By Luana Paniu



People of remote Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Lease sites have the opportunity to air their grievances over proposed projects with potential environment risk but judging from the number of environmental issues surfacing, this has not been happening, reports the Post Courier.

Acting Secretary for Environment and Conservation, Dr Wari Iamo, clarified the processes and procedures within his department when appearing before the Commission of Inquiry last week.


He explained that this is especially true for proposed projects that have a high degree of environment risk which will require a submission of an Environment Inception Report (EIR).


Dr Iamo explained that this was then made public through the use of the media for a public hearing and road show where if process was followed properly would take up to 90 days.


He said the proposed projects were assessed by Environment Protection Wing who decide whether the activity was classified as Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3, the latter having potential of environmental risk.


Under Section 90 of the Forest Act, Large Scale forest Clearance is regarded as a level 3 activity under the Environment Act which is a clearance of natural forests for agriculture or other land use for road line clearance and where the area involved is greater then 50 hectares.
 He said Level three required an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be carried out as part of the EIR to identify various environment issues specified in the EIA such as;


The purpose of the development, viability, description of the proposed activity and receiving environment that it will impact, potential impact and waste minimisation identified which should devise a waste management plan.


Dr Iamo said it was at this stage that his department had to work closely with the Department of Lands and Physical Planning, the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and the PNG Forest Authority to identify the proponents.


“This is the only time we communicate with each other,” he said.


He said the EIR is then evaluated through different divisions of his departments to be approved which includes his office and then the Secretary’s office before being passed to the Environment Protection Wing.


The Inquiry resumes today at 9.30am.