDC social services manager Kila Dick said WFD was important because it reminded the people on the importance of food and hunger and how communities should be responsible for overcoming hunger and growing more food.

He said hunger and poverty were having negative impact in the city as shown by the number of homeless and beggars on the streets.

The WFD campaign was one effective way of spreading the message about food and hunger and he urged all stakeholders to work together and find ways to alleviate hunger and poverty in the settlements, villages and communities.

  Hohola ward councilor and North-West council president Max Manale praised DAL and NCDC for including ward councilors in the WFD program saying they had existing networks with their communities and should be utilised fully to spread important messages.

He said it was important that all stakeholders work together to create opportunities and make the city a safe and better place to live and work in.

APEC nations reaffirm commitment to boost food security

Pacific Rim economies agreed on the need to boost agriculture production and facilitate farm trade and investment at the first ministerial meeting on food security held in Japan last week.

The 21 member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum adopted the Niigata Declaration on APEC Food security and an action plan aimed at rising world population and the threat of climate change.

“ Increasing the availability of sufficient, safe and nutritious food in the APEC region through expanded supply capacity, underpinned by variable rural communities, will be necessary to address a possible supply-demand imbalance for food that may result from future population and income growth,’ the declaration said

Papua New Guinea, a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations was represented by the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, John Hickey, who was accompanied to Niigata prefecture by his departmental head, Anton Benjamin..

The gist of the Niigata Declaration on APEC Food security adopted by the 21 member economies are:

·        Recognise the need to expand food supply capacity;

·        Agree to cooperate to help mitigate climate change and enhance disaster preparedness in the agriculture sector;

·        Agree to promote responsible agricultural investment;

·        Agree to cooperate to facilitate improved agricultural trade; and

·        Renew commitment to a prompt conclusion of the Doha round of trade liberalisation talks.

The APEC forum first ministerial meeting on food security came as a need arose to focus on how to feed the increasing world population and ensure stability in food prices following price spikes between 2007 and 2008.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations says to accommodate an estimated world population of over 9 billion by 2050, food production must increase by 70%.

The APEC forum also renewed its commitment to an early conclusion of the Doha Round of trade liberalisation talks and confirmed the extension of the 2008 APEC summit meeting agreement to refrain from introducing new barriers on investment and trade and export restrictions until 2011.

Under the action plan, member economies were assigned various tasks for ensuring food security and the forum agreed to report progress on the implementation of these tasks to the APEC ministers annually.

Japan assumed the rotating chair of the forum for the first time since 1995 and has been hosting a series of meetings throughout Japan.

APEC, which accounts for about half of the world’s economic output, includes Japan, Australia, China, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, the United States of America and seven members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations of which PNG is a member.

The outcome of the meeting will be forwarded to the incoming annual APEC leader’s summit conference to be held in November in Yokohama, Japan.

Opening up the Bulldog Track to Papua New Guinea and the world

By MALUM NALU

For anyone interested in diverse environments, superb wildlife, history and grassroots Papua New Guinea, the walk along the World War 11 Bulldog Road (track) from Wau in Morobe province to the spectacular Lakekamu Basin in Gulf province is superb, and not that difficult (since it's downhill most of the way).

Tekadu villagers welcoming MPs Nolam and Basil to a fire-making demonstration

Walking the Bulldog Track is a chance to see a whole transect of PNG cultures and environments from chilly highlands, to the coastal swamps and rivers.

The walk takes you through the heart of the 1920s gold rush area at Edie Creek along a gravity-defying road built during WW11 to relieve Wau from the Japanese siege.

Nolam took the honors to deliver ducklings to Tekadu villagers under the Australian agriculture programme

 The highest point of the track is in primeval moss and rhododendron forests at 3, 000m with amazing views out to the Papuan coast and descends through the Eloa gorge, lined with hoop pine forests to the Lakekamu Basin, where nearly all the major species of fauna in PNG can be found in abundance.

The last part of the trip is a raft or canoe trip down the Tiveri and Lakekamu rivers to the Gulf.

At the moment this area isn't promoted well enough for its eco-tourism potential, which is as yet untapped.

Saying goodbye before taking on the Bulldog Track for Nukewa village in Malalaua, Gulf province

Last week, history was made when Bulolo MP Sam Basil took Queensland state minister for transport Rachael Nolam and Max Willies of Australian High Commission, plus a contingent made up of Bulolo level level government presidents, councilors and staff into Tekadu village along the Bulldog Track and eventually on to Gulf province and Port Moresby.

The team flew into Tekadu on Monday last week from Wau and after launching of flights, walked the Bulldog and traveled by dinghy downriver to Gulf province before ending up in Port Moresby.

The first flight into Tekadu after nine years was made possible by Bulolo joint district planning and budget priorities committee

Tekadu’s 600-plus people are part of the 12 tribes of Watut-speaking people also known as Kukukukus.

Being caught in between Bulolo electorate of Morobe province and Kerema electorate of Gulf province, the Tekadu people have not seen any air services for the past nine years, well, at least until last week.

“Other essential services are non-existent,” Basil recalls after completing the trek.

“Children growing up to be nine years old do not have any formal education and have not seen any planes landing at their rundown strip.

Sick passengers and buai traders loading their bags and boarding the plane for Bulolo airstrip

“Let us not forget the unfortunate children who have lost their lives through birth and other diseases.

“Like many other airstrips in Papua New Guinea, it is sad to see the Transport Minister Don Polye, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, trying to spend K1.4 billion on Jackson Airport while neglecting such small rural airstrips.

“We are also seeing the same in health with Health Minister Sasa Zibe trying to spend K500 million on the Bautama City Super-Hospital while the rural health facilities are neglected.”

Tekadu culture on show

Basil, in his visit to Tekadu, urged the government to properly allocate the 2011 budget including the 2010 budget surpluses (K800 million-plus) estimated to be totaling over K10 billion, to rebuild aging infrastructure such as rural airstrips, national highways, rural health services, and district road systems to make the lives of rural dwellers easy because they make up over 85% of PNG’s population.

“Almost 90% of Members of Parliament represent rural electorates one way or another and must have rural people included in all their planning,” he adds.

“The Bulolo district joint district planning and budget priorities committee (JDP and BPC) in Dec 2009 installed a VSAT communication apparatus in Tekadu which has opened up communications in and out of Tekadu for almost a year now.

Nolam and Basil with ducks for Tekadu villagers

“The reestablishment of air services through North Coast Aviation (NCA) is just a follow-up service to complement the communication installation.

“Revival of essential services will automatically ride on those two very-important services: communication and transportation.

“A charter was negotiated and paid for a trip every month at the cost of K110, 000.

“The inbound flights will bring in government workers, building materials and medicine while return flights will carry sick and pregnant mothers, as well as buai (betelnut) bags.

“It is estimated that 600 to 700kg of buai can fetch close to K6, 000-7, 000 for those rural farmers.

“Buai is the only cash crop in the Tekadu while alluvial gold panning is in its infancy stages.”

Accessing Bulolo and Wau from Tekadu is very hard compared to using the Bulldog Track for Port Moresby.

Its takes almost a whole day’s walk into Nukewa followed by dinghy or dugout canoe trip from Nukewa into Malalaua the next day, then a PMV into Port Moresby if they are lucky, or wait another day so it takes about three days in total.

The costs are K100 boat fare and K60 PMV fare, totalling K160 one way or K320 both ways per person.

So the buai they sell must recoup the fares and pay for porters.

The launching was well attended by all on Monday, Oct 18, while the team took the Bulldog Track the next day.

Bulolo district administration was represented by the Wau rural LLG manager Judy Pokana, Mumeng LLG manager Amon and Waria LLG manager.

LLG presidents included Wau Rural LLG’ John Yawa, Mumeng LLG’s Mathias Phillip, and Buang LLG’s Steven Sep while Waria was represented by its deputy president.

The Bulolo team, including the MP, used the walk to see for themselves the hardship and the obstacles the locals encounter while also collecting data for headquarters in Bulolo upon their return.

On the way in a dug out canoe

“The people of the Gulf village, Nukewa, had a brief meeting with me and reminded me that I was the first MP to trek into their village,” Basil says.

“They told me of their lack of services and asked me to help revive them.

“I reminded them that I am the MP representing Bulolo electorate and would bring their concerns to their local Kerema MP, Pitom Bombom.

“I will, in fact, invite him and will accompany him there to also address the Bulolo people’s concerns in relation to the usage of the track and share some responsibilities for the wellbeing of Bulolo travellers.

“The trip from Nukewa took nine hours along the river system and another five hours into Port Moresby, with a press conference and tour of Parliament House.

“I housed half of the Bulolo team while the other half was accommodated in a guest house in Port Moresby.

“The team returned into back into the electorate on Friday, Oct 22.”

Feeger paints PNG to the top

By JASON GIMA WURI

A PAPUA New Guinea contemporary artist has won an arts battle competition in Shanghai, China, The National reports.

Jeffery Feeger, pictured working on his painting of an Angolan woman at the competition venue in Shanghai, was lost for words when his name was announced last weekend.

“I was awarded RMB 2,000 for my efforts in what was the most intense three hours I have ever painted,” Feeger said in an email to his family and friends back home in PNG.

“It was a packed house with artists creating all forms of contemporary art from photography to textile, graffiti, performance, body art, projection, water colour and acrylic,” he wrote.

“A truly unique experience and I am glad everything fell into place for me.”

The competition drew artists from the Pacific, Asia and Europe.

Ramu nickel JV firms laud DSTP court ruling

THE joint venture partners in the Ramu nickel project are supporting the decision of the national court in Madang to proceed with the construction of a deep-sea tailings placement system (DSTP), The National reports.

The court has ruled that the construction of the DSTP can now be completed.

Highlands Pacific managing director John Gooding said the partners – MCC Ramu Nico Ltd, Mineral Resources Ramu Ltd (representing the state), Mineral Resources Madang Ltd (representing landowners) and Highlands Pacific – supported the decision, saying it provided a practical way to resolve an extremely important issue for the project and the PNG mining industry.

“We look forward to completing construction with the DSTP being the last major component after the significant disruption of the last six months,” he said.

Gooding said this would be an opportunity for the facts on DSTP to be presented, some of which included:

* The tailings are of low toxicity which are treated and neutralised prior to release;

* The depth of the pipe outflow will be 450ft below sea level with the neutralsed slurry dropping to much deeper depths;

* The annual tailings represent less than 7% of the 80 million tones of sediment estimated to be deposited annually by rivers in the same area (which has occurred for thousands of years)

* The significant number of independent studies undertaken as part of the environmental approval process which occurred in 2001; and

* Monitoring systems and compliance standards will be in place for the projects duration

Highlands Pacific owns a 8.56% stake in the Ramu nickel/cobalt project worth US$1.4 billion.

Enga shame

Teachers among students caught drinking homebrew

TWO secondary school teachers and 20 students have been arrested by Wabag police in Enga for allegedly drinking homebrew, The National reports.

Wabag police last Friday arrested 12 Grade 12 students at Pausa Secondary in Wapenamanda and another eight Grade 12 students with two teachers in Wabag town for drinking homebrew and behaving disorderly in public.

Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said the students from Pausa, a Lutheran church-run school, stored homebrew in their dormitories and consumed them straight after their national examinations.

He said the students were drinking homebrew and behaving in a disorderly manner on a school truck while on their way to Wabag town when policemen intercepted and arrested 12 of them.

Policemen searched the students and confiscated a number of 500ml containers of homebrew hidden inside their bags.

Lakari said the police were on their way to Pausa Secondary to attend an assault case reported by the school headmaster when they came across the drunken students.

The assault complaint allegedly involved a teacher from Southern Highlands attacking another male teacher from Eastern Highlands.

Police brought the students to the Wabag police cells where they were locked up. They later searched the town and arrested eight more students and two teachers.

Lakari said the students were drinking with their teachers, and were behaving in a disorderly and threatening manner in town when police caught them.

They were held for four hours and later released with a warning.

He urged Grades 10 and 12 students to go back to their villages after completing their national examinations to assist their parents rather than engaging in shameful acts.

Also in Wabag, police raided a house at Pawas buai market near the town and confiscated 40l of homebrew last Thursday.

It was alleged that some Grade 12 students had bought fruits, sugar and yeast for the owner of the house.

Lakari told The National that after receiving a tip-off, policemen raided the house and confiscated the homebrew, 49 empty 500ml containers, a gas cylinder bottle, rubber hose, buckets and other items.

He said that the people involved in the production of the homebrew fled when police arrived.

However, their identities were known and police were investigating.

Lakari said this was the first time Enga police had confiscated a large quantity of materials allegedly used in the production of homebrew in the province.

Interim crash report says airstrip was bad

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH

AN interim report into the crash in August in Milne Bay, which killed three Australians and a New Zealander, suggests that the condition of the airstrip may have caused the crash, The National reports.

Minister for Civil Aviation Benjamin Poponawa had received the preliminary report on the investigation into the Trans Air Cessna jet crash on Aug 31, which killed the four on Misima Island, Milne Bay.

The report, prepared by investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) PNG and the Accident Investigation Commission (ACI), depicted preliminary analysis of the history of the flight, Bwagaioa aerodrome runway information, site and wreckage information and examination on the main landing gear of the Cessna.

Poponawa cautioned that the preliminary report was derived from the initial investigation into the crash.

He said further evidence might alter the circumstances as depicted in the report.

He said investigations were continuing and would include further examination and analysis of various aspects of the crash including the pilot’s background and experience.

Analysis of recordings from the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recordings had been sent to the United States national transportation safety board (NTSB) for recovery.

The preliminary report revealed that the aircraft had travelled 30m beyond the end of the runway before it came into contact with trees and the terrain. A loud explosion was heard and fireball and smoke was observed at the end of the runway.

Crash survivor co-pilot Kelby Cheyne, who was interviewed after his recovery in Brisbane, Australia, recalled that he had exited the aircraft unassisted through a hole in the captain’s window. Shortly after that, a fuel-fed post impact fire destroyed the remaining aircraft wreckage.

Local island inhabitants, who arrived at the scene five to 10 minutes after the accident, assisted with getting the co-pilot to the local hospital.

Findings on the condition of the Bwagaioa airstrip revealed that the runway surface consisted of crushed coral on clay which had been partly overgrown with grass and moss. The only navigation aid on the island was a non-directional beacon (NDB) that was inoperative at the time of the accident.

Investigators reported that the aircraft brakes sustained heat damage from the post-accident fire but appeared to be in relatively good condition and the brake rotors turned freely by hand with no apparent defects.

The final report is expected early next year.

The truth about Papua New Guinea's carbon trade scheme

By CARBON TRADER

Port Moresby

The Prime Minister (PM) of Papua New Guinea (PNG) stated in The National (11^th October 2010) that the REDD+ approach that is being championed by his government is being undermined by the trading of forest carbon through the voluntary carbon schemes (VCS) in PNG.

He describes VCS as being risky and premature.

But how much truth is in what the PM said is anybody’s guess. 

The PM does not elaborate on the risks involved in the VCS, but the only cheap excuse given is that the VCS are thinly capitalised.

The advantages of the VCS over a compliance forest carbon market are not discussed by the PM.

Moreover, the PM failed to admit that REDD markets for forest carbon exists under some VCS, but a compliance market for forest carbon does not exist at the moment and the likelihood of a world market for forest carbon through the REDD+ scheme is far from reality.

The sad fact is that countries in South America, Asia and Africa have gone into VCS, while we are the only ones that are still fighting to engage in a compliance market for forest carbon, which does not exist or is yet to materialise.

Therefore, one wonders why the PM, PNG’s climate change ambassador and the acting director of Office of Climate Change and Development (OCCD) are all hell-bent on a REDD+ carbon scheme under the compliance market.

The reason why the OCCD, the PM and our climate change ambassador are globe trotting on climate change and carbon trade issues is that they want some of that $4.5 billion (US) that has been earmarked for REDD+ projects in developing countries.

So far our negotiations have failed two times to access any international funding because PNG does not want any strings attached to these REDD+ funds.

However, the international community is aware of what is going on in developing countries and will not release any funds until stringent measures are put place by respective governments to protect the rights of indigenous peoples and their forest resources from carbon cowboys.

Earlier this year, the PNGexposed Blog published an article that accused the PNG government of trying to be the “ultimate carbon cowboy”.

Nupan Trading was in the spotlight and was seen as being the culprit in carbon trade deals in PNG, but the PNGexposed Blog article also put the PNG government in the spotlight.

This article has been widely read and circulated over the internet and there are now more suspicions about the PNG government’s moves to have customary landowners snub the VCS.

It makes one wonder whether the moves taken by the PNG government are genuine in reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation of forests and ultimately combating climate change, or, is the PNG government trying to blackmail the international community into giving us funds so that we can put them in our pockets; let alone pay for political stability to protect the so-called “national interest”.

At the moment VCS are legal in a sense that it is a business deal that can be struck between a customary land owing group and a carbon broker.

The government has no control over customary lands therefore it cannot decide which carbon market the customary landowners chose to trade their forest carbon.

However, the OCCD, as the mandated authority on climate change and carbon trade issues in PNG, can facilitate carbon trade business deals between customary landowners and carbon dealers under the VCS.

The only problem with carbon dealers in the VCS is the issue of “carbon cowboys”, but this problem should be addressed by the OCCD.

The OCCD should check on any carbon dealer’s records and give appropriate advice to customary landowners on the authenticity of the carbon dealer and whether his business interest is genuine and has integrity.

However, to date the OCCD has refused to have anything to do with VCS or issue carbon certificates.

The reasons given by OCCD for not recognising VCS in PNG and not issuing carbon certificates to Nupan Trading and other carbon dealers is the same as that given above by the PM.

Regardless of the reasons given by the PM and OCCD about VCS in PNG, these are business deals like any forestry and mining business deals and OCCD will have to cater for that.

But the position taken so far by OCCD and the PNG Government to snub VCS indicates that there is something fishy going on in terms of carbon trade in PNG, and it goes to cement the suspicion that the PNG Government wants to be the “ultimate carbon cowboy”. 

One reason why the government wants customary landowners to snub the VCS is that it wants to keep all carbon credits from REDD+ for its own interest so that it becomes the one and only carbon broker in PNG.

Therefore, if the OCCD facilitates business deals between customary landowners and the VCS and much of the forest areas in PNG are registered under the VCS, there will be few or no forest areas left for the PNG government when an international agreement is reached after 2012.

The PNG Government wants to be the “ultimate carbon cowboy” in PNG so it is playing delay tactics to stall VCS in PNG and to maintain all forest areas for itself to have access to when a compliance market comes on after 2012.

The PM also stated that a climate framework was not yet finalised to protect and safeguard the interests of customary landowners dealing with carbon dealers under the VCS.

 However, this is the cheapest excuse that can be given, and it insults the intelligence of people who are familiar with development of policies and legislations.

The issue of climate change has been around since the 1980s, and literature has built up immensely within science and policy domains in the last few years which are available and can be used to develop a climate change framework for PNG.

Thus there is no excuse for the OCCD to say that it has not produced a climate change framework for PNG as yet.

Two offices have preceded the OCCD, in which time a climate change framework should have been produced by now, and the civil societies in PNG have been constantly calling on the government to put in place legislation and policy for climate change.

Moreover, there is sufficient human resource within country that can be utilise by OCCD to draft a climate change framework, but it seems a few handpicked people are being used by the government to run the show so that some peoples’ vested interests are protected.

But since no policy or legislation has been developed for climate change in PNG as yet, it goes to show that the PNG government is deliberately avoiding the issue so that it does not put itself under any obligation to protect its indigenous people and their forest resources from carbon cowboys, of which the PNG government is one of them and the “ultimate carbon cowboy”.

Finally, a few years ago the PM was questioned on his family’s vested interest in carbon trade in PNG and the establishment of a pyramid structure that was establish within the Office of Climate Change and Carbon Trade (OCCCT) to  deliberate on carbon financing.

Although time has passed and memories have faded, I am of the opinion that the pyramid structure that existed within OCCCT is still alive and exists within the OCCD and is just waiting to deliberate on any international funding on REDD+ that may come out from the $4.5 billion (US) earmarked for developing countries.