Papua New Guinea Kumuls 2010 Four Nations Tour

Stanley Gene is one of the highly regarded rugby league player here in Britain and recently has been made the coach of the Papua New Guinea Kumuls. Having watched the PNG Kumuls under him in the opening match against the Australian Kangaroos (Sunday 24 October, 2010; Paramatta Stadium in Australia), I am confident that if the Kumuls can avoid unnecessary mistakes, they can make an impact in the rugby league world and will definitely be in good contention for the world cup.
The Kumuls were tough and for the full 80 minutes they played a very hard defensive game against the Kangaroos. I must say it was sloppy mistakes that costed them the game against Australia (42-0) but I am surprised at the stamina the Kumuls had in wearing out the Australian Kangaroos by their hard tackles.

The Kumuls next game in New Zealand against the New Zealand Kiwis will be an interesting game to watch (Saturday 30 October, 2010)... will keep you posted what I think later.

Papua New Guinea's Short-Term Mining Benefit To Long-Term Disaster?

Picture: Australian-based Marengo Mining Ltd has selected a site not too far from the Ramu NiCo’s refinery and planned DSTP system construction.
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Recently, there has been a lot of media interest regarding the mining operations in the Madang province of Papua New Guinea. The controversies surrounding the proposed dumping of mining wastes into the pristine Astrolabe Bay and Bismark Sea by Ramu NiCo the Ramu Nickel and Cobalt mine, has landed the Ramu NiCo in court with the submarine tailings disposals (STD) put on hold pending the court outcome. However, more recently, the developer of Madang’s second biggest mine is considering a deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) system – similar to the one by Ramu NiCo. The pending court case has further delayed construction of the Ramu Nico's refinery in Basamuk in Madang’s Astrolabe Bay.

The Australian-based Marengo Mining Ltd has selected a site not too far from the Ramu NiCo’s refinery and planned DSTP system construction which had been put on hold following an interim injunction taken by a group of landowners who claimed the system would be environmentally damaging. Australian-based Marengo Mining Ltd has selected a site not too far from the Ramu NiCo’s refinery and planned DSTP system construction which had been put on hold following an interim injunction taken by a group of landowners who claimed the system would be environmentally damaging (National, Newspaper)

What is surprising is that there are no conclusive proof that any STD or DSTP will be environmentally safe. Short-term benefit will no doubt come at a very high price to the people of Madang. Here is a report which might give one an overview and insight into STD and whats more interesting is that the reports done by certain environmental consultant companies into the mining operations are usually not published for peer review and scrutiny (Download pdf).

The support of mining by the Papua New Guinea government will always remain a controversial subject. Here is an article which might be of interest.

The government of Papua New Guinea must be mindful of long-term benefits for the people in Madang as well of those in areas within the country where possible mining developments are likely in the future and should make sure that proper tailings holding facilities or disposal systems must be in place before any mining operations can take place. I am aware that compromises will have to be made, but the decisions made today will have future implications whether good or bad. Therefore wisdom is required here by those in authority.

Environmentally safe mine tailings disposals can be built but it will most certainly be very costly. However, the government has the choice to make. Either to compromise the lives of people of Madang and their livelihood for the mining companies or to ask for completely independent and impartial environmental scientists to undertake impartial and sound scientific studies looking at all possible mine tailings disposal options and to give the government its unbiased advise so that decisions can be made in the best interest of the nation. These studies must be published for public and scientific scrutiny. The mining operators are only there for one purpose. To make more money. I shall leave that to the wisdom of the political leaders of Papua New Guinea.

Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather: A Courageous PNG Politician

The Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather's resignation from the Somare-led Government is commended. Mr Fairweather has taken a decision which may not be popular with the current PNG government, but certainly is the right decision.

See report below from PNG Post Courier.

MP resigns

Sumkar rep quits Government in protest over ‘bulldozed’ environment amendment Bill

By PETER SEA

THE controversial amendment to the Environment Act 2000 passed recently by Parliament has struck a sour note in the Government backbenches.
Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather said yesterday he had resigned from the Government because he did not like the amendment.
“As Member for Sumkar, I do not want people in later years to say I did not safeguard their rights when I was in the seat,” he said on his way to Jackson’s Airport to board a plane for Madang.
Mr Fairweather said he had notified the National Parliament Speaker Jeffery Nape that he would be moving to the middle benches.
It is understood Mr Fairweather’s Peoples National Congress Party caucus will meet shortly to clarify the party’s position in regards to the controversial law.
“It is a controversial law. Procedures were not followed in the passage of the bill. I do not want people 70 years down the line to say that their forefathers did not do the right thing by them,” Mr Fairweather said.
“I am not against mining but I am against environmental damage that may affect the people of Sumkar in the future.”
In a newspaper advertisement, Mr Fairweather said he did not vote for changes to the Environment Act. He said: “The change, bulldozed through Parliament, takes away the right of the people to see justice in court. This is dictatorial and against every principle a democracy stands for.
“Sumkar is a maritime district. We are under the threat of environmental destruction:
• From tailings;
• From pollution from the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ); and
• Any residue pollution from the Ramu River. “The life of Karkar and Bagabag is centered around the sea. We see less fish and marine life every year. We are pristine islands – leave our environment alone.” Mr Fairweather said his position was clear on the PMIZ and the deep sea tailings project.
• PMIZ – stop it – perhaps we can have one more factory or double RD size. But not seven factories. Give the rest to other districts who have nothing. Pomio is a good example.
• Tailings – No to the deep sea system. Compromise and find an alternative even if the Government pays over time from royalties. Surely we can learn by the mistakes of others.
The Peoples National Congress Party led by Public Services Minister Peter O’Neill will have “a special meeting to form our policy on the environment. Our party leader will announce our decision this week”.
“I realise that my stand is against the position of National Alliance, PAP and others so be it,” he said in the advertisement.
Attempts to get comments from the Prime Minister’s office yesterday were unsuccessful. His media office did not return email and phone queries.

Papua New Guinea LNG project: Whose Benefit Will It Be?

If the allegation by the former attorney-general and justice minister Dr Allan Marat is correct (see below), then the people of Papua New Guinea should begin to question the Somare led Government why an important resource development agreement was drawn up overseas without any legal consultation or advice from the PNG Government's own number one legal adviser and his legal team.

I am hoping that the LNG project will not be another expensive cost to the already over burdened Papua New Guineans where only the rich and those in government are forfeiting the future of young Papua New Guineans because of selfishness and greed. I may also add that there has been many resource developments in Papua New Guinea over the last thirty years, but to date the country continues to lagg behind in many aspect of socio-economic development compared to other progressing nations in the developing world. The simple truth is that there is systemic and systematic corruption in the country and until these are confronted and dealt with, I am afraid the solutions to PNG problems are yet out of reach.

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LNG law foreign, says former AG

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FORMER attorney-general and justice minister Dr Allan Marat says “a little team” met in Brisbane, Australia, and elsewhere to negotiate the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
“For some reason, I was not included in the team. My advice was never sought as there was no seriousness in using the office of the AG then.
“There was no serious consultation with me as (then) principal legal adviser to a matter that was of high national interest,” Marat told reporters in Kokopo last week.
He said even with the Maladina amendments, Esa’ala MP Moses Maladina never visited the AG’s office for advice on the proposed amendments to the Constitution and the Organic Law on the duties and responsibilities of leadership.
He said even a private bill, like the Maladina amendments, was supposed to go through the proper channels of vetting, through the office of the AG, to the legislative council and then the government caucus before going to Parliament.
Marat said the existing system of vetting was never followed for the Maladina amendments.
“I do not know how he came up with the idea, and I do not even know how he saw the need to amend the leadership code,” he said.
On the LNG agreement, Marat said the first time he saw the document was on May 21 last year when it was pushed across the table and told that it would be signed the next day and the legal clearance was required that same day, although it was pre-dated May 28, 2009.
“How do you expect my lawyers and I to properly analyse the implications, the benefits or matters that would be against the best interest of Papua New Guinea in less than 24 hours when the agreement was more than 200 pages?” he asked.
“That’s what I mean. There was no serious consultation on serious matters like the LNG,” he added.
Marat said the AG’s office would need at least a week to vet and make serious contributions in the best interest of Papua New Guineans on the PNG LNG project.
“This gas agreement was drawn up overseas. It was taken away from our government negotiating team and structured overseas. And, we are now forced to dance to the music of foreigners,” he added.

(Source: The National Newspaper 18 May, 2010)

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New Year 2010

So year 2009 has just been..another year, now gone into the history books. This new year brings fresh hope and aspiration to many the world over including myself. For me this new year will no doubt bring its own share of challenges but I know for sure that better days are ahead. In the UK we will be having the general elections this year which hopefully a new Government will be in place before the autumn start of the academic year. In Papua New Guinea, the Somare Government will also be doing its best to stay in power,while the country is suffering from economic hardship and high unemployment. Well, we just have to wait and see...right now its the weather that has been dominating the news in the UK. Yes, the UK has been hit by a cold snap from the arctic and from the european continent causing disruptions to travel with many schools and business houses closed this week. So what about this weather? Well, geographically, the UK is temperate in its location and therefore its weather is generally affected and influenced by the movement of five different air masses polar maritime, arctic maritime, polar continental, tropical continental and tropical maritime during the course of the year. Any one of those five air masses can become dominant or a combination of these air masses can be dominant over the UK at any one time throughout the year. See here. At the moment it is the arctic maritime and the polar continental air masses that are dominating the weather system of the British Isles and is set to continue for another week, if the forecasters are right (which they do sometimes but not all the time!).
In Liverpool, like in most parts of the UK many schools and businesses are closed this week.
Well, happy new year 2010...better days ahead, it will surely get warmer!!

Papua New Guinea's Expensive Aeronautical Showpiece - A Waste of Public Money

It’s here!

Source: The National Newspaper

MADELEINE AREK

IT was an impressive sight as it came in to land, gliding in smoothly, this very expensive aeronautical showpiece. And those who control the public purse, and made the decision to buy it, assembled at Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby yesterday to marvel at this magnificent bird. “Excellent, very good,” were the first words uttered by Deputy Prime Minister Sir Puka Temu, after an inspection of the Falcon 900 EX aircraft soon after it touched down. Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch, who accompanied Sir Puka on the inspection, said: “A state-of-the-art aircraft, very impressive, very good.”

The two were part of a small crowd that gathered at Gate 16 of the old airport to mark the arrival of the Government’s controversial purchase. The aircraft, fitted with an in-built conference facility, modern entertainment system, and an interior tailor-made for the avid modern traveller, touched down just before 11am yesterday after an eight-hour, 20-minute flight flying at 41,000 feet across the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu in Hawaii. Built in France by Dassault Aviation, the aircraft in its “green state” was flown to Little Rock in Arkansas, USA where it was prepared for Air Niugini at a cost of US$40 million (K112 million), which included the interior, avionics, cabinet-making, entertainment system and specified paint scheme, among other things. It also has cameras fitted on it to aid navigation in bad weather. The aircraft has a five-year warranty and during that time, it will be leased to the Government as well as private sector organisations and individuals.

The aircraft is powered by three Honeywell TFE31-60 turbo fan engines and has the capacity to carry 12 passengers in a standard configuration. It is the finest in its class, with its classic tri-jet engines design. It can land at small airports and fly at high attitudes, even on hot days. It is designed to fly 4,500 nautical miles non-stop.

An elated Sir Puka told those who turned up for the occasion that the aircraft, unlike its twinjet competitor, was very versatile and had a significant safety feature, given its ability to fly slower on approach. “The Falcon 900 EX can land at almost all provincial airports in the country,” Sir Puka said, as if to rebut criticisms that this aircraft could not land in most airstrips in the country. Air Niugini board chairman Sir James Tjoeng said: “Such an arrangement is the first for this country and I would like to thank the National Government for having the trust and confidence in Air Niugini by allowing us to partner in this commercial arrangement. “This is a great opportunity for Air Niugini and we will do our best to serve and provide you the exemplary service that you expect,” said Sir James.

The legend ‘Papua New Guinea Vision 2050’ is inscribed on both sides of the fuselage, the irony of this not lost on an observer among the crowd at the airport. “We have to forego a lot in health and education to buy this aircraft for only a few very privileged people to use,” the person said.

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So here is what I think....

If Papua New Guinea is to fully develop itself to be a dynamic and competitive nation in this world, the government is under obligation to spend and manage public money wisely. Many things are important, however not all are essential and core to nation building. Certainly core priorities in nation building must and should include education, health, infrastructure (roads, airports, seaports, telecomminications etc) and job creation initiatives and programmes for Papua New Guineans. It is a shame that successive governments have yet to get their acts and priorities right! No wonder, the cost of living in PNG is so high and the irony of it all is that the country is so blessed with many natural resources generating billions of Kina (local currency) through mining and other primary and secondary industries every year and yet these billions are yet to be helping the ordinary person on the street or in one remote village in Papua New Guinea......

John Bailey Nirenga [24 Nov, 2009]

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Papua New Guinea Bosavi's Hidden Wonders and the Threat of Logging Operations

Bosavi's hidden wonders

From The PNG National Newspaper

Source:

The BBC takes the world into the crater of an extinct volcano in PNG and unearths a hidden trove of animal life. SINCLAIRE SOLOMON reports

PAPUA New Guinea’s own untouched Galapagos secret world attracted much world attention this month because of the weird and wonderful creatures that have been “discovered” after 200,000 years of isolation.
First, there was the announcement of a rat, which has no fear of humans, measures 82cm long, placing it among the largest species of rat known anywhere in the world. This was followed by the announcement that the world’s smallest parrot has been filmed in the wild for the first time.
Like the Galapagos Islands of the Charles Darwin fame, our very own isolated animal world - in the remote Mt Bosavi area of Southern Highlands province - has unearthed unseen species of life, including giant rats and fanged frogs inside an extinct volcanic crater.
Mt Bosavi’s unique species of fauna and flora, notably the Bosavi Giant Rat, will be featured on BBC1 television, one of the world’s biggest television network, on Sept 22 as part of the network’s The Lost Land of the Volcano series which started last week Tuesday.
From what is available on the internet this week, the BBC sent a team of explorers along to investigate the inner crater of Mt Bosavi, a volcano thought not to have erupted for about 200,000 years.
Inside the crater the environment has been protected from large predators and the inhabitants have been left follow their own unique pattern of evolution, not too differently from the animals and birds of the volcanic Galapagos Islands on the opposite end of the Pacific Ocean.The BBC said on its website that heading the expedition, sent to film the wildlife documentary for the BBC was naturalist Steve Buckshall, wildlife cameraman and naturalist Gordon Buchanan and head scientist Dr George McGavin.
The Bosavi Woolly Rat was first captured on film on a remote camera set up by Buchanan. It was then later seen for the first time, in the flesh by a tracker who called over biologist Dr Kristofer Helgen and Gordon Buchanan. The rat has long silvery fur and measures 82cm long and weighs around 1.5kg.
Helgen said, “This is one of the world’s largest rats. It is a true rat related to the same kind you find in the city sewers - but a heck of a lot bigger.”
Traditional beliefs may have kept the locals away from the crater which is about 4km wide and 1km deep, on the Great Papuan Plateau, making it an ideal home for the rat and other creatures which, the BBC team found, were very tame.
Other amazing discoveries by the BBC team included many new frogs, including a fanged frog, and al ot of new insects, including jumping spiders and spiders camouflaged as lichen.
“Many bird species were found to be inhabiting the area, including a beautiful fruit dove with green wings and a red head and a striking red bird named the King Bird of Paradise,” the BBC said.
Part of the mountain, which rises more than 2,000m above the surrounding plain, is included in the Sulamesi Wildlife Management Area, set up in 2006, formed part of the proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kikori River Basin/Great Papuan Plateau.
The people living just north of the mountain refer to themselves as Bosavi kalu (people of Bosavi) and divide into four marked groups.
The international WWF is heavily involved in the three major rainforest Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the area, protecting some of PNG’s most threatened wildlife habitat.
It supported the Bosavi people’s efforts in protecting their land and heritage for future generations.
Together with the Department of Environment and Conservation it acknowledges that the Kikori Basin has a variety of forest habitats that are home to some of PNG’s most threatened species, as well as dramatic landscape features that include the cockpit and needle karsts of the extensive Darai limestone, the remarkable Hegigio Gorge and the spectacular Wassi and Wawoi waterfalls.
WWF says that the animals of the region rank among the most spectacular found anywhere on earth and include the world’s longest lizard, largest pigeon, largest moth and one of the world’s largest butterflies. Rare species of plant-life can also be found here, and recently WWF reported that eight new species of orchid had been discovered in the area with around 20 further species are being verified.
In the BBC documentary, the team is based at the foot of Mt Bosavi and with the help of local trackers they searched for the animals that live there, and they make their amazing finds, including the nest of the world’s smallest parrot, and types of frog, gecko and bat that are completely new to science.
“Series combining stunning wildlife with high-octane adventure, as a team of scientists and wildlife filmmakers from the BBC’s Natural History Unit explores one of the last great unspoilt jungle wildernesses on earth,” said one rave preview in the English media.
“Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan discovers the nest of the world’s smallest parrot, insect expert Dr George McGavin finds a talking beetle, the scientists identify types of frog, gecko and bat that are completely new to science, and adventurer Steve Backshall has to live and sleep underground as he explores a cave system flooded with white water.
“The cameras follow the team every sweaty step of the way as they search for the evidence that may help preserve this last great jungle forever,” said the preview.

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I have watched the BBC documentary on Mt Bosavi and I must say I was quite impressed with the discoveries of the new species of animals (fauna) and plants (flora) found within and around Mt Bosavi. Certainly we must make every effort to protect these species. The documentary also highlighted a disturbing extent to which logging operations have had within that area. If care is not taken by the Government of Papua New Guinea in controlling these logging operations, most of these unique species both discovered as well as those that are yet to be discovered will be lost forever. Below are two video clips on Mt Bosavi by the BBC. [John B Nirenga].

(For more clips visit the BBC Lost Land of the Volcano webpage http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mqjx2 or on their Youtube website http://www.youtube.com/user/BBC )

Video Clip1: Giant Rat found in Mt Bosavi's Extinct Volcanic Crater

Video Clip2: Birds of Paradise