Govt for timber plant

 THE Government will go to court to set aside an order stopping the development of the East Pangia forest management area in the Southern Highlands, a cabinet minister said.  

Forest Minister Patrick Pruaitch told Parliament yesterday that Madang Timbers was to develop the forest project by building the first downstream processing plant but was stopped due to the court order.

He said a landowner group, convinced by the carbon trade, took the decision about developing the forest project to court.

However, he said the National Forestry Authority would apply to the court to set aside that order stopping the progress of the project.

Pruaitch was responding to questions from Southern Highlands Governor William Powi who wanted to know why the project had not progressed after all requirements had been met.

Powi also wanted to know if the Government had any plans to do a social mapping of the project areas and if it was going to fast-track the processing plant project as they had waited for almost two years.

Pruaitch said the Government was serious about fast-tracking the project which would make it the first to move into downstream processing.

He also said re-forestation levies from timber project were for project areas but provinces which did not come from project areas could access the climate-change adoption funds that would be put in place.

NCD Governor Powes Parkop had asked if it could apply for funds through the reforestation levy fund.