Harvested logs in PNG Photo: RNZI/Johnny Blades
The Governor of Papua New Guinea's Oro Province has vowed to keep fighting companies conducting illegal logging in his province.
Gary Juffa and his Oro government took action last year to prevent two foreign logging companies from operating in the province after their operations were found to be illegal.
Mr Juffa says there are many illegal logging operations still taking place around the country, and that there appears to be no political will in the Peter O'Neill-led government to stop it.
He says he has joined with Oro landowners in a court case against logging companies who operate outside the law.
"We will ban those machines and we will take care of those people for trespassing on our land, in whatever way we possibly can. And I do not give two bits about what the national government thinks about that. We will protect our resources and our interests as aggressively as we possibly can."
Gary Juffa has criticised the government for not revoking dozens of Special Agricultural Business Leases which are still in place despite being found by a Commission of Inquiry three years ago to be largely fraudulent.
