ABC television Lateline:

By Luana Paniu

The Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Lease (SPABL) Inquiry scheduled to be heard in Popondetta has been deferred. This is due to bridges washed away by last week’s floods damage.

The Girua bridge, which links Oro Bay to Popondetta town was washed away in 2007 by flood waters of Cyclone Guba disaster and since then, people had resorted to using the Girua crossing into Popondetta.

A case study on land grab and deforestation in PNG was launched today (Wednesday), by the Accra Caucus on Forest and Climate Change. The study carried out by the PNG Eco Forestry Forum, highlights logging through SABLs are main drivers for deforestation in PNG, while REDD+ is expected to protect the forest and environment

Since the commencement of the Commission of Inquiry (“the Commission”) into the granting of the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Lease (“SABL”) a number of anomalies have become apparent, one of which has concerned the Land Investigation Report (“LIR”). An SABL cannot be granted unless an investigation is carried out on the parcel of land for which the SABL is sought. The LIR is an important pre-requisite for the granting of the SABL.

By Luana Paniu

One man and his daughter are the sole shareholders of a Gulf Province landowner company that holds vast tracts of forests purportedly on behalf of their clansmen, reports the Post Courier.

The SABL Commission of Inquiry was further astounded to learn the two-person company does not have any existing files with the Department of Lands and Physical Planning under the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases.

The Commission of Inquiry (“the Commission”) into the issuance of the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SABL) for the Gulf Province began in Port Moresby today (Monday 28/11/2011).

Lawyer Alois Jerewai is familiar with the buzz of mosquitoes and the sweet aroma and taste of ‘saksak’, the staple of every sago loving ‘saki’ in PNG, reports the Post Courier.

Mr Jerewai, from Sepik, has also heard that famous folksy ‘saki’ tune made famous by the Hollie Maea band many times.

So when it finally lured him to Kerema, the little ‘yu yet kam na lukim’ river port west of Port Moresby, Mr Jerewai thought the Gulf provincial capital deserves better.

By Deborah Moses

The Commission of Inquiry into Special Purpose Agricultural and Business Leases (SABL) in the Western Province has heard more damning evidence of local landowners losing their land to conniving loggers without their knowledge, reports the Post Courier.

Commissioner Nicholas Mirou is hearing into SABLs granted for land portions 27c, 1c and 14c in the North Fly District where tragic tales of land loss similar to cases recorded in West Pomio and New Hanover are emerging.

Papua New Guinea's land grab is part of a global phenomina that is being resisted by indigenous people across the planet. The fight against land-grabbing is a fight against capitalism, neoliberalism and a destructive economic model. 

Nyeleni, November 19, 2011