Salamaua sends out distress call as sea levels rise

THE Salamaua area in the Huon Gulf district is sending out an SOS for assistance as it gives in slowly to rising sea levels.
The indigenous Kela and Laugui people fear that negligence by successive governments to develop and safeguard the area would do more harm to them.
The area boasts countless war relics from firearms to huge bombs dropped from WWII  planes, the first New South Wales (the forerunner to Westpac) Bank branch in the country, and the first China Town outside of Port Moresby.
The famous Salamaua Point’s strip has receded and is now roughly 10m in width, less than half its size 20 years ago.
Metal and concrete slabs that were used as a seawall now lie strewn all over the strip.
Member for Huon Gulf and HIV-AIDS Minister Sasa Zibe and Morobe Luther Wenge last Sunday toured the strip and were astounded to see the damage done by the rising sea.
Mr Wenge said he would present a petition in the March parliament session to build a Salamaua sea wall to
preserve the historical sites.