Frost is worst in district, LLG president says

Source: The National,Friday August 14th, 2015

 
By PETER ESOP WARI
THE people of Mendi-Munihu district in Southern Highlands have been severely affected by frost following the long dry weather.
In an emergency meeting yesterday at Mendi town, four Local Level Government presidents led by Upper Mendi LLG president Solomon Timbol, submitted reports of the disaster saying it was the worst in the district.
Lai Valley LLG president Jack Soal, Karintz LLG’s Simon Tolpe, Mendi Urban’s Vincent Manda and Timbol are appealing to the National Disaster and Emergency Centre to help the people.
Vegetables, kaukau tubers, sugar cane, bananas and pandanas have withered. Creeks and rivers have dried up and people are also facing a water shortage.
Timbol said people were calling them from everywhere seeking assistance. “But we (LLG presidents) cannot do anything because we not have funds. It is up to the national, provincial and district disaster and emergency centres to help,” he said.
“It is a real disaster and hundreds of people would soon starve.”
Timbol said it was important that a team from the National Disaster and Emergency Centre visit the area to assess the situation.
Farmer Joe Pila from the Ialibu-Pangia district lost his entire food garden after frost hit the area on Monday night.
He lost 23 hectares of taro and sweet potato plots. He said earnings from his farm had helped him set up a small business including a trade store, kai bar and hire vehicles.
“I have 10 fulltime labourers and I pay them fortnightly,” he said.
“I have a piggery farm, poultry and breed fish apart from the garden crops.”

Ban Sees Positive Outcomes

Source:The National, Friday July 31st, 2015

INDICATIONS are clear that banning tulait-tulait buses from the Highlands Highway will reduce road accidents noticeably, a senior police officer said.
Chimbu provincial police commander Albert Beli said yesterday that Chimbu normally recorded one or two road accidents involving the night buses in a fortnight.
But the trend has stopped over the first fortnight of the ban, he said.
Beli said it was too early to make a fair assessment but from the way things were going, the ban indicated positive outcomes.
“The passengers are happy that the drivers were stopped and told to have a proper sleep on the roadside before travelling the next day,” Beli said.
“The checkpoint communities are helpful by helping police and the travellers.
“The compulsory roadblocks will continue until such time that we see no tulait-tulait vehicles,” he said.
He said the body of a woman killed in a road accident two weeks ago is still at the Goroka Hospital.
The woman was a passenger in a tulait-tulait bus travelling from the coast up to the Highlands when the bus ran off the road

Mt;Giluwe; second highest peak; now a major tourist attraction

Source:The National, Wednesday June 10th, 2015

MT Giluwe, the second highest mountain in the country, is becoming a major tourist attraction.
Mt Giluwe, located 3842 metres above sea level at the border of Western Highlands and Southern Highlands, offers tourists programmes such as bird watching, trekking, flora and fauna.
This is complemented by cultural activities like feasting, traditional singsing, and bride price payment ceremonies.
Edward Tama, manager of Eco-Tourism Service from Tambul-Nelbilyer district said he received tourists from Japan, Australia, Russia and America in January, May and August every year.
Tour operators such as Country Tours, Pacific International, Western Highlands Culture and Tourism Authority, TNT Tours, and Paiye Tours bring in tourists in groups to climb Mt Giluwe. He said the formation of the Eco-Tourism Service in 2002 was an initiative of local people.
Tama said the people built a guest house at the base camp at Malke village where tourists stayed overnight before climbing to the summit. Many of the tourists stayed for up to five days in the village.
It creates opportunities for locals in Lower and Upper Kagul to become porters and guides.
Tama said locals respected the environment, sacred sites and had banned any forms of hunting.

Locals hold up chopper

Highlands Region

Thursday 08th August 2013

KAGUA District in the Southern Highlands Province is now declared a ‘No-Go Zone’ by local helicopter companies.
This followed an attack last week on one of PNG’s own fastest rising helicopter company, Heli Solutions Limited.
Heli Solutions chief executive officer (CEO) Captain Phil Emeck said yesterday from Mt Hagen that the company was currently engaged by PNG Electoral Commission for the LLG election operations in the Highlands region and it was doing its scheduled flights to Kagua and Erave districts when the incident happened. Capt Emeck who was flying one of the companies third Bell 407 helicopter was held up and threatened by heavily armed thugs reportedly under the influence of marijuana at the remote place at Katiloma Bible Mission station last Wednesday. He had stopped to refuel after dropping off an aviation fuel drum there earlier.
The incident happened after he arrived from Sembirigi and Marorogo areas after dropping off polling officials, ballot papers and boxes en-route for Mt Hagen.
He said it was about 1pm when locals numbering about 30, armed with bush knives and homemade guns surrounded him and his lone crew member demanding K10,000 or else they would damage the K7 million aircraft.
Captain Emeck offered the gang K1000 which he had in his pocket but was refused. They ordered Capt Emeck to leave his crew behind, go to Mt Hagen bring back the money in exchange for his crew.
Fearing that his life and that of his crew plus the aircraft was in danger he handed over K5000 which he had brought along for purchase of timber along the Highlands Highway. The group after some resistance took the money and released both men.
Capt Emeck is co-owner of the helicopter company together with fellow Southern Highlander Capt James Pilot. They are both former PNG Defence Force pilots who resigned to start their own aviation company. Capt Emeck described the incident as a ‘frightening and barbaric act’, adding that it is not the first time for culprits in the Kagua area to hijack or attack helicopters and planes.
They have reported the incident to Mendi police but due to its isolated location, police are yet to arrest the culprits involved.

Alcohol smuggling rife in Hela, SHP

News	Friday 31st May 2013

POLICE in the new Hela Province are fuming and wondering at how huge quantities of liquor can evade check-points and be smuggled into the neighbouring Southern Highlands province despite a liquor ban and heavy check-points in place.
Acting Hela provincial police commander Insp. Peter Buka raised this concern in Tari yesterday after his men confiscated more than 500 cartons of liquor that included OP Dark Rum 500 ml bottles, white can Export Lager, SP Brown beer bottles among others over the past two weeks during a special police operation along the notorious Ambua section of the Highlands Highway between Margarima and Tari.
Mr Buka said since the operations began early this month, every day and especially at early hours of the morning, his men from Margarima, Tari, and Koroba police stations, assisted by Tari based police mobile squad 09 unit, have seized cartons of beer illegally smuggled into the Hela province from the neighbouring Southern Highlands and Enga provinces.
Mr Buka said there are two liquor check-points at Kaupena on the border of Southern Highlands and Western Highlands provinces, but still these huge quantities of liquor could evade these check-points and get into Mendi and then into Tari.
He said most of the smugglers interrogated have told them that they are bringing the beer from a large hidden bulk store and wholesale supplier of beer in Mendi.
Mr Buka said some of the liquor are is smuggled in from the back road at Tambul and Upper Mendi into Mendi town for re-distribution into Tari and Hela where the price is K15 per bottle or can of beer and K100 for a OP Dark Rum bottle.
“Because of the high demand and high selling price at the LNG projects sites in Tari, Nogoli, Komo and Hides, smugglers are working day and night, coming up with all sorts of tricks and means and ways to smuggle beer in. But when they are caught, they will be sorry.
“Let me warn others in this illegal liquor smuggling trade to stop from now onwards as my men have all the intelligence and the network required to gradually pin them all down,” Police Inspector Buka said.
He said most of the smugglers are using the liquor ban imposed in the two provinces to make huge profits by smuggling in alcohol without any regard and respect for the ban imposed by the two provincial governments.
Insp. Buka also questioned whether the role of the liquor ban monitoring agencies of the two provinces are effective

First Landing at Komo Airport in Hela Province

Source: Unknown

Photos below showing the first landing of airplane at Komo airport in Hela Province

SHP okays vehicle use plan

Source: The National, Wednesday 30th January, 2013

 

By JEFFREY ELAPA
ALL vehicles for the Southern Highlands provincial government and administration will be delivered through a private partnership with the provincial government.
Governor William Powi said the provincial executive council had endorsed the arrangement for effective service delivery and control of all provincial government assets and funds, so all vehicles services would be provided through the private-public partnership to prevent misuse.
He said the partnership would be transparent through a tender and procurement process.
During a provincial assembly meeting at the Agiru Centre conference room last week after the council passed the resolution a day earlier that the arrangement could well save costs and prevent or minimise unnecessary travel and abuse of vehicles by public servants. These often incurred high costs.
Powi said the provincial government was spending more than K20 million on vehicles and maintenance each year and the new arrangement will see costs reduced to about K3 million.
Private owners would supply drivers and vehicles would be returned to storage after use, he said.
The private owners would also be responsible for the care and maintenance of vehicles to provide effective and better service to the government and the provincial administration.
Powi said his provincial government could support the national government’s private-public partnership suggestion to encourage local entrepreneurs.
Powi said his government would look at local businesses with the capacity to provide services.
Partnership with state-owned enterprises would be fostered after a meeting with the minister. PNG Power, PNG Water Board, Telikom and the National Development Bank are among those enterprises plus training and recruitment through departments such as police to increase manpower could be done through partnership.
Powi said banking services were also available in the province with BSP Rural Banking arriving there and the opening of an ANZ branch in Mendi.
The fencing and reopening of the Mendi airport has taken place to allow Air Niugini flights into the province.
Meanwhile Business Coalition Against Corruption chairman Garry Kulangil is calling on Powi and his government to revive the public transport board.
He said the provincial government would buy more Land Cruisers from the K3 million for the public servants to use.
“It’s best to buy the vehicles and give it to the Works Department in the province to manage it and lease it out of the public servants to use them,” he said

Wahgi River threatens to wash away road

Highlands Region

Friday 18th January 2013

By PEARSON KOLO

HALF the section of the Highlands highway, along the new Jiwaka province, has been washed away by the flooded Waghi River early this week.
And if heavy rains continue in the Western Highlands and Jiwaka province, where a quarter of their population are flooded and under water now, the remaining road will be washed away completely, putting a halt to moving traffic.
The Jiwaka Provincial Administration has declared a state of emergency along that section of the road and has engaged police to control the flow of traffic along the highway.
Major companies like ExxonMobil, Waghi Valley Transport and several trucking companies who use the Highlands highway have come together to fix the road. They have decided to divert the Waghi River away from the road, but that will take some time because landowners from Waghi Bruk, the affected section of the road are demanding some form of payment from the Government and companies before work can begin.
Officials from the Jiwaka Provincial Administration, the Western Highlands and Chimbu Provincial Government with officials from major trucking companies have held discussions with the landowners on Wednesday.
Nothing good has come out from those meetings.
Waghi Valley Transport has provided 15 containers which will be packed with boulders and placed the along Waghi river to redirect its course.
The Post-Courier was at the scene assessing the condition of the road and observed that the remaining section of the road will be washed away if nothing is done soon to divert the river away from the road.

IT gear boosts Radio Southern Highlands

Home

Source: The National, Thursday 3rd of January, 2013

By PETER ESOP WARI

RADIO Southern Highlands has been boosted with K80,000 worth of information technology equipment plus K100,000, thanks to Governor William Powi.
The IT equipment and the K100,000 were part of the K46 million of the 2012 preliminary budget paid for projects by Powi aimed at transforming the province.
Station manager Jacob Mambi said they received six laptop computers, five desktop computers, external hard drives and other accessories.
Mambi said Radio Southern Highlands had not progressed in the past because of the lack of IT equipment.
He said of the K100,000, K20,000 would be given to service providers and K80,000 would go to broadcasting and IT equipment.
He said the majority of people lived in rural areas and radio was the only means of information that could reach them.
“Media is very important and radio, unlike TV and the print media, can help the illiterate rural population who do not have access to town and electricity,” he said.
Mambi said Radio Southern Highlands was still having problems covering the province as the 10-kilowatt shortwave transmitter damaged a few months ago was not repaired.
He said the majority of the people benefitted from the shortwave.
They expressed concern about the situation but parts for the transmitted could not be found in the country.
Mambi said a report that Radio Southern Highlands had received K1 million was not true.
“I would like to make it clear that I, as the manager, received K100,000 plus the IT equipment, nothing apart from that,” he said.

Kewanu assures people of probe into accounts

Source: The National, Wednesday 10th October, 2012

WORKS and Implementation Vice-Minister De Kewanu has assured the people of Mendi open electorate that full investigations have been conducted into the district accounts over the past five years.
Mendi MP Kewanu said in a statement yesterday the people of Mendi would learn how funds earmarked for basic services and development in the district had been expanded in that time under the leadership of their former MP Pastor Isaac Joseph.
“I want you all to know if the monies have been put to good use for the benefit of everyone.”
He said that he had taken a court order to freeze both district office bank accounts.
Any outstanding cheques and those still in the hands of individuals or organisations would be looked at during a joint district and budgets committee meeting on whether these payments were for goods and services actually delivered, he said.
“If cheques were paid for services not actually provided then these cheques will be stopped and investigations will be carried out for all payments made during the elections period.
“If there is evidence of misuse and fraud then the full force of the law will apply on individuals and organisations and where possible, recovery action will be taken through the courts,” he said.
Kewanu said he had directed that any district assets still in the possession of individuals be returned immediately to the district office or they would face prosecution.

Mendi nursing school to join UPNG

Source: The National, Wednesday 10th October, 2012

THE Mendi School of Nursing in Southern Highlands is expected to be affiliated to the University of Papua New Guinea.
Professor Isi Kevau, the dean of medicine and science at UPNG, visited the School of Nursing in Mendi last Friday.
Kevau was there to see facilities, check curriculum documentations, staff, health authorities from the province and the students’ clinical areas.
Kevau was impressed with the management and the strong support from stakeholders.
It was his first visit to the province and was satisfied with the facilities and curriculum documents.
“Everything is fine and positive. I will take the report back to the university council,” he said.
He was impressed with the institution, the set-up of the hospital and the training link between the school, the hospital and rural health sector.
Mendi School of Nursing principal Sister Lucy Langer said it was the second visit by officials from UPNG.
Langer said the nursing college was closed in 2002 due to a tribal fight which claimed hundreds of lives and destruction of properties worth thousands of kina.
She said a Mendi School of Nursing restoration committee was formed in 2005.
“The college was finally re-opened on Jan 22 and Prof John Vince, deputy dean of the school of medicine and science was the first person from UPNG to visit the college,” she said.
She said although the college had been closed for a long time, they had all the necessary equipment and facilities needed by students.

More than 100,000 ballot papers burnt in Jiwaka

07:19 pm - Sunday 23rd September, 2012

By Mal Taime

MORE than 100, 000 counted ballot papers for Jiwaka Provincial seat locked in the container went up in flames in the early hours of last Friday morning.
The unexpected incident that occurred last weekend shocked the people of Jiwaka and they are confused as to how the container containing more than 100 ballot boxes with the papers went up in flames.
The people of Jiwaka want to know how the container was burnt because such activity had tarnished their new province. They want police to conduct a thorough investigation and get the culprits locked up.
The container containing the counted regional ballot papers was locked at Wahgi Klos premises after the declaration of all the three open seats with the provincial seat.

It is believed that the burning down was due to Anglimp South Wahgi MP and losing candidate for Jiwaka regional Jamie Maxtone-Graham who a petition in the court of disputed returns against the Electoral Commission as first respondent and Governor Dr William Tongamp as second respondent for recount.
According to police the arsonists must had used petrol to set fire to the container, while most people claimed it must be an inside job because the Jiwaka Provincial Government engaged Asila Security guards to provide security to the containers and premises.
Two days after Aslia security guards moved in to provide security the arsonist went into the premises held up the guards and set fire to the container.
It is believed the arsonist used high powered weapons to hold up the five security guards.
Read more in your Post-Courier tomorrow.

Southern Highlands Oil Head Owner Murdered by Americans.

Source: Unknown

Sometimes development comes at a cost but should not happen to the cultural heritage, societal norms and traditional beliefs of the thousands tribes that own this land.In the last two weeks, Southern Highlands was at war with nature, especially in the Kutubu, Gobe and Hides areas, extending right out to other districts that are not affected by the South Pacific’s biggest LNG project funded by EXXONMOBIL and managed by Esso Highlands.The natural events, including flooding and landslides happened when Exxon Mobil contractors blasted a cultural site to put the PNG LNG pipeline through to Hides from Iagifu Ridge, in the sacred jungles of the Fasu land, where most of the oil and gas is extracted.

The limestone mountain where the blasting took place a week ago is a scared site that traditional landowners fear to hunt or even gather food. Once, they blasted the limestone mountain, little did they know that the guardian of the oil and gas also lived there –   A MONSTER OF A SNAKEWITH 4 ‘Ls’ ON HIS FOREHEAD.

  

He was able to swallow 2 adult human beings at one time.Refer to the head of the snake and see what the ‘4Ls’ can mean. The snake cannot fit the hand of an adult. Look at the ladies and the child holding the tail. It’s so mesmerising; isn’t it. In its natural state, its mouth can open and expand up to 2 metres, whilst its 8 metre frame can accommodate any diet on its way.This ‘Man’ was slaughtered last Wednesday and shared amongst the chiefs.

YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS TERRIFYING – THE MOUNTAINS STARTED TREMBLING AND THE RIVERS STARTED FLOODING TO UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS. Refer to the pictures below.

The light skin FASU girl holding the head of the Snake is crippled. The house of the Chief where the slaughtering happened is completely submerged in flood. Refer to the pictures. All LNG Pipeline operations was halted for the last 2 weeks, and is continuing to this day.The oil pipeline is now completely exposed. Use to hide 6 metres underground before.

This is no fake. Don’t you think Nature has its Own Way to tell PNG and the World that enough is enough?Why are we extracting too much from the natural world to enrich a Few Elites and further advance the developed world, whilst we remain status quo?

Think big and wisely when choosing leaders

Source: The National, Wednesday 21th March 2012

THE decisions we make at the polls will affect our political, social and economic destiny for the next five years and beyond.
The awareness and education must intensify in the remaining months leading to the election in June.
The kind of government we have next will depend on the kind of lea­ders that we, the voters, choose.
As a democratic society, people of all walks of life will be exercising their freedom to compete for the 109 seats and among them, there will be black sheep.
It is up to the voters to screen and analyse all the candidates, both on party lines and as individuals, before eliminating them one by one until the best three are left.
Out of the three, we must prioritise in order of our preferences before we actually take up positions in the queue at the polling stations.
We do not have to screen all candidates, but select the best five and screen their education qualifications, work experiences, religion, visions, aspirations as well as their social, economic and political backgrounds.
People have to be wary of so-called master sanaps, who are poli­tical rejects that break election rules out of desperation.
They are the ones that accumulate arms and instigate election-related violence and tribal wars that result in the destruction of innocent lives and property.
For us to develop and advance in politics, not only must we elect the best leaders but we must also change our corrupt and traditional practices.
We must put aside our family connections, clans and tribal links, our feuds and rivalries, our personal grudges and immediate personal wants and needs.
We must do away with our wantok system and the kisim na givim or get-and-give habits.
We must refuse cash handouts from candidates because bribery deludes our minds and makes us stumble in our choice of leaders.
We must stop enrolling ghost names and do away with so-called campaign houses, which are no­thing more than brothels and gambling dens.
If we do not change our mentality, we will continue to depend on Australia and other foreign agents.
It is up to us to change for the better.
The opportunity to elect leaders comes once every five years and we cannot afford to abuse it.
The decisions that we make in June will affect our well-being, and that of our children, communities, electorates, provinces and the country as a whole for the next five years and beyond.
We must think big, think national and act saliently.

Francis Níi
Kundiawa

SHP leaders’ greed make citizens poorer

Source: The National, Wednesday 22nd Febuary 2012

I AM disgusted and frustrated with Southern Highlands leaders who are leading our province.
This rich province is going to the dogs due to a lack of quality leadership and people are dying in villages, with no roads and clinics for proper treatment.
Some do not even have a toea in their pockets because there is no  accessibility to town or market to sell their produce.
Mendi is filthy and full of potholes, with street sellers everywhere.
Being a leader means to be a servant and not worry about how much you will earn as an MP.
We must pray hard because a true leader comes from God, one who does not take bribes
or pay for votes. I am sorry for Southern Highlanders.
Lord, please inspire our leaders to serve.

Mul Pem Komo
Via email

K2.5 million for Tsak road

Source: Highlands Region News, Post Courier, January 19, 2012

By TRAVERTZ MABONE
THE people of Tsak in Wapenamanda District, Enga Province have finally received funding for the Tsak road which has been neglected for the past 15 to 30 years.
The Tsak Local Level Government president Mathias Waep stated that the road has been in a poor state and unsuitable for any other road vehicles apart from four wheel drives.
The timely funding came when the Reformation Ministries and Churches Network held their Church Aritum opening at Tsak valley on January 15, 2012, where the Minister for Finance and Treasury Don Polye committed K2.5 million for the maintenance of the road.
Mr Waep, on behalf of the people of Tsak, thanked Mr Polye for the timely commitment of funds.
The Tsak road services more than 20,000 people in the area and is the main access to one high school, seven primary schools, two health centres and two Aid Posts.
Mr Waepo said that with the upcoming elections, it was vital that road works commence soon enough to make electoral activities easier.
“For accountability and transparency purposes of delivering services, I suggest the funds be given to an organisation that has a proposal in line with the church and government’s partnership policy in its Vision 2050,” he added.
“We the people of Tsak applaud you, Mr Polye, for the funds you have given to us. We can see the light through your leadership and ministry,” Mr Waep said

Southern Highlanders end 6 years of fighting

Source: The National,Wednesday18 January 2012

AFTER years of violence, six warring tribes have agreed to lay down their arms and live in peace.
Wake-Lakira and Laisi, Kome, Rairira, Bela-Yamola and Wasuma tribes from the Aiya local level government in Kagua, Southern Highlands, confirmed the peace agreement by signing a memorandum of understanding last Dec 24.
The tribal conflicts have affected more than 40,000 people in the LLG with more than 50 lives lost during the fights.
The first tribal war began in 2002 between Sumi and Uma where properties belonging to the Sumi Catholic mission and the government were destroyed.
The next was in Aug 2008 between the Wake-Lakira, Onepena and Laisi, Kome, Rairira, Bela-Yamola and Wasuma.
It started after the death of a Taisi and Wake in Port Moresby.
Aiya peace committee chairman Peter Tulapi said despite the lack of government involvement, the peace ceremony was successful with no weapons seen or displayed by landowners.
The Sumi Catholic mission assisted with peace negotiations by organising a week-long crusade.
The crusade was held to prepare youths and other members of the communities spiritually to accept peace in their hearts.
In a traditional peace recognition among the people, the warring tribes shared the fresh heart of a pig to demonstrate their desire for peace among themselves.
The people were urged to put their differences aside and work towards rebuilding their lives.
Businessman Timothy Irinaya gave K10,000 to the peace committee and urged the provincial and national government, donor communities, non-governmental organisations, those in the private sector and churches to restore basic health and education services in the area.

Continuous rain affects h’lands

Source: The National,Tuesday17 January 2012

By JEFFREY ELAPA
CONTINUOUS rain has damaged food gardens and properties in many parts of the Highlands region.
People’s party general secretary Willie Palme, who toured several parts of the Highlands, including Jiwaka, parts of Western Highlands and Chimbu, was shocked to see the damage caused by the latest flooding there.
He said in his recent travel to Mount Hagen city, North and South Waghi of Jiwaka and part of Chimbu by road, he saw the devastation after floods swept through the region.
He said so much damage was inflicted on public infrastructure, including sections of the Highlands Highway, the lifeline for the population there.
He said several sections of the road from the agriculture rich Waghi Valley from Kendeng, Kondopina, Banz, Nondugl and roads into Kerowagi district station had been destroyed by the heavy floods.
Palme said the floods had covered church buildings, schools, health facilities, government outstations and people’s houses.
He said food gardens, including coffee gardens, were under water and destroyed by the floods, with damage estimated to be in the millions of kina.
He said the continued flooding for over a month was a threat to lives as one family travelling in a motor vehicles was washed away as they were crossing a flooded river. Pigs and other domesticated animals had been washed away.
He said he witnessed people living along the Waghi River and other smaller rivers like Tuman, Komun, Pin, Warakar, Kane vacate their homes to seek refuge on higher ground.
Palme said more than 60,000 people had been affected by the latest flood.
“I now call on respective authorities including national and provincial governments, local level governments to urgently intervene to assess the situation and help people severely affected by the impact of the flood.
“If assistance is prolonged than more human lives are going to be in danger and the damage caused will affect the livelihood of the communities,” he said.
He said an outbreak of waterborne diseases such as typhoid, malaria and dengue fever was possible in such times.

New Zoo needs funding

Source: Highlands Region, Post Courier, january 17, 2012
By RAMCY WAMA

A newly established zoo in Western Highlands Province needs provincial government funding for completion before it opens for tourists from both national and overseas to visit in February.
Raldeng Zoo, Culture, Guest House and Convention Centre are a mini zoo established by Richard Lazarus an economics graduate from the University of Papua New Guinea at Kelua Village 10 minutes drive from Mt Hagen City.
Mr Lazarus said the idea of establishing a zoo in his village came about when he was in the community school back in the 1990’s. He was motivated after several visits to the Baiyer Zoo or the Wildlife Sanctuary in the Baiyer Valley.
“My dream of setting up a zoo and a culture centre started then so I started collecting varieties of flower plants and trees and planted the only food garden plot. The two hectares of garden land was eventually covered by trees and flower plants over the years,” he said.
Mr Lazarus said last year he resigned from Digicel PNG and went back to his home to establish the zoo that he had always dreamed of.
“After graduating from UPNG I worked with Digicel PNG but early last year I resigned to build this zoo. With the little earnings I got from the my former employment I decided to put it into good use by buying different animal species of birds, snakes, cuscus, ducks, and orchids from Jimi, Baiyer, Kopun, and Madang. I built the 20 metre cane bridge on top of the tree canopies in which the canes were brought from Las Kopun, a place near Madang,” he said.
Mr Lazarus said that with the run down state of the Baiyer Zoo, the only wildlife sanctuary in the province, tourism has come to a standstill.
He said Western Highlands Province was renowned for its rich cultural heritage like the Kuk Heritage and Baiyer Zoo that has attracted many tourists in the late 90’s. But mismanagement and land disputes resulted in halting the thriving tourism industry.
“My set up is a mini-zoo, cultural heritage, guest house and a convention centre established to preserve some of Western Highlands cultures, bird species, orchards, tree plants, cuscus and other traditional customs that would be on showcase by the locals for tourists.
“I am therefore calling on the provincial government and culture loving Western Highlanders to donate cash to complete the zoo before having it launched on February,” Mr Lazarus said.
He said the zoo has been registered with investment Promotion Authority and other interesting parties who wish to donate in cash or kind should contact him on 71971365 or 76555317.

O’Neill following grows in region

Source: News, Post Courier, January 16, 2012

There is growing support for the O’Neill – Namah government in many parts of the Highlands region.
NGO activist Noel Anjo while confirming this over the weekend however said he was also worried that not many of the population in the rural areas throughout the country are aware of the real issues affecting the country.
Mr Anjo said this brings in the need for more awareness to be carried out to educate the small people.
He said in Wabag, many people are now beginning to realize that the O’Neill – Namah government through its policies can now deliver basic goods and services that can finally ease their burden at least for sometime.
He said the Tongemas village near Birip station in Wabag which is Wabag MP Sam Abal’s strong hold are already rallying behind Finance and Treasury Minister Don Polye although Mr Polye is MP for Kandep another electorate in Enga Province.
The activist said this were the Waimba-Kumba tribe with an estimated population of about 800.
Mr Anjo said he was invited to the village to talk on the political issues affecting the country especially on what is happening between the Somare – O’Neill regime and learnt of the support O’Neill – Namah Government have in the highlands.
“Minister Polye’s great grandfather Tonges originates from the Waimba – Kumba tribe who got married to a Kandep woman and they both together had two children. Tonges moved to settle with the wife at Kandep where their great grand son Don, now senior MP in the country was born.
However, Mr Anjo said it is very sad to know that many people in the rural areas are not made aware of the issues affecting the country.
Mr Anjo has placed the blame on wrong information disseminated to the people.
He took time here also to inform the people of the policies of the new government - among them is the free education policy.
“Fight against corruption and good governance is other major policies of the government,” Mr Anjo said.