'Corruption rife' in Kokoda Track Authority

Antipodean Andy · May 14, 2009

'Corruption rife' in Kokoda Track Authority - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The former chief executive of the Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) says corruption in the organisation has stopped villagers benefiting from trekking fees.

Villagers have been blocking the famous track because they say they are not getting their share of the $100 that is collected from each trekker.

Annette Dean has just returned home to Tasmania from PNG, where she was working as the chief executive of the Kokoda Track Authority.

She told ABC Radio's The World Today that there has been a long history with the Kokoda Track Authority not providing funding from trekking fees to the communities on the track.

"That has created a pretty difficult situation to deal with, because there has been many, many years of collecting trek fees by an authority which was initiated by a number of the villages on the trek," she said.

"However ... while I was running the organisation, what we initiated was the setting up of ward development committees where we used local government wards to distribute funding towards these villages."

Ms Dean says there was corruption and a lot of fraud going on within the Authority.

"The previous board that was managing the Authority actually withdrew funding illegally from the bank accounts," she said.

"And there is a situation that is still being investigated to retrieve that funding."

She says her visit to PNG had to be kept short and sweet due to personal safety concerns.

"My position was, as CEO, handing over to another person who has taken over that role of CEO of the Kokoda Track Authority," she said.

"However, it was an extremely challenging situation to be in and in PNG when you are in a situation where you are having to sack staff, deal with fraud and corruption issues as well, you know, my personal safety was compromised while I was over there.

"So it was a good thing for me to have made those major changes in setting up a really ... efficient system in the way the KTA is being run and very, very strict financial procedures."

Ms Dean said under the circumstances, the Authority is doing as well as it can amid protesting tribes along the Track.

"It will be a long, long time before the KTA is a smooth operating organisation, partly because it does have quite a long history of mismanagement," she said.

"It is going to take a lot of time for communities to actually see how the new system is working.

"Every community has its own idea of how it would like to receive funding and how funding should be distributed, and it is absolutely impossible to keep everybody happy."
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Cobber · May 17, 2009

Bluddy disgrace what would the men who have been their for over 60 years and will be their forever think, if they had enough space they would turn in their grave. Poor Kokoda Track natives allways getting sharfted, it also cost's a lot more than a hundred bucks to walk the Track.
make it fare and square for everyone and they will be happy

spidge · May 17, 2009

PNG has always been corrupt from the top to the bottom.

Through the 90's I saw the Kena go from $1.50 Australian to 43 cents.

spidge · May 17, 2009

spidge said: ↑

PNG has always been corrupt from the top to the bottom.
Click to expand...

Through the 90's I saw exchange rate for the Kena go from $1.50 Australian to 43 cents.

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