Source: The National

THE National Court in Waigani has issued an interim order restraining an oil palm company operating in Northern from transporting any equipment, material or property into the Collingwood Bay area. 

Landowners successfully obtained the restraining order last week.

Governor Gary Juffa yesterday congratulated the landowners for their persistence in pursuing what he suspected was an illegal Special Agriculture Business Lease in the province. 

He told reporters in Port Moresby that the provincial government had stood by the landowners in their fight against illegal logging and development projects, which had not been endorsed by the provincial government and were against the wishes of the majority of landowners. 

“In the instance of Collingwood Bay, substantial illegal logging under the guise of agricultural projects has already been undertaken by several companies prior to 2012,” he said. 

“The companies with the assistance of certain individuals claiming to represent landowners logged vast areas on the pretext of undertaking tree farming and agriculture projects after obtaining permission through the departments of Forestry, Lands and Agriculture through the SABL saga.

“The so called developers fled soon after they had logged tracts of land in that area despite the opposition of landowners from Collingwood Bay.”

Juffa said the most recent case was the one which involved the Asian-owned oil palm company.

He said the company moved into the area despite restrictions from the national court and in defiance of the provincial government and landowners.