Clans close Kokoda Track

THE popular Kokoda Track was shut off on Sunday by disgruntled landowners over what they say was the failure by the Government to respond to their demands within 10 working days from Jan 23.
PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) chief executive Jerry Agus, in an email on Monday, advised all tour operators in PNG and Australia that TPA was in the process of liaising with the landowners who were blocking the track, to get them to
meet with Government representatives to resolve matter.
“We hope that this does not go beyond this week and we will try our utmost best to rectify this situation as soon as possible,” Agus said.
The Kokoda Track is a historic World War Two heritage of PNG and Australia.
The landowners, after shutting down the track, have also made their intentions known that they will push ahead to try to negotiate for the prospective Kokoda Mine, which they had given up in 2008 in order to protect and preserve the environment and the wartime heritage.