SPC Project Under Way in

Netherlands NG

From Our Own Correspondent

Hollandia, Jan. 1.

A DEVELOPMENT project, carried out under the auspices of the South Pacific Com mission, on the Nimboran Plains, south of Lake Sentani and inland from Hollandia, Netherlands New Guinea, has been under way for several months. (See PIM for No vember) .

Economic development is one of the main objects of the project and with this in view mechanised agri culture is being introduced. An SPC grant of £l,lOO has been used to buy a Fordson tractor and vari ous equipment. For the time being only 40 acres of the 1,000 acres of the Plains will be cultivated.

The District Officer of Nimboran has set up a co-operative store which for the first few months will be financed by the Netherlands Administration. Later, attention will be focused on education and health.

Bottle-neck of the project at pre sent is the road connecting the area with Lake Sentani from which point the journey to Hollandia is completed by barge and lorry. The “road” was originally only a native track but it is now possible to reach the Plains by jeep, even in the wet season. This is due to the work put into it by Plains natives. To complete an all-weather road, in cluding one Bailey Bridge, will cost an estimated £29,000.

There are six members on the Supervisory Board of the Nimboran project which was set up three months ago—one of which, the Civil Commissioner of the North Division of NNG, Mr. A. Lamers, acts as Chairman.

Dr. Fisher, Australian vulcanolo gist, says that Mount Lamington (which erupted in Papua and killed hundreds of people in 1951), is likely to explode again “any time after 2000 AD.”