A Papua New Guinea government MP, David Arore, says that without development from logging in their area, remote communities need genuine alternatives.
Harvested logs in PNG Photo: RNZI/Johnny Blades
This comes as the prime minister Peter O'Neill anounced that the Environment and Conservation Authority issued stop work orders for two logging companies operating in Oro province for breaching the Environment Act.
Investigations into allegations of illegal logging by the companies have begun, as Mr O'Neill warned that loggers must comply with PNG's rules.
However, Mr Arore, the MP for Ijitivare in Oro, says the area where the companies operated is very remote but that the loggers helped bring development.
"They do make connections... roads and some form of money, royalties, that they give to the locals. I guess apart from that, we can shout and scream as much as we want to but as a responsible government, what is the alternative that we have for this particular group of people? The forest people, we must have alternatives for them."
