Kta News Letter

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The 2005 Trekking Season is now upon us so we plan to publish a regular news letter starting with this first edition.

This news letter is to keep Kokoda Track landowners, Kokoda and Koiari LLGs, Tour and Trek Operators, government bodies and interested organizations and persons associated with the Track up to date on the Kokoda Track activities.

KTA Formation

Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) is a statutory government body of the Kokoda and Koiari Rural Local-level Governments proclaimed in June 2003. Its interim Management Committee was appointed in May 2004 and the committee of nine members sworn in on 9 December, 2004. Four members represent the two LLGs, two represent the Administration of the two Districts, whilst the other three represent National Cultural Commission, Tourism Promotion Authority and Returned Services League.

Tour Operators can also have a member on the Committee, however such position is presently declared vacant. Mr Alfred Amuli from Abuari Village is the Chairman, Norris James from Kagi/Port Moresby is the Deputy Chairman and Mr Warren Bartlett, the Manager / Executive Officer.

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KTA Office & Staff

KTA presently operates from a base located at the Riverside Store at Sogeri. It is planned to open a branch office in Kokoda and relocate the Sogeri office to suitable economical premises in Port Moresby later in the year, if such can be found.

A small administrative staff will be appointed in April, 2005, including three Rangers, who will be based at Sogeri, Kokoda and Kagi to keep regular contact with the village communities and trekkers along the Track. These rangers will report any problems to KTA management at Sogeri and Kokoda.

They will also ensure that all trekkers have their KTA Trek Permit, otherwise under the Kokoda Track Permit Laws of both LLGs, the trekkers can be stopped in their tracks, fined and their Tour Operator requested (by radio and telephone) to apply and pay for Trek Permits for their trekkers before they proceed.

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KTA Function

The purpose of KTA is to assist both LLGs in carrying out their functions within the Kokoda Track Area as follows:

• focus on the significance of the Kokoda Track/Trail due to its part in WW2 and promote this legacy for present and future generations;
• Promote trekking and tourism related activities in the Kokoda Track Area;
• Administer, facilitate, ensure and / or oversee the implementation of developments and other projects in the Kokoda track Area;
• Collect, manage and use development revenue from fee paying Trekkers and other sources for approved projects;
• Consult with landowners on their needs and priorities;
• Provide a point of contact for agencies, organizations or persons wanting to initiate activities along the Kokoda Track; etc.

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KTA Trek Permit Fees

Under the Kokoda Track Trek Permit Law 2005 passed by both the Kokoda and Koiari Local-level Governments in 2004, persons, whether as individuals or part of a group, who wish to walk the Kokoda Track, are required to obtain a Trek Permit.

Trek Permits are available upon application from KTA or through recognized Tour Operators registered with the Authority. (Trek permits are not applicable to traditional landowners and their family members normally resident in the Kokoda Track area). A copy of the KTA Trek Permit Application Form is included with this news letter.

The Trek Permit fees applicable as per the Kokoda Track Trek Permit Law 2005 effective from 1st January, 2005 are as follows:

• International trekker – K200.00
• International child or student trekker (up to 18 years) – K100.00
• Papua New Guinean citizen and resident non-citizen trekker – K100.00
• Papua New Guinean citizen child or student trekker and PNG resident non-citizen child or student trekker (up to 18 years) – K 50.00
• Aid and volunteer workers (working on Track activities) – K Free

Fees for short treks of 1 to 5 days duration are based on K30 per person per day for international trekkers with a proportionate reduction for other classes of trekkers as listed above.

Upon receipt of a Kokoda Track Trek Permit Applicaton Form and the prescribed fee by the KTA office, a KTA receipt will be issued for the funds received and a computer generated Trek Permit printed for the Group (or individual Trek Permits should the Trekkers desire a permit each for memento purposes).

Should Permits be requested for individual trekkers, there should be a list of trekkers attached to the application form detailing Trekkers name, address suburb or town, state and country so that such information can be entered on the Permit.

Permits can be mailed to the Tour Operator if applications are received and paid two weeks in advance of treks otherwise delivered to their Tour Operator?s Port Moresby office or trekkers? Hotel upon their arrival in PNG.

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KTA Funded Community Projects

Funding of community development projects commenced on a small scale whilst the Authority was in its interim management committee stage. Since December, 2004 there has been considerable effort to implement the following projects:

• Award contracts to the villages of Kovelo, Hoi, Isurava and Alola for the clearing of the Track from Kovelo to Templeton Crossing, co-ordinated by Committee David Soru. This clearing has been completed to a 2 metre width based on village community contracts and is simpler than the Central Province preferred method.
• Supply two 21 inch Masport Mowers to Kokoda LLG and Kokoda Memorial Hospital to maintain Town Lawns.
• Facilitate the upgrading of Kokoda Airstrip to take 36 seat Dash 8 aircraft, to be achieved by March/April, 2005 in time for the Isurava Memorial Anzac Day treks.

  This has involved the slashing and burning of the presently unused area of the 1400m x 100m airstrip by 10 Youth Groups, the mowing by Mamba Estate Tractor and Slasher and grading uneven areas with their Grader, the mowing of the central 15m wide runway with the Hospital and Kokoda LLG Masport mowers, the purchase of 100 cone markers and 2 windsocks, the positioning thereof and the construction of a wire fence around the CAA recognized apron area.

  This upgrade has been performed in liaison with Kokoda LLG, C.A.A, Airlines of PNG and Higaturu Oil Palm?s Mamba Estate.
• Supply two drum ovens (heavy duty models manufactured by Port Moresby Tech College) to Isurava and Alola villages.
• Supply 50 day old chickens and 8 weeks of chicken feed supply to Hoi village.
• Supply three Coffee Pulpers to Hagutawa, Abuari and Kaile villages.
• Awarding contract to landowners for the cleaning of Owers? Corner parkland (2004). Further contracts will be entered into when the Owers? Corner road upgrade is completed so inspection of work can be achieved.
• Awarding contracts to individuals and land groups for the clearing of the Track from Templeton Crossing to Kagi and the Ua?Ule Creek section. Other sections are having land ownership verified in conjunction with Vice Chairman Norris Selu so the work can be performed. Payment via village community contracts is the preferred method used by Oro Province villagers and speeds up the clearing task.
• Maintenance of various village and Kokoda Station base radios (microphones, batteries, solar panels, radio faults, etc). The Menari radio is still giving problems and needs a radio technician to visit.

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KTA Community Projects in Place for Next Three Months:

• Subsidize 50% of the Kokoda Track Foundation scholarship program for some 52 high school students for 2005 intake including 2004 successful students entering 2005 studies. This subsidy is for this year only to overcome the effects of bad media coverage resulting from actions of certain individuals in Central and Oro Province about the Kokoda Track Authority, and in particular, the Kokoda Track Foundation, resulting in scholarship fund-raising activities in Australia not reaching target during 2004.
• Takeover VHF Radio Network and Repeater Licence from National Cultural Commission and register KTA as the Licencee with Pangtel. With this change, all private base radio, mobile (vehicle) and handheld radios owners must maintain their licences with Pangtel and pay a monthly or annual rental to KTA for the use of the repeater service or hire of future KTA owned radios.
• Complete clearing contracts of the Central Province section of the Track once land ownership is verified.
• Supply and installation of a base radio at Ioribaiwa village (also for use of Ua?Ule Guest House).
• Conduct of First Aid Training Courses and Guide Courses in conjunction with St John Ambulance or Red Cross and TPA (probably May when TPA has their international trainer available).
• Supply of drum ovens to villages of Veselogo, Girinumu and Naoro.
• Supply of chicken projects to villages of Kagi and Launumu.
• Supply of sewing machines and training and materials to women?s groups at various villages.
• Supply of Lawnmowers to Menari and Depo villages.
• Upgrade of airstrips a Kagi and Menari and possibly Efogi and Naduri to comply with CAA regulations and lengthen Kagi if possible. Such will enable Twin Otter RPT services to resume and assist with passenger and cargo movement, including cash crops to Port Moresby markets.
• Upgrade of guest house and campsite facilities, including washing facilities and the subsidizing by KTA of fibreglass toilet floors and trunks with seats to improve guest house sanitation and hygiene.

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Summary

KTA has come through 2004 and is now recognized by the Kokoda Track communities, tour operators and government bodies as the co-ordinating body for the Kokoda Track. We trust that this mutual feeling will develop and we look forward to advising you of further Kokoda Track activities in the April issue of the News Sheet after the next KTA Board Meeting.

Kokoda Track Authority requires the support of the Tour Operators in ensuring that Trek Permit Fees are charged as part of the Trek Package and remitted to KTA so that ongoing community infrastructure projects can be accomplished for the benefit of all concerned. Operators and Trekkers who fail to comply will unfortunately be banned from the Kokoda Track.

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Sec. 3 – Form: 1

KOIARI RURAL LOCAL-LEVEL GOVERNMENT and KOKODA RURAL LOCAL-LEVEL GOVERNMENT

KOKODA TRACK TREK PERMIT LAW 2005

KOKODA TRACK AUTHORITY

KOKODA TRACK TREK PERMIT APPLICATION FORM To:

The Executive Officer
Kokoda Track Authority
P O Box 545
BOROKO, NCD 111
Papua New Guinea
Phone/Fax: (675) 325 1887
E-mail: kokodatrackauthority@global.net.pg

I/We ????????????????????hereby apply for a permit / permits to trek the Kokoda Track under the Kokoda Track Permit Law of the Koiari Rural Local-level Government and of the Kokoda Rural Local-level Government in accordance with the Law.

Details of our application are as follows:
Name of Tour Operator or Trekking Person: .??????????????????????..
Address of Tour Operator or Trekking Person: ..?????????????????????..
Phone: ??????
Fax: ?????????
E-mail: ??????????????..

Dates of Planned Trek:

Start: ??????.
Finish: ????????.

Direction of Trek:

From ??????
To: ??????
Other: ??????????..

Number of Trekkers:

Adults: ????
Children: ????
Students (18 years and under)????

International / Non-Citizen Trekker: YES / NO

PNG Citizen Trekker: YES / NO

Resident of Kokoda Track Area: YES / NO

Aid Worker / Volunteer: YES / NO

Purpose of Trek:

• War History
• Adventure
• Eco-Tourism
• Other

Do you Require one Group Permit or Individual Trek Permits: ????????????????

If not with an organized Tour Group, please advise name of Kokoda Track Guide: ????????.

For calculation of Trek Fees, please compile the following:

International Trekker: ?..x K200 = K??

Child/Student: ??x K100 = K??

Papua New Guinea Resident Trekker: ?..x K100 = K ??.

Child/Student: ??x K 50 = K?….

Residents of Kokoda Track Area: ??.. Free

Aid & Volunteer Workers: ??? Free

Total Fees to be paid and attached with this Application: K??.. Cheque / Cash/ Telegraphic Transfer

For Individual person Trek Permits, please attach a list of names and permit rate applicable.

Signature of Applicant: ???????????.

Date: .?../..?/200…
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