Protest at new PNG logging rules

By Ana Kailis

BRISBANE -- On August 9, 30 people picketed the Papua New Guinea consulate in protest of the Timber Supply Agreement (TSA), soon to be ratified by the PNG government. The picket was organised by the Rainforest Action Group and the Lismore and Gold Coast Rainforest Information Centres.

According to Sophie Davis from the Lismore Rainforest Information Centre “TSA will break the country into 25 areas. Each area will be given to one particular company and they will be allowed to log 90% of that area. Ten percent, the slopes which are too steep to log anyway, will be set aside for `environmental purposes'.”

Davis told Green Left Weekly that one Malaysian Company already controls 86% of logging exports. The TSA will ensure that foreign corporations will receive favourable benefits at the expense of PNG landowners.

“The decision by the PNG government to proceed with the TSA disregards the initiatives of the landowners including butterfly and insect farming and wokabout sawmills where landowners mill mature trees to maximise timber utilisation and minimise the adverse environmental impact.”

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