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Track authority threatens to close Kokoda Trail
By SHEILA LASIBORI
A DAWN service in remembrance of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers
(ANZAC) scheduled for Wednesday in Oro Province may be in jeopardy after
landowners threatened to close the famous Kokoda Trail.
Deputy chairman of the Kokoda Track Authority Norris Selu told The
National the track will be closed due to alleged delays by Government
authorities to address the authority’s set of demands.
The six demands among others, include the call for the National
Government to divert about K3.4 million that it allocated to the
National Cultural Commission for the Kokoda Track Development Project to
the authority.
Landowner representatives from Kovelo village and the Kokoda plantation
Benson Gadova, Kae Naini and Faola Legui in a joint statement said they
“unanimously agreed” to close the track from further trekking activities
until their demands were addressed by the National Government.
The other five demands are that the National Government “immediately
provide budgetary support to the Kokoda Track Authority to fund its
operations”; all porter and guide rates to be reviewed and increased;
all guesthouses and camp site rates to be reviewed and increased; and,
the programme manager of the authority (named) officially apologise to
the people of Kokoda for alleged defamatory remarks made in an
“uncensored forum.”
The authority also demands that the tour operations and their trekkers
observe the authority’s decision to close the track in order to avoid
any inconveniences caused as a result of the demands to the National
Government.
It is understood several dignitaries including veterans from overseas
are in the country for the dawn service, which takes place annually at
Isurava battlefield monument in Kokoda, Oro province.
Mr Selu said the authority had on numerous occasions contacted the
appropriate Government agencies and departments regarding their demands
but to date, nothing had happened causing frustrations among the
landowners.
He said the only thing left to do was to close the track and allow
negotiations to take place.
 
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