Cancel annual KTA trip to Australia: Veteran trekker

A long-term Kokoda trekker has called for the cancellation of the annual Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) trip to Australia.

Major Charlie Lynn says the annual KTA ‘junket’ to Brisbane for a Tour Operators Forum on November 27th, 2019, should be cancelled and the venue switched to Port Moresby.

“The agenda for the forum is currently irrelevant to the reality of the Kokoda trekking industry,” said Lynn, who is the Adventure Kokoda founder and a former Australian soldier and politician who was inducted as an Officer of the Logohu by the PNG Government in 2015.

“It is worth noting that there has never been an identifiable outcome from any previous KTA Forum conducted in Australia over the past 10 years – apart from setting the date of their next forum!

“Of more concern is the fact that if a motion is passed at a forum that the KTA does not approve of – even one passed unanimously by 63 PNG trek operators and leaders concerning the exploitation of their local guides and carriers – the KTA will not action it or even publish the Minutes because of their fear of a backlash from the vocal Australian Tour Operators Association.

“As a result, the KTA now operates in a parallel universe to the reality of the Kokoda trekking industry.

“They have not published an audited financial statement for 10 years so we have no idea where the K12 million in trek fee income has gone.

“They have not published a newsletter for the past five years so nobody has any idea what they do.

“They don’t have a booking system for campsites. They don’t have a trek itinerary management system so nobody knows who is on the trail at any time. They don’t have an economic development plan for local villagers to earn additional money from trekkers. They don’t have a trail maintenance plan – or a campsite development plan. They don’t offer any protection for the welfare of local guides, carriers and campsite owners.

“Recently the KTA ‘donated‘ K350,000 to a ‘friendly‘ Australian NGO but they shamelessly refuse to provide any financial assistance to a young Kokoda schoolgirl who needs an emergency lifesaving operation on her heart.”

Lynn says if the KTA refuses to reschedule the forum to Port Moresby, it should be cancelled and the funds allocated to saving the life of the young Kokoda schoolgirl whose plight is becoming more serious by the day.

“If the Brisbane Forum does proceed then all KTA officials and their guest speakers should have to fund their own travel and accommodation as it was never intended for trek fees to be misused for such junkets – they were introduced to ensure local villagers along the trail received their fair share of benefits from the Kokoda trekking industry.

“This is clearly a corruption of that intent and it should therefore be cancelled,” said Lynn.

Meantime, KTA interim CEO, Julius Wargirai, responded by saying most of Lynn’s claims are misleading and false. Wargirai further says he will respond properly at a later time.

(Major Charlie Lynn)

Author: 
Carmella Gware