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Other Issues

Other Issues Photo this page, Serra 'township.' Low quality timber buildings, rusting roof iron and rapidly deteriorating untreated power poles characterise this logging camp. The infrastructure and creation of a township promised in the Project Agreement has never eventuated.

font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">4.3.1. Serra Township

On the eastern end of the Vanimo Timber Area a township called Serra was meant to be developed by VFP. From the Project Agreement:

Section 4.4 (b) The Company shall, at its own cost, establish a new township near Serra in the east coast. The location of the new township will be in close proximity to the proposed airstrip and wharf to be constructed by the Company.

The Project Agreement also stipulated that infrastructure including roads, school classrooms, housing and recreational facilities, such as a soccer field, basketball court, rugby field and tennis court, be developed in Serra. To date, very few of these facilities exist. Most of what does exist in Serra is illustrated in Figure 22.

Serra 'township.'

Figure 22. Serra 'township.' Low quality timber buildings, rusting roof iron and rapidly deteriorating untreated power poles characterise this logging camp. The infrastructure and creation of a township promised in the Project Agreement has never eventuated.

The buildings that have been built for employees are poorly constructed with low-grade timber and poor quality roofing iron that rapidly rusts. Toilet facilities are basic pits while the promised sewerage, garbage disposal and other infrastructure are still nonexistent. Furthermore, the influx of workers and their families has increased the number of children in the nearby schools. After eight years of inaction, a petition to the Provincial Government and a stop work day forced VFP to sign a supplemental agreement (Infrastructure Agreement Relating to Serra - 5th of January 1999). During this survey the school upgrade was ongoing and the construction of a health clinic about to commence. Nevertheless, Serra is still only accessible by boat, as the 'East West Highway' and feeder roads have not been completed and there are no regular flights to the dilapidated airstrip.


4.3.2. Questionable and Illegal Activities

Most of the VFP workforce are Papua New Guineans from outside of Sandaun Province or foreign nationals (particularly Malaysian). Little effort has been expended by VFP to properly train local people for skilled or technical positions within the company. On the contrary, a constant turnover of unskilled labour from villages in each logging area and a core workforce, which has no allegiance to the landowners, has ensured that the Vanimo Timber Area is firmly controlled by VFP.

VFP operated from June 1997 until May 1999 without an Environmental Officer. This may have explained some of the negligent logging practices that were observed during this survey. However, even now that the company does have an Environmental Officer they do not provide the him with a vehicle and therefore the officer does not have the ability to investigate landowner grievances or enforce the LCP.

The WTK Reality Group, through VFP, owns several businesses in Vanimo. Most importantly, the company owns the only hotel in Vanimo. This hotel recoups much of the money distributed to the community via alcohol, gambling and prostitutes. It has also been suggested that free access to these facilities is used as a powerful bargaining tool by VFP to influence important people.

During interviews with people in government offices and church organisations it was often reported that VFP bribed national and provincial government officials, police and landowner spokesmen to ensure that the logging operations continued even though VFP had not abided by the Project Agreement or the LCP. It was widely recognised that police, forestry officials and landowner spokesmen were given free diesel and presents, such as video recorders, to keep them loyal to VFP. Furthermore, police have been regularly used to protect the interests of VFP. Numerous villagers spoke of how they had been arrested or threatened by police after demonstrating against particular logging practices or disagreeing with a VFP official.

Log transport ships from Malaysia regularly arrive and depart from Vanimo. When they arrive some crews sell radios, watches and other goods to the customs officer and people from VFP. By avoiding sales taxes the crew members undercut local store owners who pay tax. When the ships depart with their log cargo they often smuggle out illegally caught Birds of Paradise and New Guinea Pigeons to be sold in Asian markets. Furthermore, while this survey was being conducted foreign nationals were attempting to bribe Forestry officials to reveal the location of Gaharu (Acquilaria phillaris) stands in the Vanimo Timber Area. Gaharu was previously unknown in PNG and has only recently been discovered, but the oil extracted from the wood is highly sought after in Arab and Asian countries. Gaharu oil is reportedly used medicinally or as a perfume or deodorant as its fragrance persists for a long period of time. The smuggling of Gaharu out of PNG is a recent occurrence but with the highest grade of oil currently fetching around 300 Kina per kilogram it will be a difficult trade to suppress.


4.3.3. Women's Issues

Some of the important issues concerning women have already been discussed in other sections. One of the primary problems for women in the Vanimo area is finding clean water to drink and to process sago in. Problems associated with collecting enough protein could be solved if women were given more access to the royalties from logging. Under customary law woman have the same rights to logging royalties as men, yet few women come forward to collect royalties due to a complex array of cultural reasons. As a result, many men develop an attitude that logging royalties are free money that can be spent by them on whatever they want, often to the detriment of their family. Money that could be used to purchase alternative protein sources after forest foods are destroyed by logging is more often spent on alcohol, gambling or a new car. The increase in alcohol consumption has also resulted in a parallel rise in domestic violence. Women and children are the main victims of such attacks. Church leaders also report that adultery and the use of prostitutes are becoming more common. Indeed, some medical staff report that sexually transmitted diseases are more frequently seen and court officials suggest that the divorce rate has significantly risen since the logging operation commenced.

No local women are employed by VFP and there are no women in the Provincial Government. The company and the government generally ignore the concerns of women in the Vanimo Timber Area because they lack the money and power to be heard.