BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

RECENT heavy rain and strong winds have damaged sections of coastal roads on Simbo Island, making it difficult for villagers to access their food gardens.

Speaking from Simbo Island, the Provincial Member for Nusa Simbo Ward, Gideon Tuke, said most communities on the island are safe despite the bad weather.

“Most of the communities are okay. I’m not sure about other areas, but I’m confident that they are also safe,” Tuke said.

He said a few properties and food gardens sustained minor damage while there were no reports of casualties.

According to Tuke, the most concerning issue at Simbo is the abnormal high tides, which have contributed to the destruction of coastal roads.

“The odd thing happening at Simbo is the abnormal tides, which have damaged our coastal roads,” he said.

Meanwhile, Provincial Secretary for Western Province, Patrick Toiraena, said his office has not received any official reports of damage from the islands so far.

In a conversation with Island Sun, he said the only report we have received is from Ranongga Island, where some families lost their food gardens during the bad weather after the New Year.

Toiraena said the provincial office will continue to monitor the situation and will update Island Sun should any new reports of damage be forwarded to the office.

By RODRICK DESURI
Auki
Passengers from the southern end of West Kwaio and West Are’are have to board three vehicles before reaching Auki town due to the flooding of two rivers.
Malaita island was inundated by heavy rains over the weekend. The heavy rains is due to the trough which lies over the country, linked to the tropical low located south of Rennell and Bellona province.
Teacher Wilfred Oemauri, who traveled to Auki on Monday but arrived on Tuesday, January 20, told Island Sun the flooding from the Kwari’ekwa and Folu rivers in the West Kwaio Constituency has cut the main road into three segments.
He explained that this has created extra effort and expense, as the budget must accommodate the three modes of transportation.
“You’ll first take a truck from Heo to travel to Kwari’ekwa, the second trip is from Kwari’ekwa to Fulo, and the third trip is from Fulo directly to Auki,” he said.
“If we plan to travel to Auki, we have to go and sleep overnight at Kwari’ekwa, and the next day we will be waiting for the second trip to Fulo and then to Auki.”
Meanwhile, Frank Fitoo from the Weather Office in Auki said that the weather patterns are still not stable and can change at any time.
He encouraged everyone to take precaution and plan their travel before traveling to any destination.
“Yes, our weather is still not safe and stable, so I just encourage everyone to take extra precautions when traveling,” he said.
“Our weather patterns can change at any time.”

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

ANGRY landowners have given the government one month to address the ongoing controversy surrounding tubi harvesting at Korona Land, warning that they will take matters into their own hands if no action is taken.

In an interview with Island Sun, the landowners said they are frustrated with government’s poor decision-making and a lack of respect for customary resource owners not only on San Jorge but in Solomon Islands.

“If the government fails to address this issue, we will deal with it our way,” the landowners said.

They said their first action will be a peaceful protest at the Korona logging camp to seek clarity on how and why the logging company entered their land without their consent.

“We want a better understanding of how this company landed on our land without our approval. We have already made our demands clear, but the company ignored them, and we will deal with them accordingly,” they said.

The landowners said the protest will expose individuals who are benefiting from the controversial logging deal at the expense of the wider landowning group.

“It is time for the landowners to stand up for themselves instead of watching corrupt investors, backed by the government exploiting our resources,” they said.

“This is our traditional and democratic right, and we will not back down until our concerns are addressed.”

The landowners said the dispute with the logging company, now known as Sunrise Investments Limited, dates back to 2020 and 2023, when the company was found guilty of illegally harvesting tubi at Korona.

In December 2020, the director of a logging company was fined $50,000 after pleading guilty to illegal harvesting of restricted species.

The director, Richard Song Sing Ngea from Malaysia, was convicted on charges relating to the illegal harvesting, possession, and attempted export of restricted timber species without proper licences and permits.

The charges were laid under the Forest Resources and Timber Utilisation Act and the Wildlife Protection and Management Act, as amended.

However, on 6 November 2022, the Attorney General’s Office, together with senior officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Forestry Division, allowed Sunrise Investments Limited to export the seized logs—a decision that reportedly shocked the landowners.

Sunrise Investments Limited subsequently exported about 5,000 cubic metres of tubi logs to a buyer in China, Karridale Pty Ltd.

The company reportedly received approximately $4.9 million, the Free on Board (FOB) value of the logs, through a letter of credit from Pan Oceanic Bank.

“This is a case that only the devil knows to this day,” the landowners said.

They warned that patience has run out.

“Time for leniency is over. It is time for us, as resource owners, to stand up for our land and for our children’s future,” they said.

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
GROWING pollution and the impacts of climate change are threatening the future of Simbo, one of the inhabited islands in Western Province.
In an interview with Island Sun, the Provincial Member for Nusa Simbo Ward, Gideon Tuke, said the island is facing mounting pressure as its population continues to grow while the land area steadily shrinks.
He said the birth rate on the island has increased significantly and is now on track to overwhelm the limited resources available to residents.
“Simbo is now dominated by young couples who start families at a very early age.
“Because they marry young, there are many children, even exceeding the amount of land available for gardening and the building of houses,” Tuke said.
He said overcrowding is becoming a serious concern, predicting that within the next 10 years, up to four families may be forced to live under one roof due to the lack of space for new housing.
“In short, Simbo is now overpopulated,” Tuke said.
Adding to the challenge is the growing threat of climate change, particularly rising sea levels.
Tuke said some parts of the island have already experienced seawater encroachment of up to one metre inland.
“Sea level rise is a huge threat to our communities, adding that plans are now being considered to relocate some coastal settlements to safer areas,” he said.
Simbo consists of two islands located close to each other and is home to a dormant volcano.
The island is well known for producing sweet oranges, yams and other root crops, which have long supported the livelihoods of local communities.
In 2017, Simbo Island gained national and international recognition when it was officially certified as an organic island — the first of its kind in Solomon Islands.
The certification was issued by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) as a third-party certification body.
Despite its achievements, leaders say urgent action is needed to address population pressure, environmental pollution and climate change impacts to secure a sustainable future for Simbo and its people.

Trade Union calls on government to review schemes of service for frontline public officers

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions (SICTU) has called on the national government for an immediate review of the schemes of service for frontline public officers.
SICTU, the representative of the collective voice of workers across the nation, demanded that Government, through responsible ministries and the Public Service Commission, immediately establish and execute a comprehensive review of the schemes of service.
This includes the scheme of service for medical doctors, nurses, allied health workers, police officers and correctional services officers, according to a SICTU statement on Monday this week.
SICTU recognised these dedicated professionals as the backbone of the nation’s security, health, and social stability; yet their terms of employment, career progression, and remuneration have been neglected for far too long.
The current schemes of service are outdated, not reflecting the current demands, complexities, and cost-of-living realities faced by these officers, and this prolonged governmental inaction has resulted in the systematic under-compensation of labour across these sectors, SICTU added.
SICTU said while peripheral discussions may have begun for some groups, the Scheme of Service for Nurses, police and correctional officers been left untouched for an unacceptably long period is a clear case of negligence that must be improved without further delay.
The SICTU said frontline workers continue to serve the country with dedication, often under challenging conditions, however burdened by inadequate payment that does not match the value of their labour.
SICTU said this is detrimental to national morale, service delivery, and the retention of vital skilled professionals and calls for-

1. The immediate establishment of a dedicated and inclusive Review Board/Taskforce for each relevant sector, which must include official representatives from SICTU and its affiliated unions to directly represent the interests of Medical Doctors, Nurses, Allied Health Workers, Police, and Correctional Officers.
2. The relevant Ministries, led by the Ministry of Public Service in collaboration with the Public Service Commission, are to prioritise and expedite the preparation and submission of necessary Cabinet Papers to authorise these urgent reviews and secure the required resources.
3. The Coalition for National Transformation and Unity (CNUT) Cabinet and Caucus to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness it deserves.
   SICTU urge government to act swiftly and decisively on behalf of the thousands of public officers who have waited long enough for justice and fair compensation and demonstrate that it values their service by moving beyond words to concrete, accelerated action.
   SICTU expect a formal response and a clear timeline for this critical process within the shortest period possible, claiming that their members and all frontline officers are watching.
   SICTU stands ready to engage constructively but firmly to ensure this long-overdue correction is achieved.