Source: Caroline Tiriman, Radio Australia

Heve ol papa graun long Papua New Guinea i wok long stap insait aninit long ol Special Agriculture Business Leases blong gavman oa SABL, ol i autim gen long wol iken harim.

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Papua New Guinea NGO says a large rainforest summit in Australia failed to discuss the urgent threats facing PNG rainforests.

Act Now's comment follows an Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit in Sydney this month, which was hosted by the Australian Government.

A spokesperson for the NGO, Eddie Paine, who attended the summit, says the meeting was a complete disappointment from a Pacific perspective.

He says there were no Pacific Island speakers and the issue of illegal logging in PNG was not discussed.

Forest Minister Douglas Tomuriesa needs to ensure all logging in SABL areas is immediately stopped says community activist group, ACT NOW!

This follows assurances from the Minister that 74 Special Agriculture and Business Lease that were illegally obtained have been revoked and customary landowners would retain their land.

The National Court has issued a restraining order stopping any forest logging operations by Rimbunan Hijau in two controversial Special Agriculture and Business Lease areas in the Pomio district of East New Britain.

The orders have been obtained by landowners from Portions 196C and 197C who claim the SABLs were obtained by fraud and forgery and without their consent and without following the proper processes under the Lands Act. 

The Bob Brown Foundation and the Australian Forests and Climate Alliance (AFCA) today held a demonstration outside the Asia Pacific Rainforest Summit. Lorraine Bower from AFCA said that while the groups welcome the Summit on protecting rainforests taking place at a regional level, it is disappointed in the Australian government’s performance in protecting rainforests at home and in our region.

Source: Radio Australia

Several Papua New Guineans who travelled to Australia for the Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit say little attention was paid to PNG or the Pacific.

The Summit is billed as a get-together of ministers from forest nations, donor countries, corporate leaders and NGOs with a focus on practical action to reduce forest loss.

Despite public statements to the contrary, the PNG government is failing to take meaningful action to address the SABL crisis that is harming its people and environment…

Source: Global Witness via PNGExposed

Summary

The Asia Pacific Rainforest Summit being hosted this week by the Australian Government, must address the serious problems of land grabbing and illegal logging in Papua New Guinea and the rampant corruption that underpins them, says community activist group, ACT NOW!

Australia is the largest single beneficiary of rampant and unsustainable logging and land grabbing in Papua New Guinea, according to leading community activist group, ACT NOW!

Source: Post Courier

Letter of the Day

SABL stands for Special Purpose Agriculture Business Lease.

The acronym SABL speaks for itself.

Any educated person would reason, without having any prior knowledge of the concept, that such a lease has something to do with agriculture, and not forestry.