Bulolo presents infrastructure development proposal

A backhoe works on diverting the course of the flooded Kumalu River as traffic and people line up both sides of the river. Picture by Bulolo MP SAM BASIL

A backhoe works on diverting the course of the notorious Kumalu River at the weekend. Picture by Bulolo MP SAM BASIL

Bulolo district in Morobe province has put forward a proposal to works secretary Joel Luma and Momase regional works manager Brian Alois for development of infrastructure, including the much talked about K27 million bypass over the notorious Kumalu River.
Meantime, flood waters continued to wreack havoc over the Kumulu at the weekend.
Bulolo MP Sam Basil said yesterday (Sunday, April 26, 2009) that the proposal was presented to Mr Luma and Mr Alois at works headquarters in Port Moresby last Thursday.
“The proposal will be based on a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to cover a three-year programme with funds contribution from both the National Works Department and Bulolo District joint district planning and budget priorities committee (JDP&BPC) with board members consisting of developers,investors,community representatives,works department representatives, and provincial and district representatives,” he said.
“It is confirmed that K9m from the 2008 supplementary budget was parked in the national works department account in Port Moresby and is available.
“The Bulolo people do not want these monies to be spent on expensive contractors who will use up all the funds and take the district's national highways back to square one, but to invest these funds in a sustainable manner, which will see the purchase, ownership and operations of the equipment by the both district and national works department for the district.
“The MOA will see equipment purchase plus funding for villagers to use manual labour to control the overgrowth of vegetation along the national roads.”
The national highway road sections have been categorised as follows:
Section A - Timini to Bulolo Town (sealed section);
Section B - Bulolo Town to Wau Town (unsealed Section); and
Section C - Bulolo Town to Keto (snsealed section)
“The Bulolo District JDP&BPC will contribute more then K500, 000 per annum from the proceeds as per the MOA with the Morobe provincial government,” Mr Basil said.
“This money will be from Hidden Valley royalties for the joint district and national works national roads maintenance programme for operational expenses.
“The proposed purchases of recommended equipment per the sections, A-C, will see the sealed section having different equipment from the unsealed sections.
“The initial capital plus the three years operational costs will be at K7-8m, while the JDP&BPC contribution will boost the operational component of the programme.
“The Kumalu bypass will be another agenda on its own costing K27m, and the Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare has shown and made his commitment during the Buang visit in February this year.
“This also includes the feasibility study of having the Inter-Island Highway connecting Lae to Port Moresby through the Waria Valley/Tapini connection.”

Bulolo farmers urged to tap into lucrative honey industry

Bulolo MP Sam Basil congratulates a woman beekeeper last Friday

Bulolo MP Sam Basil presents beekeeping gear and tools to a graduand last Friday

Bulolo MP Sam Basil has urged beekeepers in his electorate to tap into lucrative honey, which is now fetching up to K10 a kilogram.
He made the call as Bulolo’s first lot of 30 women beekeepers graduated at Baiune High School last Friday (April 24), with training facilitated by the Eastern Highland provincial government’s division of agriculture.
Five women from each of the six local level governments (LLGs) – Mumeng, Buang, Watut, Wau Urban, Wau Rural and Waria - received their certificates last Friday.
Waria, the most-remote LLG with no road links, has untouched and diversified flora and fauna to complement the bee programme.
The beekeeping project was made available by Mr Basil through the K200, 000 national agriculture development programme (NADP) funds last December.
The programme was slightly delayed when the bank dishonoured the first deposit, but then redeposited in March.
Mr Basil praised the Eastern Highlands government for allowing its honey bee project team to come to Morobe and impart its knowledge to the 30 women.
“If the Eastern Highlands provincial government hadn't kept the bee programme alive, then my district would have spent more to import the know-how plus the equipment from overseas,” he said.
“The National Agriculture Department must do more about promoting small scale agricultural programmes as such, and encouraging the women in agriculture concept through these backyard programmes.
“Beekeeping should be found at almost everybody's backyard due to the floral diversity of PNG.
“A kilogram of honey nowadays can fetch about K10, and with about 10 bee hives, a farmer can make more then K3, 000 per annum.”
Mr Basil said he had to travel up to Goroka himself to arrange for the bee hives and urged the national agriculture department to allocate funding direct to bee trainers and direct them to provide at least 100 bee hives, plus training and tools, per LLG in the country.
“We, the district, should then arrange for the logistical part,” he said.
“The same concept can be applied to inland fish farming and fingerling supplies, goats, cattles, water buffalo, ducks, rabbits and the list goes on.
“Primary industry in PNG has been suffering for so many years, despite millions and millions of kina being spent over the years.
“Last year, under the NADP programme, many more millions of kina have been injected, however, the hope of achieving our agricultural goals is still a long way to be realised.”

Coffee managers urged to create wealth

Workshop participants and facilitators at Lae International Hotel. Coffee Industry Corporation CEO Ricky Mitio is standing fourth from the left in the front row

Senior coffee managers have been learning wealth creation in the industry at a weeklong workshop in Lae.
The workshop ran from last Monday till Friday (April 24) with senior staff and managers of Coffee Industry Corporation now well-equipped with knowledge to create an enabling environment for wealth creation by actors in the coffee value chain in the coffee industry and Papua New Guinea.
The workshop was facilitated by international consultants Dr Simba Simbanda from Zimbabwe and Dr Zenette Franco from Brazil, who are specialists in agricultural strategic planning and learning capacity building respectively, delivering the modules for learning.
The workshop was facilitated by Agricultural Research & Development Support Facility, an AusAID programme for agriculture in PNG.
This workshop was to review and improve the PNG Coffee Industry Strategic Plan 2008 – 2018.
It aims to institutionalise the planning process so that senior managers of CIC will continue to liaise with industry stakeholders and other partners to add value to the strategic plan.
The plan identifies key thematic areas that CIC should deliver on its mandate to the coffee industry.
It is critical to identify the relevant programmes and projects, competence, as well as capacity of players along the coffee value chain to achieve the desired results.
“We should think outside of the box and do things in a new paradigm,” CIC chief executive officer Ricky Mitio told participants.
“Thus, in changing the way CIC has been doing things in the past to a new paradigm, this will facilitate the creation of wealth for our farmers, who are the backbone of the coffee industry.”
Senior entomologist Nelson Simbiken said: “Let’s move away from the coffee tree and go to the farmers.
“Adoption of recommended technologies depends very much on farmers’ priorities.”
Senior CIC coffee inspector Anton Buro said there were so many “loopholes” in CIC’s programmes to deliver services to stakeholders.
“In reviewing those present programmes, we can streamline and mobilise resources to where they are needed,” he said.
“I am happy that in my programming, I will use the appropriate tools to develop a comprehensive programme in my area of work.”

Mordern house with Sepik features

By GEORGE TIPPING

Many large blocks in Boroko, Port Moresby, which contained single houses built in the colonial era have since been developed with blocks of apartments.
Other blocks have a refurbished version of the early single storey homes.
However, there is one house (pictured above) still under construction that has something rather special and is very different.
The owner is Australian and the wife is Sepik.
This combination has produced a house that has all the most-modern facilities but with traditional Sepik features incorporated into the construction of the house.
The main house is now two-storey and 309 square metres in area with four bedrooms, study and family room plus a very-spacious lounge and dining area.
The principal feature is every woman’s dream kitchen in three long granite bench tops imported from Australia with rosewood cabinetwork and a servery opening directly to the 2.5 metre entertainment pool deck running the full length of the house.
The wide staircase and carved balustrade are also in rosewood.
The rosewood entry columns all have Sepik carvings; the cheesewood pressure termite treated weatherboards are in three specially-profiled wide sizes finished with a charcoal stain and clear Cabot’s oil finish and with maroon powder coated aluminium windows. The internal house colours are all ‘earthy’ but include some strong colour feature walls. The dining table has a long chandelier suspended from the high ceiling which really sets off the formal dining area.
Flooring is a combination of Kwila timber externally and large tiled floors internally with smaller tiles to wet areas.
The main shower has a large polished brass shower outlet designed in the opulent years of the past.
The 17 x 2.4 metre lap pool has blue tiles to represent the Sepik River and the attached spa has a mosaic-tiled pukpuk lazing in the sun on the river bank.
The terra cotta tiles used for the pool coping have a heavy bullnose to prevent debris entering the pool.
There is a separate entertainment building complete with BBQ zone, kitchenette, pool table, plasma TV, bathroom and a glass wall which opens out to the pool side.
The house has been designed by K G Contractors Ltd (KGC) in conjunction with their client, Architect Consult Services and Vincent Hicks Structural Engineer.
All on site construction works has been performed by KGC leading their subcontract team of Abcott Joinery (cabinetwork), Niugini Plumbing Services, MTG Electrical, South Pacific Airconditioning and J D Hayes (metalwork).
Material suppliers included Cloudy Bay Sustainable Forestry (timber), Niugini Glass & Aluminium (windows), L & A Tile Merchants (tiles) and Taubmans (paint).

WW11 veteran pays an emotional ANZAC Day pilgrimage

Jack Kauffman against the shocking contrast of white marble headstones at Bomana War Cemetery

World War 11 veteran Jack Kauffma pays an emotional pilgrimage at Bomana War Cemetery on ANZAC Day Jack Kauffman (right) and his faithful tour guide Andrew Kagil after the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Bomana War Cemetery

Among the hundreds of people who attended the traditional ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Bomana War Cemtery outside Port Moresby last Saturday was one sprightly 85-year-old, from Canberra, Australia.
His chest bedecked with medals, Harry Kaufmann admired the beautiful wreaths laid at the Cross of Sacrifice, and lay wandered among the white marble headstones to pay respect to his fallen mates.
He was in the country during the dark days of WW11 in 1942 and 1943, a fresh-faced 19-year-old, and after he left, has never been back until now.
Mr Kaufmann admitted that he never took part in actual fighting during WW11, being a member of the 6th Australian Mobile Ammunition Repair Workshop, based at Koitaki and Sogeri outside Port Moresby.
He had three elder brothers, all of whom were engaged in WW11, with one being killed at Singapore.
“I was the youngest of four boys,” he told me.
“One of them was killed at Singapore while another was taken as a POW (prisoner of war) at Singapore.
“My other brother was in the airforce here (New Guinea).”
Mr Kauffman’s unit was responsible for supplying and repairing all Australian ammunition used during WW11, including Kokoda, and he got to know many of the soldiers who now rest at Bomana.
“When there was trouble with ammunition, that’s when we had to go,” he recalled.
“We were based mainly at Sogeri.
“We had to prepare all the ammunition here, prepare them for the aircraft, parachutes, and all that.
“We didn’t do any actual fighting.
“We had to make sure that the ammunition was working.
“I was at Sogeri, Koitaki and Owers’ Corner.”
Mr Kauffman’s tour guide Andrew Kagil said taking him around was one of the most-emotional experiences of his 20 years in tourism.
“I took him to Sogeri, Koitaki, Owers’ Corner and Bomana War Cemetery,” Mr Kagil said.
“He became very emotional when he saw his old stomping ground, and tears flowed freely.”
Mr Kaufmann paid tribute to the Papuans and New Guineans who had selflessly helped the Australians during WW11.
“Your people were on the ground to help us,” he said.
“We never knew what we were doing from day-to-day.”
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people attended the dawn ceremony at Bomana.
Australians and Papua New Guineans stood side-by-side to honour the fallen.
Afterwards, people many laid flowers against the cemetery's white marble headstones, as children of Ela Murray International School sang haunting strains of Pete Seeger’s Where Have All the Flowers Gone?.
New Zealand High Commissioner Neils Holm gave the address, while Ms Christine Coulthard of the Gungahlin Returned Services League (RSL) sub-branch and Mr Joe Filippi of the Port Moresby RSL recited The Ode.
Those who attended included members of the diplomatic corps and hundreds of trekkers who had walked the Kokoda Trail PNG, including more than 50 students from a boys’ high school in Sydney, in the lead-up to ANZAC Day.
More than 3,800 servicemen are buried at Bomana, 702 unidentified.
To the north-west, ceremonies were held in several places along the Kokoda Trail where Australian diggers repelled the Japanese advance during WW11.
Hundreds of Australians walked the Kokoda Trail in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

ANZAC Day pictures from Bomana War Cemetery, Port Moresby, April 25, 2009

Papua New Guinea Defence Force Commander Commdore Peter Ilau lays a wreath

Guard of honour

VIPS at the Dawn Service

VIPS at the Dawn Service

The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Band

Students of Ela Murray International School sing a song

Members of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force against a backdrop of graves at Bomana War Cemetery

A salute from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force

Wreaths abound after wreath laying

Post- Dawn Service scene

Visiting Australian teacher wearing his grandfather's medals

WW11 veteranHarry Kaufmann (right)

WW11 veteran Harry Kaufmann

WW11 veteran Harry Kaufmann

Youngsters from a Sydney High School who paid a pilgrimage after walking the Kokoda Trail

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Malum