PNG Eco-Forestry Forum

Supporting integrated rural community development and sustainable resource use through a viable and sustainable eco-forestry industry

New amendments to Forestry Law legitimize illegal and unsustainable logging

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December 7, 2007 Two sets of amendments to the Forestry Act 1991 were passed by Parliament last week without debate:

- Forestry (Amendment) Act, 2007 and the
- Forestry (Timber Permits Validation) Act 2007.

The Forum does not believe these Acts are good for PNG as they legitimizes illegal and unsustainable logging

We call on the Speaker of Parliament not to certify the Acts because
The Forestry Act 1991 was introduced to combat illegal and unsustainable logging and corruption revealed in the Barnett Inquiry. In order to ensure sustainable logging (and protect constitutional principles) a National forest Inventory and National Forest Plan were to underpin all forestry operations.

• The Inventory has never been done in the intervening 16 years and the 1996 National Forest Plan was fundamentally flawed. All this has been revealed in current court cases instituted by the Forum challenging the illegal allocation of logging rights for East Awin and Kamula Doso forest concessions.

• The new laws overturn the 1991 reforms and now allow illegal and unsustainable logging to continue. They also ignore the recommendations of the International Tropical Timber Organisation on achieving sustainable forest management in Papua New Guinea

The Forum describes the new laws as a CRIMINAL DISGRACE and we are also calling for: 1. An Ombudsman investigation 2. A constitutional challenge 3. All those involved in drafting these new laws to resign

The Forest Minister and the Prime Minister must explain to the people of PNG why they are selling out our forests at the lowest possible price. It is our view that such a move by government is nothing more than a cover up of the mess that is already apparent in the forest industry and further opens doors for bending and manipulation of the laws of this country.