- This topic has 938 voices and 2 replies.
- Posts
Letter to the Editor – Viewpoint:
Dear Sir,
The article by Malum Nalu regarding landowners being divided over the release of about K80,000 held by Australian tour operator, Ruth Dicker, is poorly researched and misleading. I recently met all the clan leaders and land owners across the Kokoda Trail and not one of them expressed a concern about the establishment of the Kokoda Track Authority. Indeed at a recent two-day workshop held in Efogi Village there was unanimous support for the authority to be officially sworn in.
I would therefore ask that Malum Nalu identify the landowners who have expressed concern about the establishment of the KTA or provide a retraction for the statements attributed to them.
The statement by Mr Willie Vai that I ‘misled the people of the Kokoda Trail in setting up the KTA’ is not true. At workshops conducted for land-owners, clan leaders and stakeholders in PNG I have clearly outlined my goals for having the Kokoda Trail established as a national memorial park with a view to developing a self-sustaining eco-trekking industry for the Koiari and Orokaiva people who live along it. These statements are a matter of public record and have received unanimous support at the meetings I have attended.
We have not failed to get budgetary support from the Australian and PNG Governments as claimed by Mr Vai. In fact we are in the process of developing a well researched, inclusive strategic plan that we can take to both governments. The results of the workshops we have conducted at our expense, as part of this process, are available on our website at http://www.kokodatrackfoundation.org for all to see.
The establishment of the Kokoda Track Authority is a positive initiative which will provide a model for a self-sustaining eco-tourism industry in PNG. The achievements of the officeholders in such a short period of time should be applauded and it brings no credit to your newspaper to have them tainted by the carping self interest of a few mysterious landowners.
We have not failed to get budgetary support from the Australian and PNG Governments as claimed by Mr Vai. In fact we are in the process of developing a well researched, inclusive strategic plan that we can take to both governments. The results of the workshops we have conducted at our expense, as part of this process, are available on our website at http://www.kokodatrackfoundation.org for all to see.
The establishment of the Kokoda Track Authority is a positive initiative which will provide a model for a self-sustaining eco-tourism industry in PNG. The achievements of the officeholders in such a short period of time should be applauded and it brings no credit to your newspaper to have them tainted by the carping self interest of a few mysterious landowners.
Charlie Lynn
Letter to the Editor – Viewpoint – Kokoda Trail Landowners Funds:
Dear Sir,
I wish to comment on an article by Malum Nalu in Thursday 22 July edition of Post Courier regarding Kokoda Track Landowners wanting access to Kokoda Track Trek Permit Fees held in trust.
The Kokoda Track Authority (full title being Kokoda Track Local-level Government Special Purposes Authority) was established under the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local-level Governments and operates under the Local-level Government Administration Act 1997. As such it is a government instrumentality responsible to the Kokoda and Koiari Local Level Governments and the communities it represents along the Kokoda Track/Trail from Kokoda Township to Sogeri Memorial.
The Authority commenced its operations on an interim basis on 5 May, 2004 with an interim management committee of 10 persons. I was then appointed as Interim Executive Officer (Manager). In a letter from Hon. Sir Peter Barter, Minister for Inter-government Relations, to myself, the Authority's Interim Management Committee was to conduct an awareness patrol with communities along the length of the Kokoda Track, refine its draft Constitution, open bank accounts, transfer to the bank account trekking fees held in trust for the proposed Authority by the PNG Tourism Industry Association and any individual tour operators, prepare budgets and a three to five year development plan put in place. The awareness patrol was successfully conducted from 26 May to 9 June.
The Interim Management Committee, with the concurrence of the Department of Provincial and Local-level Government Affairs, authorized a mini-budget with the use of K35,000 of Trek Fees funds to cover the cost of a three to four months interim period, including the cost of the awareness patrol. Most of the requiremnents of the Minister have been achieved over the past 11 weeks.
Because of the tremendous growth of the Tourism Industry in the Kokoda Track Area by trekkers and the overwhelming support of the communities and stakeholders (including most tour operators), the Kokoda Track Authority is essential to administer and co-ordinate this growing industry. It is expected there will be almost 2,000 trekkers walking the Track in 2004. It is imperative that strict controls are introduced and maintained for the issue of Trek Permits (currently K100.00 per trekker). Funds from these trek fees are to be used for funding community infrastructure projects and in many cases, their maintenance. Once the interim period of the management committee is finalized in the near future, funds for administration costs will be forthcoming from other revenue raising measures and support grants from Government sources and donor agencies. Much discussion with the respective governments and organizations has already taken place to achieve this.
Throughout Papua New (and all parts of the world) there is always a small minority who do not like changes to the norm. Unfortunately in PNG this is quite common with all resource projects of mining, petroleum, fishing, agriculture and now tourism. If accusations without substance, and demands by certain individuals for access to trek fee funds are not addressed promptly by the relevant authorities and the communities then projects such as Tourism development of the Kokoda Track will fail and the communities will miss out on planned benefits.
The Kokoda Track Authority is set to be a model for similar tourism initiatives in other parts of PNG. During the awareness patrol and at other meetings where any dissention is expressed, we request that the Authority should be given a chance to prove itself over the first 12 months and appropriate controls be in place to ensure there is transparency and good administration.
In relation to the transfer of Trek Fee Funds to the KTA Trek Fee bank account, PNGTIA transferred their funds to the KTA account on 14 May, and are regularly transferring new permit fees received by PNGTIA on behalf of KTA. Despite written and verbal requests, we are still awaiting the transfer of Trek Fee Funds held in trust by Niugini Tours in Sydney.
Yours faithfully
Warren R Bartlett
Interim Executive Officer KTAMeeting called by landowners who have expressed concern about the KTA:
On 26 July 2004 in letters to the Editor, Charlie Lynn challenged you to identify the landowners who have expresses concern about KTA.
On Monday 2 August 2004, there will be a meeting held at Sogeri Council Chambers at 10:30am to discuss this issue. Because of our wide spread locations, not all landowners are able to attend, but we would like to make them available to the public.
To quote Mr Lynn, our concerns do not stem fromt he 'carping self-interest of a few mysterious landowners'. We would not be mysterious if KTA or Mr Lynn had ever bothered to identify us, pay us the respect due by consulting us, instead of dictating to us like if its his backyard in Australia.
On the contrary, Mr Lynn has treated us as though we are transparent or even invisible. We are no longer prepared to take a back seat and watch while KTA & Mr Lynn takes control of our future. It is our ernest wish to manage our own affairs. Mr Lynn states his objective as being to develop a self-sustaining, Eco Tourism Industry on the Kokoda Trail which is doomed to fail because the communities do not want to live in the Stone AGes as suggested by Mr Lynn and his cowboys.
Mr Lynn, according to hisEco-Tourism ideas wanted the people to live in caves and tree houses. These sort of days are over and long gone. The people of Kokoda Trail are in desperate need of services. There is no drugs in Aid Posts along the trail, no regular Air Services, no commercial activities take place. Mr Lynn wanted the people at Kokoda to carry backpacks of his Tourists for the next 30-50 years. They have done that 30 years ago and now is the time to move on.
Although our projects may progress a little more slowly, they will be developed after full discussionn withCommunity groups. It is through discussion, planning community agreement and our own efforts that we becaome Self-Sustaining, we are the self in-self sustaining and not Mr Lynn or KTA.
Yours Sincerely,
Willy Vavi
Councillor
Koiari Local Level GovernmentJethro Nobea
Ureri Clan
Vesulogo
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.