Tonnes of help for Kokoda

By Laura Hegarty 

ABC

 

Eric Winn reckons he's been to Kokoda around 60 times, but never before has he taken a one tonne generator with him.

The co-founder of the Kokoda Memorial Foundation has organised a shipping container to transport the generator, plus a whole lot more, from where it is presently sitting outside his workshop in Paget to the hospital of the famous town in Papua New Guinea. 

A one tonne generator, 55 bicycles, 1500 pairs of glasses, 20 cartons of medical supplies, clothes and cooking utensils will soon make their way from Paget to Papua New Guinea. (Laura Hegarty - ABC Multiplatform)

Mr Winn says the generator being used at the hospital at the moment is around 20 years old.
"At the moment the generator runs four hours a night, it starts at six and finishes at 10 and if anything happens after that they have to do it by candle light or by torch," says Mr Winn.
"So one of our members down on the Sunshine Coast, Glen Thompson, got a generator donated so then we got a container donated, brought it up here and loaded it up."
Mr Winn says the really difficult part will be getting the container from the port to the hospital.
"There's a palm oil company at Kokoda and they have a low loader so they'll put the generator on the low loader and they'll probably take five to eight hours to get up there to ... the main track... but then we've got to get the container from there into the base hospital."
He says if there is no heavy machinery available in the town, the container will have to be moved using man power.
"The Egyptians did it, the Romans did it, we'll put some steel underneath it and drag it!"
Also in the container are clothes, cooking utensils, medical supplies, glasses and 55 bicycles all of which have been donated by individuals and groups across the region.
"Proserpine hospital donated a lot of medical supplies which we're taking up, there are probably 20 cartons that we've got in there of supplies.
"And we've had lots of support from the CWA (Country Women's Association) up at Seaforth, they've been fantastic!"
As for the bicycles, they are going to help set up Kokoda's first bicycle hire business.
"So what they're going to do is they're going to repair them... and they're also going to hire them out."The biggest problem is that they have no tools and no ability to repair them so a couple of the guys that are coming up this trip and a few that are coming up next trip will teach the boys how to actually repair them.
"A lot of the bikes have racks on them. Where they women would walk two to five kilometres to go to the market, they'll be able to ride with their gear on the back."
"Taking motor vehicles up there is just a waste of time. The trucks keep breaking down, the road destroys them so you take up something that they can physically repair without us being there.
"And the aim of this is to make them self sustainable."
The container will ship out next week and Mr Winn and nine other volunteers will follow in September.

Will PNG international become Eagles’ top man?

The Star

Quentin Laulu-Togagae knows he has to start scoring tries again for Sheffield Eagles or be left behind.
The full back set a club record with 35 last year but this season is being outpaced by Menzie Yere.
The Papua New Guinea international scored two in the Northern Rail Cup semi-final win over Doncaster to take his total to 27.

Quentin Laulu Togagae

 Laulu-Togagae (nick named QLT or Q) has been stuck on 24 for three games.
“I’ve hit a bit of a drought but as long as the team ’is winning that’s all that matters,”” he said. “
“Menzie is scoring all the tries so I’ll have to start scoring some soon.””
The speed and timing of the Samoan international coming into the line can create openings for Yere but the favour isn’t often returned.
Laulu-Togagae added: “I’ll pass to Menzie; there are a few times when maybe he should have passed to me but if he can back himself and as long as he scores the tries that’s all that matters.””
Coach Mark Aston isn’t worried who gets the tries as the Eagles keep up their challenge in two Cup competitions and lead the way in the Championship.
“That competition is there and burning,”he said. ”There is a bit of banter between them, I’m not sure Q will pass to Menzie or the other way. But if it were nailed on that they had to pass to get the try they will do.””
Eagles face a home league game against Swinton Lions on Friday night but after that have two crucial Cup games.
Super League strugglers London Broncos come to Don Valley in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup followed by the final of the Northern Rail Cup against Leigh Centurions.
”It’s good to get to the final of the Northern Rail, it was one of our goals this season and we want to win it,”” said Laulu-Togagae.“”The Challenge Cup is always in the back of your mind but we can’t let ourselves look too far ahead. We still have a game against Swinton before then.”

Australian Defence joins PNG aid mission

AAP

AUSTRALIAN Defence Force personnel are working with American and Japanese counterparts to deliver aid in Papua New Guinea through the latest Pacific Partnership mission.

The US-sponsored program has been conducted annually since the devastating Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 and has delivered help to more than 150,000 people in 10 Pacific region countries.
Around 100 medical and engineering personnel from the US, Japan and Australia are aboard landing ship HMAS Tobruk to deliver medical, dental, veterinary and engineering aid in PNG.
Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore, deputy chief of Australian Defence Force joint operations, said on Tuesday the program directly benefited the people of Pacific nations and allowed partner nations to practice working together.
"Importantly, Pacific Partnership provides a platform that can build confidence to ensure the nations involved can respond effectively as a group to a multinational crisis supporting humanitarian and civic action if the need arose," he said in a statement.

January completion for PNG asylum centre

From AAP 
 

A $137 million permanent processing centre for asylum seekers on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island is set to be completed in January.

Construction company Decmil, which has experience constructing villages for oil, gas and mining projects, will build the 600-bed centre.
A spokesman for Decmil said the site would be able to house women, children, families and "other vulnerable groups".
Along with the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre (MIRPC), a 200-room accommodation facility for staff, along with health, welfare, recreational and operational facilities are included in the project.
Work is set to start this month, with a completion date set for January 31, 2014.
"Our experience in remote locations, building the villages that house workers on many of our nation's major resources projects, has placed us in the ideal position to tackle this new project on behalf of the Australian government," Decmil chief executive Scott Criddle said.

Kina Petroleum farms out majority stake in Papua New Guinea petroleum licence

Tuesday, July 02, 2013 by Bevis Yeo
Proactive Investors

Kina Petroleum (ASX: KPL) has reached a deal to farm up to 64% of PPL 340 in Papua New Guinea to Hunt Energy and Mineral in return for a carry through certain work program items.

 



Hunt, part of the Pacific Hunt Group – an affiliate of Holloman Corporation – will carry Kina through a 5,400km aeromagnetic/gravity survey in the south eastern part of the licence and a seismic program of between 75km and 150km to earn a 32% interest in PPL 340.

Hunt then has the option to acquire an additional 32% in the licence upon drilling one well. This will leave Kina with a 36% interest in the licence.

The US $13.2 million work program will target/test a reefal trend believed to extend south east of InterOil’s (NYSE: IOC) Antelope gas discovery.

The recent selection of ExxonMobil as the preferred candidate to facilitate development of Antelope is also likely to result in work accelerating along what could be an extension of the Antelope trend.

New reserved business list for Papua New Guineans

By ROSE AMOS in Madang

The SME Summit in Madang will come up with a new reserved business list for Papua New Guneans.

 The summit agreed to come up with a new list after receiving clarification on the matter by Secretary for Constitutional Law Reform Commission,  Dr Eric Kwa.

 Dr Kwa told the summit it was legal, however, they needed to consider other key issues.

 These included whether or not Papua New Guineans have financial strength and capacity to do business, and how nationals can take over businesses currently run by foreigners.

Papua New Guineans need to develop strong business culture

By ROSE AMOS in Madang 

Papua New Guineans need to develop a strong business culture if they are to be successful.

Businessman Allan Bird issued the challenge at the Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) Summit in Madang this morning.

Mr Bird says a lot of young nationals come up with good business ideas but fail because they lack discipline.

He also says PNG business owners compete with each other instead of supporting one another grow their businesses.

Mr Bird says this sometimes leads to businessmen and women being jealous of one another.

 He says this mentality must change for PNG to move forward in terms of doing business.