Kokoda Track reopens after Agarobe talks

AFTER two weeks of closure as disgruntled Kokoda Track villagers in Central complained about poor benefits, the track reopened late on Thursday.
But that came with a condition, which was agreed to – to review within three months the way Kokoda Track was being run.
Central Governor Robert Agarobe was the key negotiator and he was at the reopening of the track at Depo, just before Sogeri National High School.
“Now that we have opened the track, we can turn that into a better product,” Agarobe said.
Prior to that, Agarobe visited the inland mountainous areas of Kagil, Naduri, Efogi and Manari.
These are Koiari inland villages where Kokoda Track trampers pass through as they hike the infamous historical war track to Isurava in Northern.
The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels did their humanitarian lifesaving acts 75 years ago there and the Kokoda Track itself has become a popular ecotourism and multimillion kina product.
Villagers along the track argued that they had not seen tangible benefits reaching their villages or impacting their socio economic lives.
Despite millions of kina being pumped in through the Kokoda Track Authority, Kokoda Initiative, Kokoda Track Foundation and the involvement of government entities like Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority (CEPA), the villagers remain as poor “porters”, earning little from ferrying goods for trekkers, they argued.
They told Agarobe they wanted better deals and benefits.
Agarobe has challenged the people to be smart and innovative in creating products that tourists would use when they passed through their villages.
“The only thing we’ve gained from the track is being carriers and we’ve done that many years ago,” he said.
“I have assured my people from now on there will always be good consultation with everyone that’s involved.”