One of the commando’s who accompanied the bodies home on the RAAF Hercules is the son of one of my army mates – he is just 24 years of age and has just completed his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He has trekked Kokoda twice with us over the past couple of years – those who were fortunate enough to share the experience with him will agree you will never meet a finer young Australian.  He was in the helicopter behind the one that went down on that fateful night.  It was their last operation against the Taliban  - they were three minues from their home base – and only three weks from their loved ones back home.  It was incredibly traumatic for those in the second helicopter who tried their best to save their mates as they are such a close knit professional team.  Next time you hear some chicken-heart bleating about our troops in Afghanistan you might refer them to Sam’s letter below:

Dear Reader,The 10 days which followed have changed my life. They have afforded me the opportunity to become acquainted with the most exemplary group of people one could meet. The group I refer to is the 2nd Commando Unit of Australia’s Army to which the three fallen soldiers belonged.

On the 21st June 2010 a helicopter went down in Afghanistan and Australia lost three of its finest young people. One of those I am proud to have been able to call a friend. He also happened to be the son of good friends. Quite simply he was the finest young person I have known.

On the 21st June 2010 a helicopter went down in Afghanistan and Australia lost three of its finest young people. One of those I am proud to have been able to call a friend. He also happened to be the son of good friends. Quite simply he was the finest young person I have known.

On Saturday 26th June my children and I attended the ramp ceremony where the bodies of the soldiers were returned to their families. Accompanying the bodies on the plane back from Afghanistan were the remaining members of the unit, brought home earlier than scheduled.

The dignity and solemnity of this occasion triggered emotion in all who attended but the overriding feeling in the aircraft hanger on that day can be summed up by just one word – “respect”.

At the end of proceedings I met and talked with a number of the commandos of that unit. The common thread of those talks is that Afghanistan is where they all want to be assigned. It is where they can put their training into use. It is a cause they believe in. It is where they think they can make a difference.

On Thursday 1st July I attended the funeral of that fine young man in his hometown. Over 1000 people were present, including immediate family and friends, military chiefs, political heads of our nation, and many people with whom his loss resonated.

However this was truly a ceremony about the “commando family”, made up of the commandos and their direct family.   It was the commandos who provided the guard of honour; it was they who carried their fallen mate’s casket; and it was they who grieved deeply.

The strength and support shown by these same men to the bereaved family has been astonishing and something difficult for those outside this unique group to comprehend. It was this commando family that had people flown in immediately to offer emotional support and to take care of every detail of the funeral. They did this because they too had been to Afghanistan. They understood; they cared; and they had respect for the sacrifice involved. Equally the young man’s family has accepted its loss with dignity and courage in the knowledge that their son’s death had meaning and purpose.

So who are these people called commandos? They are young Australians from all walks of life and from varying ethnic backgrounds. They are dedicated, confident, highly trained and highly disciplined people who take enormous pride in their role as elite soldiers. When not on overseas postings they work in Australia on counter terrorism activities to keep our country safe. They also train constantly to ensure their skills are up to speed at all times.

In combat their body armour, rifle, ammunition and water weigh in at 35 kilograms yet on top of that they carry their backpack. Carrying more than their actual body weight, they jump out of planes. They endure privations that most could not envision.

Amongst the commandos I had the pleasure to meet was a 34 year old father of two whose back is so worn out that he will have no choice but to resign at year’s end. Another is recovering from serious injury and at a mere 29 years of age realises he also will have to leave. Yet another is walking around with grenade fragments in the back of his head as a result of an accident on the range. The first medic to the scene of his accident was the young man whose funeral he had attended earlier that day.

The inspiration for me to pen these words is not so much the commandos themselves for I know they seek no recognition. It is rather the fact that it is illegal for them to be photographed or even identified in the media as a commando. That is, while they are alive. Out of the 16 Australian soldiers lost in Afghanistan, 12 have been commandos.

Everyday Australians therefore have no idea who these people are. These people who die for us; who suffer life-long disabilities for us; who protect us from sinister influences within our very own borders.

In an age when we idolise so-called celebrities – TV performers, sports people, actors – I pose the question “where have we gone wrong?”

On a personal level it is this commando family that has inspired me to strive to do better, to put in more effort for those in need in our society, and to focus less on material wants.
On a national level is it not time we started to redress the unhealthy pastime of idolising those who are simply working at what they enjoy and who happen to feature on our television screens or in the media?

Is it not time for more of our young people to work harder in pursuit of their own goals and to pay more respect to the teachers and elders who endeavour to help them?

Is it not time for families to work harder at developing a work ethic for themselves and their children in order to make a better contribution to our country?

Is it not time for older Australians to work harder for those less fortunate and for all Australians to show more respect to each other regardless of their heritage?

I have met my heroes. They will hereafter be my inspiration. But I can’t tell you who they are.Sam Halvorsen 67 Grandview Drive, Coolum Beach QLD. Tel. 07 5471 6644

During the last week two trekkers died on the Kokoda Trail, a couple more were evacuated by helicopter and fourteen went down with food poisoning.  Yesterday a campsite that took years to build at Ofi Creek was burned to the ground over an argument between two landowners.

Land disputes now block the wartime trail over the ‘golden staircase’ and Iorabaiwa Ridge – the closest the Japanese army got to Port Moresby in 1942.

The Kokoda Trail, which held so much potential as a model for sustainable eco-tourism in Papua New Guinea is beginning to choke on its own success.

For 50 years after the end of the war in the Pacific the track lay dormant and reverted to its original purpose of providing a link between villages.  Battlesites were slowly reclaimed by the jungle and new tracks were cut as easier pathways were discovered.  The bodies of diggers missing in action were covered in layers of leaves and mulch by Mother Nature. Their rifles, grenades and bayonets were left to rust in peace. 

Former Prime Minister, Paul Keating jolted our consciousness of the Kokoda campaign when he kissed the ground on the Kokoda plateau on the 50^th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign.  Inquisitive Australian trekkers began to prise open the jungle shielding the forgotten battlefields in search of the meaning of Kokoda.

Up till then Gallipoli was our most significant meeting place. 

But Kokoda is different.  According to one commentator, ‘at Gallipoli we fought for Britain and lost – at Kokoda we fought for Australia and won!’

The Federal Government has been slow to embrace the significance of military history to a generation that has been denied information by the custodians of education curricula from the academic left.  Fortunately these ideological censors have since been circumvented by the information revolution.  Young and old Australians can now do their own research in their quest to know more about our military history. 

Kokoda is an important bridge in the knowledge gap between what we don’t know and what we should have been taught.  It is also one of the few opportunities where people can walk in the footsteps of the brave and experience the conditions under which our veterans fought and died. 

The recent deaths and the number of evacuations are testimony to the hazardous nature of the trek across the remote, jungle clad mountains of the Owen Stanley Ranges.  Empty weapon pits surrounding overgrown defensive positions are haunting reminders of the epic struggle for survival between young men in the prime of their lives.  A shrill chorus from unseen ‘6 o’clock crickets’ pierces the stillness of the jungle each night.  It is almost as if they are sounding their ‘last post’ as a tribute to the memory of young Australian, Japanese and New Guinea men sent to do the bidding of their political masters.

A recent proposal to mine part of the track in the vicinity of the Maguli Range created a storm of protest.  The Federal Government was prompted into action and immediately plucked a figure of $15.9 million out of the air to assist Papua New Guinea to have the Owen Stanley Ranges placed on the World Heritage List.  A noble but misguided over-reaction in a land of a thousand cultures with customary land ownership.

Since then a veritable army of ‘experts’ have consumed most of the budget allocation through conferences, committees and consultants.  Pioneering trekking companies have been treated with some disdain because they are regarded as profiteers with conflicts of interest.  Never mind the relationships and trust many have established with villagers over almost two decades.

They seem oblivious to the fact that villagers along the track are earning more money than ever before through campsite fees, donations and wages.  They are blissfully unaware of the environmental and cultural damage they are causing by focusing on  ‘feel-good’ projects along the track. 

A partnership with the PNG Department of Community development to trial their Community Learning Development Centre concept has considerable merit but has been ignored to date. The concept involves the development of trust between clans, investment in community health and education, and the exploration of ways to add value to partnerships.  A PNG concept for PNG citizens might not sit well with our bureaucrats in the Department of Environment but it should be given a shot and the Minister, Dame Carol Kidu, should at least be consulted.

The Kokoda Trail is now a honey-pot attracting clans from distance villagers trying to cash in on the trekking industry.  Pristine jungle is being cleared for campsites, toilets are being sited on waterways and disputes are becoming the order of the day. 

We need to rethink our strategy and focus on the development of the abundance of human capital in PNG.  They are masters of their environment and would be willing partners in the protection of our military heritage in the lost battlefields of the Pacific War.

Article published in www.ThePunch.com.au – 8 August 2009

We do not the cause of death of those who died. We do not know how many have been evacuated, or why, because nobody keeps any records.

Perhaps it is time to question the effectiveness of the Kokoda Track Authority which is supposed to be the management agency for the Kokoda Trail. Australians have been in-situ for more than two years under a Joint Australian-PNG Agreement developed to protect the Kokoda Trail from mining and logging claims.

Since Australia signed the Joint Agreement in April last year there has been a veritable congo-line of consultants and bureaucrats visiting villages, some by foot and some by helicopter, to find out what the problems are and how they can be fixed. After two years and a couple of million dollars we are having about as much success as we are with our own indigenous communities.

‘Feel-good’ projects are the order of the day. We currently have ‘volunteer teams’ digging steps along the trail – unbelievable but true!

We are planning to build bridges across creeks for local people who have been building bridges for thousands of years – unbelievable but true!

We have developed an ineffectual and unenforceable ‘Code of Conduct’ for Trek Operators that looks great on paper – but that’s all! The list goes on.

Since the time Australia has had a presence in PNG under the Joint-Agreement there has not been a single survey to find out why trekkers go to Kokoda or to see how they would like it developed.

There has not been a single workshop in villages along the trail to see what local landowners and clan leaders like and dislike about the increasing numbers of trekkers passing through their villages – and what improvements they would like to see happen.

There is not a single management protocol yet in place for trekking Kokoda. For example an unfit, overweight smoker with a serious heart and lung condition could apply for a trek permit today and it would be granted – as long as he paid his $100 trek fee. He would not be required to provide a medical clearance, a trek itinerary or even engage a local guide. Unbelievable but true!

Any person can be a trek operator. There is no need for them to have any experience in expedition leadership, any qualifications in emergency First Aid, or to carry any medical or communications equipment. Unbelievable but true!

Any attempt to develop community enterprises along the Kokoda Trail should be done in partnership with the PNG Department of Community Development. Nobody has yet consulted with the Minister, Dame Carol Kidu MP, or her department to discuss the issue and opportunities for local community development.  Unbelievable but true!

The approach thus far seems to be based on the fact that Australian bureaucrats and consultants know best!

After the latest death on the trail this approach needs to be challenged and those who have been assigned to the Kokoda Track Authority should be charged with the responsibility for developing proper management systems for Kokoda Trail operations.

If trek operators were aware of the causes of recent deaths and evacuations along the trail they could develop protocols and procedures to minimise the risk of it happening again. They are currently unable to do this because they have never received any information.

The Australian Government should now instruct its representatives on the Kokoda Track Authority to withdraw from all ‘feel-good’ projects along the Kokoda Trail and indefinitely postpone any further ‘studies’ by consultants.

They should then focus on the immediate development of a proper management plan for Kokoda Trail operations and commit to a Master Memorial Plan to honour the military history of the Kokoda campaign.

The construction of conventional buildings at Owers Corner and steel wire rope swing bridges across creeks at significant battlesites is akin to desecration of the most significant symbol of our involvement in New Guinea during the Pacific War.

Whilst Australia’s assistance for the Owen Stanley Ranges to be listed as a World Heritage Area is a noble cause our commitment to the preservation of the military heritage of the Kokoda campaign is misguided. It is therefore urgent that responsibility for the development of Kokoda as a military interpretive trail be re-allocated to the Office of Australian War Graves.

This will allow the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts to focus on its area of expertise in assisting the PNG Government to achieve a world heritage listing for the Owen Stanley Range.

In the meantime the Australian Government should immediately withdraw from any planned projects between Owers Corner and Kokoda.  Any assistance should be limited to training local communities in appropriate social and community development in partnership with the PNG Department of Community Services.

Australian assistance in the short term should be restricted to the upgrade of the road between Sogeri and Owers Corner to all-weather capability and the upgrade of the Kokoda Airfield to accommodate a Dash-8 aircraft.

Owers Corner Road

The road between Sogeri and Owers Corner is a disgrace and unsafe in the wet – which is most of the time. The recent expenditure of trekkers’ fees on urgent maintenance was a waste of money and akin to a misappropriation of these funds. If anybody is half-serious about sustainable tourism in PNG then the upgrade of this road should be an urgent priority.

Kokoda Airfield

At the other end of the trail the airfield at Kokoda is also a disgrace. The terminal consists of a concrete slab with a metal roof without walls. There is virtually no seating and no toilets. The paying customer, i.e. trekkers, deserve better.

Since 2001 more than 20 thousand Australians have invested around $100 million to trek across the Kokoda Trail. The GST element of these funds would be sufficient to upgrade the road between Sogeri and Owers Corner and the airfield at Kokoda to safe and respectable standard.

The villagers between Owers Corner and Kokoda are now earning more income than ever before. More than $1 million a year is received in wages and campsite fees. The next important step is to teach them how to work together for the greater benefit of their local communities. The proper PNG agency for this work is the PNG Department of Community Services but thus far they have never been consulted or approached.

There is scope for the villagers to increase their earning potential through the maintenance of the trail in preparation for each trekking season. Such maintenance should not be contracted out, as currently planned, because local people along the trail are more than capable of completing this type of work on their land.

In the last budget the Australian Government allocated $10 million to the Office of Australian War Graves for the development of an interpretative trail in France and Belgium to honour the sacrifice of our World War 1 veterans. The work will be completed in time for the centenary of our ANZAC landings on the Gallipoli peninsula.

The Office of Australian War Graves has a proud record in regard to the development and maintenance of our war graves in foreign lands. The expertise they have, and will further attain as a result of the latest budget allocation, should be applied to the Kokoda Trail which is our World War 11 equivalent.

Conclusion

More detail is available in the following submissions which have been largely ignored this far:
http://niusleta.kokodatreks.com/documents/StrategicPlanfortheKokodaTrailNoPics_000.pdf
http://niusleta.kokodatreks.com/documents/ADiscussionPaperontheKokodaEcoTrekkingIndustryNoPics.pdf
http://niusleta.kokodatreks.com/documents/KTAReportbyPaulMitchell17November2006.pdf
http://niusleta.kokodatreks.com/documents/ManagementFramework-KokodaTrackbyPaulMitchell.pdf
http://niusleta.kokodatreks.com/documents/KTADiscussionPaperbyWarrenBartlettNovember2007.pdf

Action Required

PNG Tourism should commission a research agency to determine why people trek Kokoda and what they would like to see in regard to the future development of the Kokoda Trail.

The PNG Kokoda Track Authority should be required to develop a proper management plan for trekking operations across the Kokoda Trail. This includes the certification of trek operators and campsites, the issue of trek permits, a medical insurance plan for PNG guides and carriers, the identification of landowners, a dispute resolution system, a website that allows for trekkers to provide comment on their experience, etc.

The PNG Central and Northern Provincial Governments should provide a plan for the upgrade of the road between Sogeri and Owers Corner and the Kokoda airfield.

The PNG Department of Community Services should prepare a plan for the development of Community Learning Development Centres in villages along the trail.

The Office of Australian War Graves should commission an interpretative memorial plan for the Kokoda Trail.

The impending LNG project in PNG, together with ongoing mining operations, will create heavy demands for airlines and hotels in Port Moresby. These are already at a premium during the trekking season. Kokoda trekkers (and other adventure tourism) needs should be addressed by PNG Tourism if they wish to develop the industry on a sustainable basis.

Recommendations

1. The Office of Australian War Graves be allocated responsibility for the development of an interpretative trail between Owers Corner and Kokoda.

2. The Australian Department of Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts continue to work in partnership with the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation to achieve a World Heritage listing for the wider Owen Stanley Ranges.

3. PNG Tourism commission a study into the capacity of local airlines and hotels to meet the demand of eco-tourism.

4. The PNG Department of Community Services develop plans for the development of Community Learning Development Centres in villages along the trail.

5. The PNG Kokoda Track Authority developing a proper management plan for the Kokoda trekking industry.

6. PNG Tourism and the PNG Department of Community Services facilitate workshops in selected villagers in Central and Northern Province to determine village community needs and develop short and long term plans.

I do not know where these ‘plans’ are coming from but I do know they are being done without any consultation at all with the paying customer i.e. the trekker.

The research we have conducted with a significant number of people who have trekked with Adventure Kokoda over the past 18 years indicates that they want the track left alone. They want to trek in the footsteps of our diggers as they did it. They do not want boardwalks and bridges.

The construction of bridges at Eora Creek will desecrate one of the most significant battlesites along the Kokoda Trail. It must not be allowed to proceed in the vicinity of the battlesite. If a bridge has to be constructed because of the wish of some bureaucratic zealot it should be located at least 500 metres to the east of the current wartime crossing. It would be a relatively easy task to cut a track to a suitable crossing downstream from the battlesite to allow locals to use it if they wish.

The same principle should apply to the Goldie River, Ofi Creek and Dump 1 Crossing (I have not heard this name before but I assume they are talking about Templeton’s Crossing No 1), i.e. any permanent swing bridges should not be constructed any closer that 500 metres to the wartime track.

It beggars belief that we would want to replace the substantial log bridge that the local people have built between Efogi 2 and Naduri with a permanent swing bridge paid for by the Australian taxpayer. The crossing is not on the wartime track so it is not an issue as far as the protection of our military heritage is concerned – but it is an absolute waste of time, money and effort.

The same applies to the proposed bridge across Elome Creek between Efogi 1 and 2.

The plan for the proposed permanent swing bridges is ill-conceived and should be halted until a proper interpretative memorial plan aimed at protecting the military heritage of the Kokoda Trail is commissioned.

I appreciate the work that has been done along the Kokoda Trail in regard to providing educational and health support for villagers. Whilst nobody can argue about meeting these important needs I have serious reservations about the process used in determining who should be responsible for the work; the priorities/partnerships associated with it; and the ongoing lack of effective management for trekking operations across the Kokoda Trail.

I believe much of the work carried out thus far is a Provincial Government responsibility and is not conducive to a longer term sustainable trekking industry.

Over the past decade I have met with the PNG Secretary of the Department of Education, AusAID staff responsible for education, and Provincial Government representatives to try and identify government and community schools along the track; the numbers of teachers and students in each one; the grades being taught; and a list of the books and supplies they need. Nobody has been able to provide me with this information. We therefore go to Theodist Stationary Suppliers in Port Moresby and make an educated guess for the village school supplies we provide under our ‘Yumi Helpim Pikannini’ program.

 If AusAID, the PNG Education Department and the Central and Oro Provincial Governments could somehow work together I believe most trek operators would cooperate in ensuring the education needs of all schools along the Kokoda Trail were satisfied. This would allow our AusAID money to assist more remote villages off the track in both Provinces.

The same logic applies to health support. 

I would also like to correct the perception that the previous KTA was largely ineffective. This is an unfair slight against the Executive Officer, Warren Bartlett, who was engaged on a salary of around $12,500 p.a. During his tenure he had to manage a Board of Directors who were unqualified for their Board responsibilities and who engaged in corrupt activities. He had no staff; no office; and received no support from either the Australian or PNG Governments. He had to micro-manage all finances; personally process all applications for trek permits; personally supervise all evacuations from along the track; manage grievances from a daily queue of landowners and others seeking help. In spite of this he delivered the following community projects along the track (reference is KTA Newsletter of January 2006):

Central Province

1. Track clearing and log bridge replacement contracts – Owers’ Corner to Templeton Crossing;

2. Part re-decking bridge (Sal Army) on Owers’ Corner Road;

3. Maintenance Owers’ Corner Memorial Park;

4. Maintenance McDonalds’ Corner Memorial;

5. Maintenance Depo Memorial;

6. Supply of Lawnmowers, tools and initial 20 litres petrol to Girinumu (Owers’ Corner), Depo, Bisiatabu, Maninumu, Kagi Airstrip, Efogi Airstrip, Manari Airstrip, Naduri Airstrip;

7. Supply poultry projects (wire mesh, nails, feed, feeders, drinkers, lamp & initial kerosene and box day old chickens x 50) to Vesulogo, Launumu, Efogi (x2), Kagi, Girinumu, Manari (x3), Naduri, Kavovo School;

8. Supply medical kits to Naoro, Manari, Kagi (KTF main funding K1,000 each);

9. School sponsorships – 26 students Grades 9, 10, 11, 12 ( funded 30% KTF, 70% KTA);

10. Repair Kokoda Track VHF radios – Manari, Kagi, Manumu;

11. School supplies – Manari, Kavovo, Efogi, Naoro (KTF main funding K4000 each);

12. Water Supply materials extension of Manari and Lone water reticulation;

13. Supply sporting equipment to youth Manari and Sogeri;

14. Welfare assistance Kagi community;

15. Upgrading camp ground toilets with fibreglass or plastic toilet trunks (ongoing);

16. Supply VHF radio equipment to Owers Corner (Girinumu),and Ioribaiwa (AusAid Homdap + KTA installation costs);

17. Conduct awareness and project inspection patrols;

18. Conduct Sustainable Tourism Workshop at Efogi (funded KTF); and

19. New Signboard for Kokoda National Walking Track at Owers Corner.

Oro Province

1. Clearing and maintenance for upgrading Kokoda Airstrip for Dash 8 aircraft;

2. Kokoda Town clean up;

3. Supply of Lawnmowers, tools and initial 20 litres petrol to Kokoda Memorial Hospital, Kokoda LLG, Kovelo, Gorari Anglican Parish, Kabara Anglican Parish, Sago Anglican Parish, SDA Kokoda;

4. Repairs to Kokoda Town GenSet and supply diesel fuel;

5. Supply Drum Ovens – Isurava and Alola;

6. Supply Coffee Pulpers – Abuari, Kaele, Hagutava;

7. Supply medical kit to Alola (KTF main funding K1000 each);

8. School Supplies – Kokoda, Alola, Kovelo;

9. School sponsorships – 26 students Grades 9, 10, 11, 12 ( funded 30% KTF, 70% KTA);

10. Track Clearing and log bridge replacement contracts – Kovelo to Templeton Crossing;

11. Repair of Kokoda Track VHF radios – Kokoda, Kovelo, Felai, Abuari;

12. Assist with materials and logistics Rotary project Abuari double classroom and aidpost;

13. Supply sports equipment and shields Kokoda Urban Soccer (donated by Adventure Kokoda);

14. Water, showers and toilets improvements – Isurava Memorial Park;

15. Commence set up of Kokoda KTA office;

16. Supply poultry projects (wire mesh, nails, feed, feeders, drinkers, lamp & initial kerosene and box day old chickens x 50) to Hoi, Amanda, Aso, Savaea, Sengi, Kele Dogua, Komo, Manua;

17. Welfare assistance – Biage Community Group, Emo River Village (Malagas Foundation);

18. Supply sewing machines and materials to Mothers Groups at Fala, Dorcas, Felai Lolo, Kebara;

19. Conduct Sustainable Tourism Workshop at Kokoda in July 2005;

20. Upgrade camp ground toilets with fibreglass or plastic toilet trunks (ongoing);

21. Supply new VHF radio equipment – Hoi, Templeton Crossing (Maraba), wind turbine at Mt Fala repeater (AusAid Homdap funded + KTA installation costs);

22. Supply filing cabinet, typewrirter, office stationery to Kokoda LLG;

23. Conduct awareness and project inspection patrols;

24. Conduct Sustainable Tourism Workshop at Kokoda (funded KTA/KTF); and

25. New signboards Kokoda National Walking Track (double sided) at Kokoda Hospital gate.

This is a remarkable achievement in view of the apathy displayed by both the PNG and Australian governments during his tenure; the difficulties of working with a Board of Directors engaged in corrupt activities; a paltry salary; and a lack of qualified staff.

The Kokoda Track Plan for Sustainable Tourism

During this period a Kokoda Track Plan for Sustainable Tourism was developed by Kelvin Templeton of Templeton-Galt and Colonel David Knaggs of Davendish Management Consulting on behalf of the Kokoda Track Foundation. I commissioned the study in my capacity as Chairman of the Kokoda Track Foundation at the time. Templeton-Galt enlisted the support of Dr Stephen Wearing of the University of Technology Sydney and Paul Chatterton of the World Wide Fund for Nature in Papua New Guinea.

The process used in developing the strategic plan involved workshops with former trekkers in Sydney; villagers in Efogi and Kokoda; and government/community stakeholders in Port Moresby.

The following goals and strategies were identified as part of that process:

1. Identify, preserve and promote the military heritage values of the track, to include the development of interpretive memorials at significant locations

2. Preserve the cultural heritage of the people living along the Kokoda Track

3. Provide protection for the Kokoda Track and the Owen Stanley Range as an area of outstanding biodiversity and universal natural heritage value

4. Build capacity in local communities to empower them to effectively participate in, and support, sustainable tourism

5. Develop an integrated approach to land use management and trekking based on sustainable practices

6. Protect and sustainably manage the areas surrounding the Kokoda Track for the benefit of local communities and visitors

7. Introduce effective governance, accountability and transparency to the KTA Committee of Management

8. Implement effective management systems for LLGs and communities

9. Implement and enforce standards and codes of conduct for tour operators, employees, trekkers and host communities

10. Develop and implement training programs for people engaged in tourism-related activities

11. Adapt the Kokoda model for sustainable tourism to other areas of military historical significance in PNG

12. Build the image of the Kokoda Track as a recognised world-class eco-trekking destination

13. Ensure the financial viability of tourism along the track

14. Provide for the safety and security of visitors to the Kokoda Track.

Proposed Strategies

Implementation

Goal 1

Establish a joint AS/PNG Govt organisation to direct and manage the implementation of the plan.

Socio-Economic Development

Goal 2.1

Build capacity in local communities to empower them to effectively participate in, and support, sustainable tourism

• Educate KTA, tour operators, guides, porters and communities in sound ecotourism practices (IES Principles)

• Conduct workshops and education programs in the basic skills needed to support tourism

• Set up a leadership development program for local communities

• Diversify economic activities in communities in order to reduce dependency on tourism

• Conduct research and prepare a report on the social, environmental and recreational carrying capacity of the Track

Goal 2.2:

Develop an integrated approach to land use management and trekking based on sustainable practices

• Sponsor community representatives to participate in training courses that provide the skills necessary to manage community development projects

• Establish community operated nature reserves to show-case local flora and fauna nage community development projects

Environmental Protection

Goal 3.1

Provide protection for the Kokoda Track and the Owen Stanley Range as an area of outstanding biodiversity and universal natural heritage value

• Obtain listing for the Kokoda track and parts of the Owen Stanley Range as a World Heritage site

• Establish a research program to identify and document natural heritage values of the Owen Stanley range

• Produce interpretive materials of the natural environment for trekkers

• Conduct an environmental impact assessment of tourism on the Kokoda Track

Goal 3.2

Minimise the negative impacts of tourism

• Apply to have contiguous areas adjacent to the Track declared as Wildlife Management Areas

• Implement a ranger training and development program for local communities

• Publish guidelines for ecologically sustainable practices to be adopted by tour operators, guides, porters, local communities and trekkers

• Develop an action plan to eradicate invasive exotic plant species on the track

• Introduce a construction code to ensure new buildings, camp sites and facilities are functionally and environmentally appropriate

Cultural Heritage

Goal 4

Preserve the cultural heritage of the people living along the Kokoda Track

• Introduce community programs which nurture and promote cultural heritage

• Publish culturally sensitive design and construction principles for site developments and buildings

• Establish a monitoring and reporting system for the preservation of cultural heritage

Military Heritage

Goal 5

Identify, preserve and promote the military heritage values of the track, to include the development of interpretive memorials at significant locations

• Establish a body to oversee the preservation and promotion of the military heritage values of the Kokoda Track

• Enact appropriate legislation to protect and honour the military heritage of the Kokoda Track (e.g. World Heritage listing)

• Develop a plan for the listing, preservation and commemoration of all significant military sites along the track

• Have the track recognised as a “National Memorial Park”, owned and managed by the customary landowners

• Incorporate military history education into a porter’s/guide’s vocational training program

• Improve the standard of interpretive and commemorative facilities at appropriate sites

• Incorporate WWII re-enactments into community cultural heritage presentations

Government and Management

Goal 6

Introduce effective governance, accountability and transparency to the KTA Committee of Management

• Provide training in good governance and management for the KTA Committee of Management

• Implement effective business systems and standing operating procedures for the KTA Committee of Management

• Conduct regular external audits of accounts and reviews of procedures for the KTA

• KTA to budget for, monitor and regularly report to PNG Govt on operating costs

• Establish effective communications between KTA, LLGs, landowners and tour operators

Goal 6

Implement effective management systems for LLGs and communities

• Develop a leadership and management training program

• Prepare and implement operating procedures

Operational

Goal 7.1

Implement and enforce standards and codes of conduct for tour operators, employees, trekkers and host communities

• A Code of Conduct be developed and enforced outlining appropriate behaviour and protocols for language, litter, cultural and religious observance

• Ensure host communities compliance with guest house standards, protocols and procedures

• Implement an accreditation scheme for tour operators

• Develop and enact minimum conditions of employment for trek leaders, guides, medics and porters

• Legislate to enforce compliance with KTA requirements such as payment of trek fees, appropriate behaviour and adherence to published trek itineraries

Goal 7.2

Develop and implement training programs for people engaged in tourism-related activities

• Appoint or employ a Registered Training Authority (RTA) to establish competencies and qualifications required of KTA approved trek leaders, medics, guides and porters

• Develop and implement training programs and an accreditation scheme for leaders, medics, guides and porters

Goal 7.3

Adapt the Kokoda model for sustainable tourism to other areas in of military historical significance in PNG

• Document the Kokoda Track model

• Apply the model in other locations in the region

Promotion

Goal 8.1

Build the image of the Kokoda Track as a recognised world-class eco-trekking destination

• Develop and implement a marketing plan which identifies potential and existing markets for ecotourism

• TPA to invest 10% of its budget to promote Kokoda and spin-off destinations

• Provide a facility for trekkers and trekking operators to provide feedback on their experience

• Coordinate the marketing efforts of local trekking operators

Goal 8.2

Ensure the financial viability of tourism along the track

• Establish community cooperatives to facilitate the collection and distribution of revenues

• Introduce regional centres for micro-financing and community banking systems

• Obtain commitment from potential donors for recurrent funding to cover the costs of authorised positions on the KTA

• Secure funding for education and community development programs

Financial

Goal 9

Ensure the financial viability of tourism along the track

• Establish community cooperatives to facilitate the collection and distribution of revenues

• Introduce regional centres for micro-financing and community banking systems

• Obtain commitment from potential donors for recurrent funding to cover the costs of authorised positions on the KTA

• Secure funding for education and community development programs

Law and Order

Goal 10

Provide for the safety and security of visitors to the Kokoda Track

• Develop standards of qualifications and competencies for trek leaders, medics, guides and porters

• Implement a community policing system to provide a secure environment for trekkers

I presented a final copy of the report to the Minister for Veterans Affairs and the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, The Hon Sir Michael Somare, in April 2006. I can provide a copy of the report, together with a complete recording of all workshops conducted as part of the process to anybody interested in examining it in more detail.

Current Status

We seem to be engaging a reactive shot-gun approach to meeting community needs along the Kokoda Trail. This will undoubtedly make us – and them – feel good in the short term but it will not contribute to a sustainable trekking industry for the future.

The needs of the paying customer i.e. the trekker continue to be ignored. For example, as of 30 June 2009:

• There is no credible Trek Permit system – anybody can apply and receive a permit without any thought going into their medical preparedness to undertake such a grueling physical challenge or into their trek itinerary;

• There is no trek operator accreditation system;

• There is no campsite accreditation system;

• There is no system for trekker/villager feedback;

• There is no training and development system for village clans to ‘work together for good tourism’;

• There is no co-ordinated system for trek operators to provide educational and health support to villagers along the track; and

• There is no interpretative memorial plan;

The two major infrastructure requirements for the development of a sustainable trekking industry along the Kokoda Trail are:

• The upgrading of the gravel road between Sogeri and Owers Corner to an all-weather road; and

• The upgrading of the Kokoda airfield to enable it to accept Dash-8 aircraft.

The current expenditure of $250,000 for studies along the track (Village Livelihood Study, Track Analysis, Social Mapping, Transport Study) is an absolute waste of of time and money at this stage of the process.

The allocation of cash payments to Ward Committees will result in the money ending up in the pockets of a few. A fairer system of distribution would be to throw it out the back of a plane as it flew across a village!  Untied aid has been an abject failure in PNG.

The expenditure of A$33,000 trek fees to repair the road between Sogeri and Owers Corner is wrong. This is a Provincial Government responsibility. The Australian government should work in partnership with the PNG Government and Central Province to ensure it is capable of providing safe passage for trekkers. The amount of repair work that will be achieved with this small amount of money will not last for more than one week after completion – or less if it rains.

The Australian and PNG Governments are receiving a windfall from trekking across Kokoda. Since 2002 more than 20,000 people have trekked Kokoda. Their total expenditure would be in excess of A$100 million. This translates to a GST payment of more than $10 million. In return for this the paying customer, i.e. the trekker, has to negotiate a dangerous road to get to the start of the track; they do not have a single environmental toilet to poop into during their trek; and the condition of the Kokoda airfield does not inspire confidence.

At the moment there is a joint bureaucratic industry developing around the Kokoda Trail but the needs of the trekker, and the landowners across the track, continue to be ignored.  These issues were addressed in a Discussion Paper distributed in September 2007.  It can be viewed at:

http://niusleta.kokodatreks.com/documents/ADiscussionPaperontheKokodaEcoTrekkingIndustryNoPics.pdf

Recommendations

1. Adopt the Kokoda Track Strategic Plan as a blueprint for engaging villages communities, establishing future partnerships, developing a co-ordinated plan for sustainable trekking operations, and monitoring progress.

2. Restrict  Australian funding for the Kokoda Development Program to the upgrading of the road between Sogeri – Owers Corner and the upgrading of the Kokoda airfield to Dash-8 aircraft standard;

2. Conduct village workshops in the Koiari and Orokaiva sections of the Kokoda Trail at the beginning and end of each trekking season to determine needs, set objectives, develop partnerships and conduct reviews;

3. Conduct stakeholder workshops in Port Moresby;

4. Commission a Master Interpretative Memorial Plan for the entire Kokoda Trail;

5. Develop and implement a proper Management Plan for Kokoda trekking operations;

6. Develop a plan to co-ordinate assistance from Kokoda Trek Operators in regard to the delivery of health and education support to villages across the Kokoda Trail; and

7. Develop a plan in partnership with local landowners to construct bridges from bush materials and safety hand-rails from bush materials where requried.  Other than that leave the track alone as trekkers – the paying customers – have a strong desire to trek it as it is.

Further information on trekkers and landowners can be viewed at:

http://blog.kokodatreks.com/2009/05/14/the-kokoda-trekker/

http://blog.kokodatreks.com/2009/05/14/the-kokoda-trail-villager/

The Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts was assigned responsibility for Australia’s role and responsibilities in regard to the ‘Joint Understanding’.

Whilst I believe the pursuit of a World Heritage listing is a noble goal it should not be at the expense of the historic military significance of the Kokoda Trail.

I believe the Kokoda Trail should be developed as a national memorial trail that reflects the military significance of the Kokoda campaign.

This should be separated from the feasibility study for a World Heritage nomination for the broader Owen Stanley Ranges and be reallocated to the Office of the Australian War Graves Commission.

Background

The Kokoda Trail had been virtually ignored by successive Australian governments since the end of the war in 1945. It was not until former Prime Minister Paul Keating attended the 50th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign in PNG in 1992 that it resonated again in our national consciousness.

Unfortunately the Department of Veterans Affairs had no vision and no plan for Kokoda at the time. On 18 February 2001 the Minister for Veterans Affairs, Bruce Scott MP, wrote: ‘It will come as no surprise to you then that the ‘Government Master Plan’ of which you inquire ‘for the development of the Kokoda Track as a national memorial park’ does not exist ‘.

In spite of this official apathy public awareness increased with the publication of a number of best-selling books on Kokoda and the screening of television features.

Villagers along the track soon began to agitate for increased benefits from the emerging trekking industry. Prior to 2002 they did not have a co-ordinated forum to express their concerns so they took direct action and blocked the track in various places.

During negotiations to re-open the track after a lengthy blockage at Kovello a trek permit system was implemented and a trek fee of PNGK200 was introduced. The purpose of the trek fee was to ensure that villagers received shared benefits from the emerging trekking industry.

The PNG Kokoda Track Authority was established in 2004 and an Australian expatriate and former Kiap, Mr Warren Bartlett, was appointed as Chief Executive on a salary of A$13,000. He was not allocated any staff.

A Board of Directors was appointed but they were not qualified for the role. The Board quickly became dysfunctional and more than a $1 million was misappropriated.

Neither the Australian nor PNG governments displayed any interest in the dysfunction of the Authority until a proposal to mine a section of the Kokoda Trail became public.

The resultant outcry caused an over-reaction from the Australian government. It was obviously decided that the best protection against any future applications to mine or log any part of the trail would be to have it listed as a World Heritage site.

The Heritage Division of the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts was allocated responsibility for working with the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation to bring this about.

A new Board was appointed by the PNG Government and Australian representatives from the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts were assigned to work with the Authority and the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation.

Joint Understanding

A Joint Understanding covering ‘both the sustainable development of communities along the Kokoda Track corridor, and protection and sustainable use of the natural and cultural resources of the broader Owen Stanley Ranges region’ was signed on 23 April 2008.

The first hint of our ‘big brother’ approach is our refusal to use the official name as recorded on the statute books of the PNG Government i.e. ‘The Kokoda Trail’ (PNG Government Gazette No. 88 of 12 October 1972, page 1362, column 2. Notice 1972/28 of the PNG Place Names Committee refers).

Of more concern is the fact that the Joint Understanding does not contain any references to the military significance of the Kokoda Trail. The words ‘Kokoda campaign – military history – memorials – battlesites – etc’ do not rate a mention in the entire document. I regard this as a serious omission.

Process

From my viewpoint – as a trek operator, a trek leader with 55 crossings of the trail over the past 18 years, the son of a New Guinea veteran, a Vietnam Veteran with 21 years army service, and one with a long term interest in the preservation of the military history of the Kokoda campaign – the process seems to be seriously flawed thus far.

There has obviously been a lot of activity at the departmental level as representatives have been assigned to PNG and others have flown into villages by chartered aircraft to familiarise themselves with their needs.

There has also been much talk – a conference with academics in Canberra, superficial meetings with trek operators, and discussions with other ‘stakeholders’. To date these have not yielded any identifiable outcomes along the track.

For example one of the objectives in the Joint Understanding was to ‘address immediate needs for the 2008 trekking season and create interim Kokoda Track management arrangements’.

I have trekked Kokoda six times since April 2008 and I can report that not a single outcome has been achieved in this regard – and we are now well into the 2009 trekking season!

Another objective was to conduct ‘an economic participation study to cover such options as agriculture, food services for trekkers, and participation in delivering development programs’.

Nothing has happened in this regard!

I have advised of the availability of an agricultural scientist who is fluent in Tok Pisin and Motu and has worked extensively in Melanesia. That person has written extensively on the needs of the Koiari and has previously worked for the (now-defunct) Koiari Development Corporation. He is currently living in semi-retirement in Australia and is willing and able to live in villages for extended periods of time to assist them with agricultural development and value-adding activities. He would also be able to provide valuable feedback on the cultural and environmental impact of the current trekking industry.

My requests to engage this person over the past 18 months have been ignored.

I understand AusAID has completed a survey of the Kokoda Trail but this has not been distributed to trek operators or villagers for comment. This is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust between the key stakeholders and the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts.

I could go on!

Outcomes

Whilst there has obviously been a great deal of departmental activity in regard to the Joint Understanding I can report that, after 15 months, there has not been a single outcome on the track. For example:

• There is no credible Trek Permit system in place
• There is no campsite booking system.
• There is no trek operator accreditation system.
• There is no standardised medical clearance form for trekkers.
• There is no co-ordinated system for medical evacuations in place.
• There is no campsite accreditation system in place.
• There is not a single environmental toilet between Owers Corner and Kokoda.
• There has been no attempt to identify clan leaders and landowners along the track.
• There has not been a single workshop in either the Koiari or Orokaiva areas on the track to identify villager needs.
• There is no minimum standard of pay and conditions for PNG trek guides and carriers.
• There is no training or development system in place to assist villagers to ‘value-add’ to the opportunities presented by trekkers passing through their villages.
• No action has been taken to identify (and make safe) unexploded ordnance along the trail.
• There is no plan to upgrade the road between Sogeri and Owers Corner to a safe all-weather standard.

The Australian Trekker

Australian trekkers make a significant commitment in both money and time when they decide to trek Kokoda. In return for this investment they need to be assured they will be safe and that they will learn about the military history of the Kokoda campaign; the culture of the Koiari and Orokaiva people along the track; and the physical environment.

They also expect to have hygienic toilet and ablution facilities at campsites along the trail.

Trekkers are the basic building block of a sustainable trekking industry along the Kokoda Trail. Without them there are no benefits for villagers to share. Unfortunately their needs have been ignored thus far.

The Koiari/Orokaiva Villager

The land in question is owned by traditional Koiari and Orokaiva landowners. The tracks connecting villages between Owers Corner and Kokoda have special significance to our military heritage because of the desperate campaign fought across it during the period 27 July to 2 November 1942.

Clans along the Kokoda Trail are the custodians of land sacred to our military heritage. They will protect and nurture our battlesites provided they receive benefits for doing so.

Villagers are currently missing out on significant potential earnings because they are yet to be taught the concept of ‘value-adding’.

Teaching them to wash and dry trekkers gear, brew coffee, bake scones and produce village billum bags is not PhD stuff. This year they will miss out on the opportunity to earn at least PNGK 1 million because of a lack of basic training in these areas.

The construction of interpretative memorials at significant sites on their land will also provide them with an incentive to further ‘value-add’ to a trekkers Kokoda experience.

Stakeholders

There are many people and organisations of goodwill who want to do good things as a result of their Kokoda experience.

If this is harnessed in a co-ordinated way the PNG government would not have to spend any funds along the trail for education or health services. This would allow them to work with Provincial and Local Level Governments to support Koiari and Orokaiva villages in remote areas off the trail.

Currently there is no plan – and there is no co-ordination. The end result is that inappropriate memorial structures have been erected; inappropriate structures have been build for health and education purposes; and village children are showing signs of tooth decay because of the amount of lollies handed out.

Two recent examples indicate the state of planning flux in the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts:

• During the last two weeks of this month a team from the Kokoda Track Foundation was dispatched to Kokoda to do a ‘livelihood study’ in villages along the track. It seems that the PNG Kokoda Track Authority did not know they were doing it until they arrived in country. The Kokoda Track Foundation is a registered charity – their lack of experience with villagers along the track means they were ill-equipped for the task. Nobody seems to have been consulted on the tender process, the terms of reference; or the desired outcomes for the study.

• On 31st March we received a request to assist a company who has been asked to tender for a ‘Condition Analysis’ of the 96 Km Kokoda Trail. We do not know if the tender refers to today’s popular eco-tourist track; the wartime trail, the original route of the 39th Battalion; the eastern side of the Yodda Valley where the 53rd Battalion fought; or the connecting tracks to and from Lake Myola 1 and 2. We do not know what the terms of reference are, or the required outcomes. The company has been given 5 days time to submit their tender!

These studies are a sham and are obviously motivated by the need to spend money before the end of the current financial year. Neither study is related to an assessment of the military heritage of the trail; the needs of the paying customer i.e. the trekker; or the needs of villagers who will shortly be getting fed up with the number of inexperienced and ill-informed consultants asking banal questions about their needs and lifestyles.

Non-government, community and charitable organisations not involved in trekking should also be encouraged to direct their goodwill to village areas remote from the Kokoda Trail as part of a strategy to ensure shared benefits are more widely spread.

The Kokoda Honeypot Effect

I first trekked Kokoda in 1991. In 1994 I submitted a paper on the need to develop Kokoda as a national memorial park. In 2000 I founded the Kokoda Track Foundation to develop a strategic plan for Kokoda. This was completed and presented to Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and the Australian Minister for Veterans Affairs in 2006.

My purpose has always been to develop Kokoda as a model that could be used for other Pacific War battlesites in PNG – the Black Cat Track, Shaggy Ridge, Buna/Gona, Rabaul, etc.

Unfortunately everybody has flocked to Kokoda. There are now more than 30 trek operators and a myriad of other stakeholder organisations seeking to do ‘good things’ along the trail. It risks being overwhelmed with goodwill while nearby villages off the track are neglected. This has the potential to lead to dissent and disruption in the longer term. For example landowners on Mt Victoria are continually sabotaging the VHF communications tower.

We therefore need a strategic plan to get a proper balance in our approach to honouring the legacy of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and coastwatchers throughout New Guinea during the Pacific War.

Ministerial Responsibility

In the latest budget an amount of $10 million was allocated to the Office of Australian War Graves Commission for the development of an interpretative trail in France and Belgium to honour the sacrifice of our veterans in WW1.

The same approach needs to be adopted for Kokoda which is our interpretative trail for WW11.

Conclusion

Kokoda is a national shrine. The trail between Owers Corner and Kokoda contains battlesites sacred to our military heritage. The expertise gained by the Office of Australian War Graves in the development and management of the interpretive trail in France and Belgium should be applied to Kokoda.

The Office of Australian War Graves should establish a close partnership with the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts who administer the Act that has Kokoda listed as an Overseas Area of Special Significance. The Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts s also responsible for the broader long-term goal of working with the Government of PNG to achieve a World Heritage listing.

The Office of Australian War Graves should also work in partnership with PNG Tourism to develop models for visits and treks to other significant military historical sites throughout PNG.

Recommendation

I recommend that responsibility for the development of an interpretive trail between Owers Corner and Kokoda be transferred from the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts to the Office of Australian War Graves.

Charlie Lynn
Adventure Kokoda
PO Box 303
Camden
NSW 2570
charlie@kokodatreks.com.au

And no wonder.  Orokaiva warriors fearlessly resisted incursions into the Yodda valley when gold was discovered in the late 19th Century.  Many early explorers and missionaries ended up in village cooking pots as they were stalked in the remote jungle-clad mountain ranges.

Then came the war. Kokoda was the first pitched battle fought against the Japanese. It signaled the beginning of a campaign where Australia’s fate hung in the balance as our diggers fought a fanatical enemy, treacherous terrain, legions of deadly mites, malarial mosquitoes, venomous snakes – and cold fear.

But the enemy our commanders feared most was the ignorance of the armchair generals and bureaucrats. ‘Build a road!’ – ‘blow the Gap!’ – ‘die at Imita!’ – they bellowed from the safety of  cocooned offices in their parallel universe back in Australia.  They didn’t appreciate, from their limited knowledge of the ground and its intricacies, just what was needed to do the important job at hand.

Some things never change.

After decades of neglect by successive Australian Governments Kokoda is beginning to stir in our national consciousness. Political correctness, ridiculous OH&S laws and layers of social safety nets have all but transformed Australians into a risk averse society.  ‘Koko’ ‘da’ now presents an opportunity for them to pay respect to the lives of our diggers – and give some meaning to their own.

Australians from all walks of life now want to walk in the footsteps of the brave and ‘do it tough’ as a mark of respect to a generation who grew from the challenge of adversity. 

A common theme among those who take up the challenge is ‘to do it like our diggers did it!’  They don’t want environmental boardwalks – they want mud. They don’t want an eco-evangelical levitation – they want the historical hardship of the track. They don’t want to be clean and green – they want to be dirty and sweaty. They don’t want Kakadu – they want Kokoda!  The Trek gives participants that special feeling that they are treading sacred ground, not without good reason!

But Kokoda is in danger of being transformed into a monument to environmentalism rather than a living memorial to our diggers.  It shouldn’t be “fenced off” but used in the proper way that befits its dedication to the memory of the brave sacrifices of the Australian and New Guinea defenders who trod this track during WWII.  The custodians of our military history seem to have been sidelined in the process of developing the track between Owers Corner and Kokoda as a memorial trail .

In last year’s five page ‘Joint Understanding between PNG and Australia on the Kokoda Track (sic) and Owen Stanley Ranges’ the word ‘memorial’ or ‘battlesite’ is not mentioned – once!

The document is peppered with the new language of the global warmers – ‘carbon partnerships’, ‘national forest carbon accounting systems’, ‘future international emissions trading’, ‘REDD demonstration activities and global climate stability underpinning global eco-systems, etc. etc. etc’.

‘Military heritage’ has been replaced by ‘World heritage’.

The Joint Understanding commits to ‘deploying experts to the PNG Department of the Environment and Conservation to facilitate PNG Government processes to enable identification and consideration of a proposed World Heritage Site, etc. etc’. No mention is made of deploying military historians to identify battlesites sacred to our heritage, to dispatch bomb disposal experts to assess the dangers of unexploded ordnance along the track, or experts from our War Memorial to establish a similar institution in Port Moresby. The preservation of our joint military heritage does not rate a mention.

It is easy to interpret ‘joint understandings’ between Australia and PNG as a euphemism for ‘big brother’. It’s OK for Australia to send ‘experts’ to PNG but we continue to deny them access to our seasonal markets even though our farmers have desperate labour shortages. It is easier for a PNG citizen to get a casual job in London than in Brisbane. Proper ‘joint understandings’ don’t have one-way valves!

This fact is not lost on leaders in PNG.

Trekker numbers have grown exponentially over the years – from 76 in 2001 to more than 6000 in 2008. We watched as an inexperienced and unqualified authority was established to manage our sacred ground along the track. We watched as it morphed into a self-indulgent system of corruption. We have calculated the benefits to the PNG economy to be around $15 million dollars in 2008 but we shy away from the fact that very little reaches the villages along the track. It is little wonder that landowners are attracted to mining and forestry opportunities.

The Australian – PNG Joint Understanding committed to ‘addressing immediate needs for the 2008 trekking season and create interim Kokoda Track management arrangements’. This is the most important priority when the froth and bubble has been cleared from the document. But as thousands of Australians make the pilgrimage across the track we failed to meet this key commitment. Nothing happened.

And as we are now well into the 2009 trekking season and still nothing has happened!

Two trekkers have died. The track has been closed at Kovello. There is no proper trek permit system. There is no campsite booking system – or accreditation system. There is no need for a medical clearance. No need to submit a trek itinerary. No need for qualified expedition leaders. No requirement to carry satellite phones. No co-ordinated medical evacuation system. No minimum pay and conditions for PNG guides and trekkers. No community development program for villagers. Nothing.

Rumour has it that there is much feverish activity in the parallel universe of the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts in Canberra. This activity is obviously directed towards the application for a World Heritage Listing for the area. 

It is time we said good bye to this well intentioned but misguided concept.

It’s time we refocused on the need to preserve and honour the military historical integrity of the Kokoda Trail. There are plenty of other areas in Papua New Guinea where eco-evangelists can get their rocks off. They should be encouraged to go and find them.

We need to take the following actions steps to ensure Kokoda takes its proper place as a jungle shrine. We need to understand that it is the most significant pilgrimage an Australian can make in search of the qualities that define our national character.

We need to ensure departments entrusted with the preservation of our military heritage such as the Australian War Graves Commission, the Australian War Memorial, Defence and our ex-Service community have input into assisting our Papua New Guinean cousins to care for our sacred sites from the Pacific War.

We need to demonstrate that villages along the Kokoda Trail, and other battlesites throughout Papua New Guinea, will have a sustainable economic future as a result of our emerging interest in the Pacific War. This is key to the future of the track!

Kokoda is a pilgrimage for those who had a relative serve in the war. It is a ‘rite of passage’ for young Australians from different lands and cultures. It is a bridge for those who want to learn more about our military history and our Melanesian neighbours.

In the recent budget the Government announced $10 million dollars to develop an interpretive trail in France and Belgium so that visitors to the area can understand the contribution and the sacrifice Australians made for freedom.

In the same budget absolutely nothing was allocated towards the development of an interpretive trail between Owers Corner and Kokoda!

For this reason alone the responsibility for the development of the Kokoda Trail as a National Memorial Trail should be transferred to the Australian War Graves Commission.

The Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts should continue with their assistance to achieve World Heritage listings in partnership with their Papua New Guinea counterparts. There is much to be done to provide a sustainable alternative to the ravages of the logging and mining industries in the country. A review of Ministerial Media Releases indicates that these areas are their raison d’être – of the 340 media releases issued over the past 12 months only one refers to Kokoda!

Now we understand why the words ‘military heritage’ and ‘memorials’ were not included in the Joint Understanding signed over 12 months ago.

Now we understand why nothing has been done – apart from a few smoke and mirror demonstrations – across the Kokoda Trail during the past two trekking seasons.

Now we understand why the responsibility for the preservation of our military heritage along the Kokoda Trail has not been given the due attention it urgently needs it must be reallocated to the Office of the Australian War Graves Commission as a matter of priority.

Lest we Forget!

Australians all let us rejoice for we are young and free. These words have never meant more to me than when walking the Kokoda Trail, with my parliamentary colleagues, Labor MP Jason Clare and trek leader Charlie Lynn MLC, as part of our 2009 Kokoda Mateship Trek.

The Trek brought together young leaders from both of our electorates, from very different religious and cultural backgrounds. The purpose was to build bridges between our Cronulla and Bankstown communities, following the shameful events that took place in southern Sydney in December 2005.

The Kokoda Mateship Trek demonstrated the true spirit of our communities as these fine young Australians walked their memorial to our Diggers in the footsteps of the 39th Battalion who set out from Owers Corner to defend Australia, on Australian soil, at Kokoda in July 1942.

Along the trail our young leaders from the Bate Bay Surf Clubs and Lakemba Sports Club, shared stories of their culture, breaking down myths, barriers and stereotypes. However most importantly they joined together to honour the courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice of those who fought and died along this bloody, muddy track.

The stories of Bruce Kingsbury VC, Stan and ‘Butch’ Bissett, Charlie McCallum, Lindsay ‘Teddy’ Bear, Breton Langridge, Ralph Honnor, Dr Geffrey Vernon and the fuzzy wuzzy angels were brought to life as we stood on the ground where these men showed such inspirational leadership and courage. These names, and many others, will now be carried forward by a new generation of Australians in our communities and ANZAC day will never be the same again.

In their day, on this unforgiving ground, our Kokoda heroes found something special within themselves, to rise to the challenge. They were ordinary men called on to do extraordinary things. Having observed closely the sprit of the young Australians who walked the trail with us, I have no doubt that the spirit of Bruce Kingsbury is alive and well in their generation.

When we returned to Moresby and visited the Bomana War Cemetery the young trekkers stood and faced the graves of 3,000 fallen Australian soldiers and made a pledge to be the best they could be – to honour the sacrifice of those who were denied their opportunity of life more than sixty years ago.

In making this pledge they have decided to be the change that our communities need to bridge the divide of culture, and both of our communities will be better off for it. They have chosen to meet on the common ground of a shared future, paid for by the sacrifice of Kingsbury and his comrades, for all of us, regardless of our backgrounds.

It is my sincere hope that the Kokoda Trail will continue to grow as a pilgrimage for young Australians to make real contact with the spirit of courage, mateship, endurance and sacrifice that defines our Australian character. We cannot allow such a connection to be reduced to a southern cross tattoo or a day of drunkenness wrapped in the flag.

For this to happen a number of things have to change. First, we must protect the integrity of the Trail. The Kokoda Trail is not an endurance sport or wilderness adventure. While satisfying the requirements of both, it must be first and foremost a memorial pilgrimage.

We must also ensure that the stories of Kokoda and similar campaigns gain greater coverage in our national educational curriculum. Bruce Kingsbury should be a household name, encouraging more young Australians to visit where he fell at Isurava.

A memorial masterplan is needed to ensure that as we lose touch with the Diggers, that memorials are constructed along the trail to tell their stories. The memorial at Isurava is breathtaking, and more of this is needed along the way, to commemorate and enable new generations to appreciate the sacrifice.

Having walked past the spot where a 37 year old mother from Melbourne died on the trail a week before us, it is clear tougher regulation of trek operators is necessary to keep the trail safe. This is a dangerous trek in a lethal environment. It should not be taken on lightly and basic requirements such as 24/7 base support, satellite phones, insurance coverage and medical expertise should all be mandatory, or more Australians will die needlessly.

We also need to make sure that our pilgrimage to Kokoda brings benefits to the local indigenous population of PNG, especially to the local villages, landowners and guides who support the trekking industry. We must ensure that they and their environment are not exploited, remembering it was their grandfathers who came to our aid to carry our grandfathers to safety so many years ago.

There are many other issues, such as the appalling state of the road from Sogeri to Owers Corner, that also need attention. However, at the end of the day, whether you walk the trail or not, our hope is that Kokoda continues to grow in the minds of all Australians, regardless of our backgrounds.

Kokoda serves as an inspiration to all of us, especially in these tough times, to remind us of what we’re capable of when we are true to the values that made our nation great – lest we forget.
Scott Morrison joined together with Labor MP Jason Clare to establish the Kokoda Mateship Trek that took place between April 25 and May 3, 2009.

Scott Morrison MP, Federal Member for Cook
Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government
 Shop 3, 346 Port Hacking Road
Caringbah NSW 2229
 PO Box 819, Caringbah NSW 1495
 (02) 9525 8200  (02) 9540 1587
 scott.morrison.mp@aph.gov.au
 www.scottmorrison.com.au

Port Moresby Grammar School grade 12 students, Alfreda Nakue and Margaret Aitsi, have a different view of the Kokoda Trail from what history teaches them. Having walked the track recently, both girls say their real life experience of the track has given history a different dimension where they can relate more meaningfully.

Alfreda and Margaret have been back from the track a few weeks but it is obvious talking to them that surviving the Kokoda Track has done them a lot of good and when they tell their story, it is a fresh as if it was just yesterday. The power of that reality is that many more young people will be motivated and inspired. The crowning act of Alfreda and Margaret’s experience is the harnessing of youth power to direct change; the importance of it being that the future belongs to the youth. This is Alfreda and Margaret’s story of how they survived the Kokoda Track and become known as Charlie’s angels, completed with certificates to prove their conquest.

Their adventure lasted six days between April 02nd and 03rd May when 15 other young Australians calling themselves ‘Mateship Kokoda’ came up from Sydney. The Australian team was led by New South Wales MP and Adventure Kokoda legend Charlie Lynn. It included two other MPs; Scott Morrison and Jason Clare. The idea behind it was to heal the wounds of the Cronulla beach race riots.

Charlie Lynn sponsors Alfreda’s education so he included her in the tour and grabbing the opportunity the school picked Margaret to accompany her. Both girls are very personable, charming and charismatic which is not surprising especially when your dad works in a media organisation. Margaret’s late father John Aitsi worked for the Post Courier as a Company Secretary for many years and retired very recently. She is a bright spark so the school made an excellent choice by selecting her for the interaction with the Australian youths on the track. Pressed by the Australians to sing the national anthem, the two girls granted the wish, adding much nationalistic flavour to the walk. Feeling encouraged, Alfreda and Margaret also cited the pledge which amazed their Australian companions. To hear young voices singing the anthem and saying the pledge in the bush with a deep historic background seemed to turn nostalgia into fanfare and the girls felt it. “The feeling that overcome us was really special, quite unique and we felt really proud that moment to be Papua New Guineans and that this was our land where the history linked us to our future.”

They said they expected Kokoda Track to be remote and rugged but they did not expect the mountains to be so steep. “It was very challenging. Just learning history does not tell you about the physical side so you do not feel the hardship. So experiencing the physical side brought appreciation and we now fell very grateful to the fuzzy-wuzzy angels for what they did”.

We saw how very remote the villages are; they lack transportation, health and education. It was sad to see villages walking across those mountains in search of transport to come to the city.

We had very good porters who were willing to take all risks for us and they were the descendants of the fuzzy-wuzzy angels of World War 11 fame. Australians witnessed this at first hand and this is what defines Papua new Guineans. The popular view is that the world judges by the bad things that happen. But when you meet the people, you get a totally different picture and it happened on the track.

After 67 years, we walked the path the 39th battalion of the Australian Army took in 1942 and we were welcome with open arms by the villages. The way they sang songs and how they looked solemn and stood still touched everyone. We feel our school has made an important contribution to the future of the track because the Australians want to make more use of our school in their ‘Mateship Kokoda’ initiative.
We were asked by the visiting Australians about our feelings of the track and we said that the track should not be modernised; it should be the saved in its pristine state. We also said that the porters and guides should be insured and that they should carry two-way radios. The Australians said they would look into our recommendations.

It was the singing of the national anthem that earned them the tag: Charlie’s angels. But everyone agreed at the end of the journey that they had survived Kokoda.

The group was airlifted from Kokoda and had an audience with the Australian High Commissioner Chris Moraitis in Port Moresby during which Alfreda and Margaret’s recommendations were raised. A solemn visit to the Bomana War Cemetery and a camp at Sogeri sealed their conquest of the track and they split with a memorable meal at the Aviat Club.

Apart from the steep mountains, were there any other shocks? Margaret: when we got to Owers corner, the toilets were quite interesting. There was just a hole and you had to stand to do your business (giggle). The Aussies expected the road to be sealed. Here in the city we take things for granted; there are people out there who need it most, they are the people who need help. The climate was very pleasant. At Myola, I asked if the children were in the gardens. The villages were beautiful but the place seemed deserted; there was an aid post, though”.

To conclude their “Mateship Kokoda” connectedness the trek group were invited to Port Moresby Grammar School where a school assembly was not only designed to welcome back Margaret & Alfredah but to include their fellow trekkers from Australia in the Papua New Guinea way of education. Everyone had a fabulous time, especially when this involved the visitors dancing with the Pom Grammar Preps in doing the Margarema.