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AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1922-1975

PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 9 of 25th February 2021 FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR PNG

PNG TIMBER YOU CAN LIVE IN IT. YOU CAN RIDE ON IT. YOU CAN BURN IT. YOU CAN TELL THE TIME IN IT. YOU CAN BE BURIED IN IT.

Cloudy Bay Timbers Grandfather Clock PNG Woods 2004 Photo credit Dick McCarthy

Editor R B McCarthy1 2021

District Forester TPNG 1963-1975

TABLE OF CONTENTS “FORWOOD”

Page 3

1951/52 Timber Production

Page 4

1964/65 Timber Producers and Australian Agents

Page 5

1974/75 Timber Producers and Australian Agents

Page 6

What was Defined as Forest Management PNG in 1975?

Page 7

1990’s Global Introduction of the Sustainable Forest Management Concept

Page 9

Challenges Faced by Australian Foresters

Page 10

PNGAF Mag # 9 Series re Forest Management PNG

Page 16

ACRONYMS

Page 18

Pit Sawing Photo Credit Ken Granger

“FORWOOD” The implications for Australia and PNG of political, economic and security development in terms of PNG forest management is that there was a long standing and enormous wood trade between Australia and PNG encompassed within a sphere of similar forest types and forest products bound by many existing long-term areas of mutual co-operation within the respective government and private sectors. By 1975, there were many similarities between PNG Forestry and Australian Forestry: • • • • • •

Similar forest types and forest produce and forest product markets. Similar forest plantation species. Similar forest industry standards for timber treatment and building codes. Similar forestry training curriculum PNG served as an economic woodshed for the Australian timber trade. Then most investors were Australian.

The forest management objective of the Department of Forests PNG, in relation to the natural forests of Papua New Guinea, was to assess the timber resource to ensure an economic supply of forest products for an export trade, under a regime of scientific (ecologically based) rainforest management, based on selection logging criteria. PNG has a land area of some 46 million hectares, of which some 40 million hectares are tree covered2. Up to 1975, only a little over a third was regarded as accessible commercial forest. By 1975, some 200 tree species had economic potential but only a few species (up to 30) accounted for the bulk of merchantable timber. Forest legislation which existed at the conclusion of the time for this project in 1975, are contained in the Forestry Act 1973, the Forestry (Private Dealings) Act 1971, and the Forestry Council Act 1974. These Acts place the responsibility of conservation and management of forests under the Minister of Forests, through the Department of Forests. The Forestry Act, 1974 essentially provides for: 1. The purchase of Timber Rights from the customary landowners. 2. The granting of Timber Permits/Licences over the acquired forest rights or resources. 3. The making of necessary regulations pursuant to the Act. Activities of the Department of Forests for the management of the natural forest included: 1. Undertake an inventory of the forest resource and any harvesting operations. 2. Calculate estimates of available volumes on operable areas. 3. Develop cutting cycles based on estimates of volume increment such that the forests could be managed on a sustained yield basis. 4. At the same time implement measures to ensure any harvesting is controlled to ensure that the development of the resource be maintained. For example, selection harvesting with a minimum diameter limit of 50 cm and a 35-year cutting cycle.

New Horizons – Forestry in Papua New Guinea. Dept. of Forests 1973 Jacaranda Press

1951/52 TIMBER PRODUCTION 1951/52 Annual Harvest of logs 47,241 cubic metres3. In 1952, Jim McAdam Director of TPNG Forests, summarised the background to development of the forest sector up till 1952.4 Rehabilitation requirements from war damage would need some 110,000 m3 of sawn timber. Coupled with the economic expansion of the PNG economy, there has been an increased demand for sawn timber in the Territory. FAO5 estimated that there were 11 sawmills operating in TPNG in 1948. In 1951/52 the log harvest was some 47,241 cubic metres. Of this, log exports remained constant at 2,300 m3 (one million super feet). Minor forest products include sago from the Metroxylon palm, nipa palm leaves for thatching, mangrove bark for tannin, dammar gum, canes, and bamboos.

Photo Credit Jim Cavanaugh. NGG Ltd sawmill at the mouth of the Binatang Creek Wau September 1941.

Dept of Forests Annual Report 1974-1975

PAPER BY J B McAdam IN THE PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY’S ANNUAL REPORTOF 1952 “Forestry in New Guinea”. 5

UNASYLVA Vol 2 # 6 Nov-Dec 1948. 4

1964/65 TIMBER PRODUCERS AND AUSTRALIAN AGENTS Dept of Forests 1965 1964/65 Annual Harvest of logs 257,004 cubic metres6.

Dept of Forests Annual Report 1974-1975

1974/75 TIMBER PRODUCERS AND AUSTRALIAN AGENTS Dept of Forests 1974 1974/75 Annual Harvest of logs 893,822 cubic metres.7

Dept of Forests Annual Report 1974-1975

WHAT WAS DEFINED AS FOREST MANAGEMENT PNG in 1975? By 1975, Forest Management in PNG was defined as a branch of forestry concerned with overall administrative, legal, economic, and social aspects, as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as silviculture, protection, and forest regulation of the forest estate. This included management for multiple use of forest resources as timber production, wood products, communities, recreation, water, wildlife, plant genetic resources, fire, and other forest resource values. Forestry in PNG as then defined by Carron8 was the wise and sustained fostering, production and use by people of the many values, benefits, and products of forests . The development of PNG’s forest management initiatives closely paralleled the definitions of forest lands as described in FAO’s Forest Resources Assessment from 1948 to 1975. 9 1948 Forest lands bearing vegetative associations dominated by trees of any size, capable of producing timber or other products or of exerting an influence on the climate or on the water regime; also, lands from which forests have been recently clear-cut or burned, but which will be soon reforested. 1953 Forest lands bearing vegetative associations dominated by trees of any size, exploited or not, capable of producing wood or of exerting an influence on the local climate or on the water regime. 1958 Forest lands bearing vegetative associations dominated by trees of any size, exploited or not, capable of producing wood or other forest products, of exerting an influence on the climate or on the water regime, or providing shelter for livestock and wildlife. 1963 Forest land bearing vegetative associations dominated by trees of any size, exploited or not, capable of producing wood or other forest products, of exerting an influence on the climate or on the water regime, or providing shelter for livestock and wildlife. 1970 Forest: areas covered with trees and/or shrubs and not used primarily for agriculture or other non-forestry purposes.

Carron L T A History of Forestry in Australia ISBN 00802987451 Ref 1948-2018 Seventy years of FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment Historical overview and prospects. Author Monica Garzuglia (FAO) ISBN 978-92-5-130062-6 © FAO, 2018 9

Forestry Policy at Independence was based on a 1973 National Forest Policy document10, which clearly recognized the customary ownership of forests, and the need to link forestry development to national needs, as reported by Carson in 1974. 1975 PNG Forest Policy. To have the forest resources of Papua New Guinea managed as a national asset in the interests of the present and future generations of the people (who are the forest owners). To preserve, develop and maintain through reforestation such forest areas as will enable domestic needs. To preserve, develop and maintain through reforestation such forest areas as will enable domestic needs to be met as far as possible and is warranted, and will also enable full advantage to be taken of export opportunities. To accept the need for protection and management of watersheds, control of soil erosion, conservation of animal and plant communities, and the use of forests for recreational and other indirect benefits. To encourage the development of permanent forest industries and to provide opportunities for the forest owners to become involved in these industries. To promote research into forest technology to improve the efficiency of forestry and forest industries, to reduce imports and increase export earnings, and to improve the social and economic benefits to the nation and the forest owners. To promote education in all branches of the forest industry and to encourage a better understanding by the people of the value of their forests in both their own and the national interest. To provide the laws, the organisation, and funds, to manage effectively, the country’s forests having regard to overall development policies and forestry’s ability to compete successfully with other demands on the nation’s resources.

Forest Policy. Papua New Guinea – 1973 (Translation of the “National; Eight Point Improvement” into a “National Forest Policy”. Dept of Forests.

GLOBAL INTRODUCTION OF THE SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT CONCEPT 1990’s Global Introduction of the Sustainable Forest Management Concept Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is the management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development. SFM must keep the balance between the three main pillars: ecological, economic, and socio-cultural. The “Forest Principles” were adopted at the Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. 11

By 2016, the International Tropical Timber Organization, representing some 70 producer and consumer countries of tropical forest produce defined sustainable forest management (SFM) as “the process of managing forest to achieve one or more clearly specified objectives of management with regard to the production of a continuous flow of desired forest products and services without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity and without undue desirable effects on the physical and social environment.” This definition implies the following objectives of SFM: • • • • • •

Continuously satisfying needs for goods and environmental services from forests. Ensuring the conservation of forest soils, water, and carbon stocks. Conserving biodiversity. Maintaining the resilience and renewal capacity of forests, including carbon storage. Supporting the food security, cultural and livelihood needs of forest dependent communities. Ensuring the equitable sharing of responsibilities in forest management and of the benefits arising from forest use.

https://www.itto.int

CHALLENGES FACED BY AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS The natural forests of PNG are not public forests – they are privately owned by the traditional owners and unless they became part of a forest management ethic and practice on the part of resource owners, it could be questioned whether there would be any effective base for the long-term management goals of forest policy.

Middle Ramu 2001. Photo credit Dick McCarthy 12

In 1974, a mere 89 000 hectares were State owned and even this was contested by the people. The government must negotiate with the traditional owners for the use of the forest resources. Many of the traditional ownership groups however are very reluctant to sell forest land even if it is not required by them for development. They usually are only prepared to sell the timber rights for a specific period up to 25 years. At the end of 1976, under the Forest Act 1936, the government had purchased the timber rights of 2 226 000 ha. Often this purchase was quite complex. For example, over an area of 63 000 ha in the Gogol and Ramu valley near Madang there were as many as 250 district land owning groups with 8 different languages among a population of only 2 300 people. With all owner groups an agreement must be reached before industrial development can start. In the Land Groups Act of 1974 there is a provision to recognize clans as corporations and the Land Dispute Settlement Act provides for disputes over land, boundaries etc. Under the Forestry Act of 1971 timber owners can directly deal with the logging company after the Minister in charge of forestry matters declares the area as a Local Forest Area. Under Forest Act 1937 landowners may sell small quantities of timber up to approximately 50 m3.

FAO 1981

In PNG, outside of the 10 % of land area under possible legal concession, there is much other wood produced, which is unaccounted for in any country statistical database and which does not attract any taxation charges. It is estimated that fuelwood usage alone would be between 1 to 2 million cubic metres annually. Other traditional uses of wood including village house building and canoe construction could easily account for another 500,000 cubic metres of wood annually,

Cloudy Bay Timber Area 2005. Photo credit Dick McCarthy

Markham Valley fuel wood A. mangium. Photo credit Dick McCarthy 1995

Construction of Lakatoi Papa Lea Lea north of Port Moresby. – double hulled sailing watercraft Hiri Trade. Photo Credit Dick McCarthy 2009

Throughout geological time, PNG’s vegetation is associated with Australian vegetation due to the influence of continental drift, coupled with a history of climatic fluctuations. The present boundaries of rainforest are far from static. Given freedom from fire and other disturbance, there would be a tendency for rainforest to encroach into adjoining plant formations. PNG is a land wracked by continual catastrophe. The mountains are young and continuing to uplift as the Australian plate subducts below the Pacific plate, so earthquakes with associated landslides are frequent on the young steep slopes. There are numerous active volcanoes, which create lava flows and mudflows and thick ash deposits. Strong destructive winds occasionally occur. In exceptionally dry years those forests that are always slightly seasonal become unusually dry and may catch fire. The big rivers that run on the coastal plains have unstable courses. Shifting cultivation and associated regrowth forest is also extensive. It is no surprise that lists of timber tree species for a tract of lowland rainforest in PNG usually include a considerable proportion of pioneers, such as species of Albizia, Paraserianthes and Serianthes, or Eucalyptus deglupta, besides strongly light-demanding climax species such as Campnosperma spp, Pometia pinnata and Terminalia spp. The impact of El Nino Southern Oscillation events (this is part of a pantropical climatic perturbation which results from anomalous warming of the usually cool surface of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean) has been rare droughts in the tropics (PNG 1972), which in turn are linked in recent times with higher and higher incidences of uncontrolled bush wildfires throughout affected tropical areas.

Photo above Ramu River near Madang Photo credit Dick McCarthy 2001 Photo to Right Volcanic explosion 1994 Rabaul Airport Photo Credit Dick McCarthy

Management and treatment of the forest. The need to establish an ecological basis for PNG rainforest management yet ensuring a multiple use of forest resources.

Middle Ramu Timber Area. Photo credit Dick McCarthy 2001 The need for improved forest inventories.

Source 1959 Commonwealth Dept. of Territories. An expedition preparing to set out from Port Moresby in 1885 for the crest of the Owen Stanley Ranges. 13

The relative emphasis to be given to agricultural and industrial development. The place of the forest (whether permanent or temporary) in relation to the picture of rural development, not only re soil conservation and land capability but also as affected by practices as shifting cultivation.

Hoskins Oil Palm development New Britain 1995. Photo credit Dick McCarthy The place of forest industries in the general industrial development. The forest, as a renewable natural resource, may on reflection prove of primary rather than secondary importance.

PNG Forest Industry Display. Photo credit Dick McCarthy 2004 14

Any development scheme based on forestry, which must perforce long-term, must therefore be drawn up on the forester's appraisal of the forest, how to treat and manage the forest, and on the forester’s assessment of the type and quantities of products that one would expect to obtain within a sphere of where only several merchantable species are acceptable on international markets.

Vanimo Township 1990’s. Photo credit Evan Shield

Vanimo Timber Area, drawn by draftsman Mike Jones Dept of Forests PNG 1970 15

PNGAF MAG # 9 SERIES RE FOREST MANAGEMENT PNG To address the development of PNG Forest Management Systems, PNGAF Mag # 9 will comprise a number of individual magazines covering the various components of the PNG Forest Management story till 1975. PNGAF MAG # 9 FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR PNG (25th Feb 2021) PNGAF MAG # 9A BACKGROUND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR PNG PNGAF MAG # 9B FOREST RESOURCE PNGAF MAG 9C FOREST OWNERSHIP AND FOREST ESTATE PNGAF MAG # 9D THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS PNGAF MAG # 9E ECOLOGICAL BASIS OF RAINFOREST MANAGEMENT PNGAF MAG # 9F THREATS TO FOREST MANAGEMENT PNGAF MAG # 9G FOREST POLICY, LAW AND ADMINISTRATION PNGAF MAG # 9H FOREST REVENUE SYSTEMS PNGAF MAG # 9I PROFESSIONAL PNGAF MAG # 9J MARKETS FOR WOOD PRODUCTS

Pual River 1970 Photo Credit Mike Jones

ACRONYMS ACT AEC AFS AFPNG AIF AMF ANBG ANGAU ANU APMF APPM ASIO ASOPA BCOF “Beer Time” BFC BGD BUC C cm CALM CFA CNGT CRE CRE

CSIRO CHAH DASF DEPT DOF FAO F &TB FPRC Forkol GIS ha IBRD IFA ITTO L of N m3 MM

Australian Capital Territory Administrators Executive Committee Australian Forestry School Association of Foresters of PNG Australian Infantry Forces Australian Military Forces Australian National Botanical Gardens Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit Australian National University Australian Paper Manufacturers Forestry Pty Ltd Australia Paper and Pulp Manufacturers Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Australian School of Pacific Administration British Commonwealth Occupational Force 1945-52 Any time. Bulolo Forestry College Bulolo Gold Dredging Company Bulolo University College Commonwealth Centimetre Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management Commonwealth Forestry Association Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Bulolo Corps of Royal Engineers CRE is a term inherited by RAE from RE and is the term for the Commanding Officer of a RAE unit which is headed by a Lt Col. Although the officer is called the CRE the name is also used for the name of his unit. E.g., CRE Aust Forestry Group or 1(NG Forests). Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria Dept of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries Department Department of Forests Food and Agriculture Organisation Forest and Timber Bureau Canberra Forest Products Research Centre Hohola Bulolo Forestry College Geographic Information Systems Hectare International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Institute of Foresters of Australia International Tropical Timber Organization League of Nations cubic metre Military Medal 18

NAA NARI NB no. NG NGF NGIB NZ NSW PIB PIR PNG PNGAA PNGAF PNGFA PNGFIA PNGRIS PNGUT POM Q QF RAE RPC SFM SP UK UN Unasylva UNE UNI UNITECH UNRE UPNG UQ US USA TPNG TUBL TA TA TRP VSF WA WB WW2

National Archives Australia National Agriculture Research Institute New Britain Number New Guinea New Guinea Forces (relates to plant collection of Lae Herbarium) New Guinea Infantry Battalion New Zealand New South Wales Papuan Infantry Battalion Pacific Islands Regiment Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Australia Association Papua New Guinea Australian Foresters Magazine Series Papua New Guinea Forest Authority PNG Forest Industries Association Papua New Guinea Resource Information System PNG University of Technology Port Moresby Queensland Queensland Forestry Royal Australian Engineers/Australian Army Royal Papuan Constabulary Sustainable Forest Management South Pacific United Kingdom United Nations Journal of FAO of UN University of New England Armidale NSW University University of Technology Lae PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment University of Papua New Guinea University of Queensland United States United States of America Territory of Papua and New Guinea Territory United Brewery Ltd Timber Area Timber Authority Timber Rights Purchase Victorian School of Forestry Western Australia World Bank WORLD WAR 2