The threatened collapse of nation states in our Pacific neighbourhood and the scourge of terrorism have awakened Australia to the need for a more proactive leadership role in the South Pacific region.

Since World War 11 Australia has punched well above its weight on the international stage. European Union and ASEAN trading blocks and powerful domestic lobby groups in the United States have not precluded us from successfully penetrating overseas markets. We took on the world to win the 2000 Olympic Games for Sydney and we have been America’s most loyal ally in the international struggle against communism, socialism and the more recent war against terrorism. Our early and generous response to the Asian tsunami gained international acclaim.

But whilst our international gaze has been well over the Pacific horizon a crisis has emerged in our very own neighbourhood – the island chain extending from Timor in the northwest through West Papua, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Vanuatu, Kiribati, the Solomons and Fiji. This island chain is now regarded as our arc of instability.

Recent reports from the Centre of Independent Studies, the Menzies Research Centre and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute have traced our historical ties with each of these nation states and the impact of our withdrawal from anything smacking of neo-colonialism in the 1970s. More ominously they have highlighted the failure of our aid policies over the decades since they were granted independence from their colonial administrators.

Those with expertise in the region warn of catastrophic consequences for Australia and the island nation states if the impending crisis is not arrested.

This realization has led to direct intervention in Timor and The Solomons, a change in our aid policy from a ‘magic pudding’ concept to a ‘tied-aid’ policy formula, a more forthright role in the Pacific Forum, and the implementation of an Enhanced Cooperation Program (ECP) for Papua New Guinea which was destined to fail. The ECP was estimated to cost $800 million over five years in addition to our annual aid budget of $320 million. It was cut short because of a constitutional challenge in the PNG courts. The sudden influx of funds into PNG caused former Prime Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta, to express a word of caution:

“I am worried that the Enhanced Cooperation Program is too much at once, and expensive for what it might achieve’ he wrote. What is critical for any measure of success is for Papua New Guinean officials to be deeply involved in it and for people to see tangible accomplishments soon.”

Sir Mekere understands his people.

Each of the reports I mentioned has made a significant contribution to the debate about the significance of our relationship with PNG and our international responsibility as a leader in the region.

But, as I stand before you here today, it is difficult to see a solution to the challenges PNG faces with the diversity and complexity of its 800 plus cultural groups separated by formidable physical barriers with little or no communications between them.

When I first began trekking Kokoda during the ‘90’s, PNG began to experience major economic and social problems. Curfews were introduced in Port Moresby because of a breakdown of law and order; the local currency crashed; a major political crisis erupted when mercenaries were recruited to fight in Bougainville; billions of dollars in international aid money was wasted; mining and exploration closed down; a bloated public service with up to 7500 ‘ghost’ workers was unable to deliver essential social services to rural areas where 85% of the population live; urban drift from remote villages to major population centres in Port Moresby and Lae created chronic problems within wantok settlements; and corruption emerged in the political system.

The problems now faced by PNG seem almost insurmountable and have recently been the subject of a number of reports on cause and effect with positive suggestions for remedial action.

Our practical experience in dealing with a subject as meaningful as Kokoda indicates that we have much work to do in order to develop an empathetic understanding of our closest neighbour. Indeed, if we don’t begin to develop realistic intangible goals in this area now, then we risk failing in our endeavours to assist them in overcoming their problems.

Our model for a Kokoda National Memorial Park was based on the premise that it should provide a self-sustaining eco-trekking industry for the Koiari and Orokaiva people who live along it and that is should protect the historical, cultural and environmental integrity of the track. Once completed the plan would be used as a model for the development of a self-sustaining eco-tourism industry within PNG. We saw it as a small contribution we could make to the people who helped us so much during the war in the Pacific and who now need a hand themselves.

Our first obstacle was a prevailing attitude within government that the Kokoda Trail is the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs. All communication with Ministers of other departments resulted in a reply that politely advised us that ‘PNG is a sovereign country’, and that our inquiry had been referred to the Minster for Veterans Affairs for a more detailed response. Only a bureaucratic staffer could have drafted such a patronising response!

We argued that proper recognition of Kokoda involved a number of departments – Foreign Affairs, Defence, Veterans Affairs, Education, Environment and the Arts. We proposed that an interdepartmental team of advisors be formed to join with their PNG counterparts and trek across the Kokoda Trail to gain a proper understanding of what it represented, and what needed to be done to have it proclaimed as a national memorial park.

We have not been successful in this regard but as we now know increasing numbers of Australians, young and old, are now beginning to trek across Kokoda.

Our experience in working with PNG and various government agencies has provided a valuable insight into the challenges faced in developing any type of sustainable tourism operations based on the history of the Pacific War.

Australian trekkers arriving in Port Moresby for the first time are struck by the squalor of the settlements surrounding the city, the countless thousands of unemployed people, and the forbidding razor wire wrapped around every house in the city.

After spending their first night in a heavily guarded 4-star hotel they catch a charter flight over the Owen Stanley Ranges to the village of Kokoda.

As they move from the airfield, which was a key factor in the decision to send troops to Kokoda in July 1942, they are greeted with shouts of ‘Oro! Oro! Oro!’ (Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!) as they climb the plateau towards the village. ‘Kokoda’ is an Orokaiva word meaning ‘place of skulls’. Australia’s first Victoria Cross winner, Private Bruce Kingsbury was buried here. His body was transferred to Bomana War Cemetery after the war.

On the north western edge of the plateau is a large generator installed when PNG was governed as a mandated territory by Australia. It has been idle for more than 20 years and the network of power poles connecting houses and administration buildings are derelict and rotting. A large disused concrete tank is a haunting reminder that the village once had a water and sewerage system.

As trekkers follow the footsteps of the brave back along the track they come into direct contact with remote village communities. On day 3 they arrive at Templeton’s Crossing which is the boundary between Oro and Central Province. The Orokaiva and Mountain Koiari clans in this area have been converted to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. They stay converted under the watchful eye of local pastors who conduct church services twice daily at 6.00 am and 6.00 pm. Children with angelic voices and swollen bellies sing hymns in perfect harmony.

A noticeable aspect of village life is the absence of young men who are either working in distant gardens or have gone down the track to seek better opportunities amongst the bright lights of Moresby. Older men sit around their huts while women care for the village, nurture the young and prepare the meals.

Those who venture down to Moresby find there is little work available and are soon reliant on their ‘wan tok’ system for sustenance. Some turn to crime to meet basic needs while others join the fasting growing industry in the country – security! Thousands of uniformed guards with fierce dogs are trucked into the city before dusk each day to stop their own people trying to breach the razor wire fortresses around Moresby.

Back in the villages trekkers notice basic Aid projects designed to support subsistence living in remote areas. Water systems, classrooms and medical centres are in various states of repair due to a lack of recurrent funding for maintenance, school/medical supplies and wages.

Despite these daily challenges villages are warm, friendly and generous with their offerings of food and assistance to trekkers. The legacy of their ‘fuzzy wuzzy angel forbears is evident to all who trek Kokoda. During their ordeal they establish bonds with local guides who tell them of their daily struggle for survival and of their plans for the future.

On return to our affluent society many trekkers want to help but they soon find this is easier said than done. There is no guarantee that clothing parcels, medical supplies, electronic goods or even letters will reach the intended recipient due to the lack of a reliable distribution service to remote villages. Phone, fax and email communications are out of the question. Assistance with educational programs are almost impossible to monitor as school fees are easily misappropriated and students often substituted.

This may well be the reason why World Vision does not have a sponsorship program for PNG students!

What needs to be done?

Short term:

Access to seasonal labour markets
Student scholarship programs
Sporting scholarships
Public and private enterprise exchange programs
Village Partnerships in agriculture and eco/cultural tourism
Assistance with Police, the Judiciary, the army. Teachers, doctors and nurses.
Establishment of ‘Village Cooperatives’

Long Term