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Proposed logging project felled
By SHEILA LASIBORI
THE future of a proposed logging project in Oro province was felled
after the National Forest Service found that there was never a Timber
Authority (TA) issued for logging on a particular land.
The portion of land, portions 136 and 137, named Milinch in Murua at
Collingwood Bay in the Wanigela area in Tufi district has been deemed
State land, where the proposed logging is to take place.
Spokesman for a group of landowners in the area Christian Maravis told
The National they became suspicious of a company – Aisor Development
Corporation – which moved into the area in recent months claiming that
it had the authority from the Forest Service to log the area.
Mr Maravis called on two men (named) from the company to show that they
were holding a legal timber permit and land title documents on portions
136 and 137.
National Forest Service’s Southern regional inspector Steven Tomiyavau
said there was never a TA given to any company, group or individual to
log in the particular portions of land.
“We are treating that activity as illegal,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Lands Title Commission division at the Lands Department
has confirmed that portions 136 and 137 were State land.
But the officers said they wanted to investigate the area, especially
involving the portions of land in question, before they could establish
if any title or permit had been given to anyone to conduct logging
activities on the land.
Mr Maravis had been advised to write to the Lands Secretary for the
matter to be looked at quickly.
Mr Tomiyavau confirmed the area was an untouched forest filled with
plants of all sorts.
He said the dominant species of trees growing wild in the area was the
Burkella species, which included Taun and Mersawa, good wood for
furniture and indoor items.
Officers from the Southern region forest office will be visiting the
area soon.
 
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