PNG landowners agree to re-open Kokoda Track

Updated 11 March 2008 at 09:27:56

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In Papua New Guinea, Kokoda Track landowners have agreed to re-open the war time trail to tourists after they were given an ultimatum by the PNG government.

Our PNG correspondent, Steve Marshall, says upset Kokoda land owners closed the track last month in support of a proposed copper mine that would give them a better life.

However spokesman, Barney Jack, says the landowners were given no choice by the PNG government after it told them no mining would be taking place.

"We are left with no other option because the government said there would be no mining also on that because of the environmental issues that they keep telling us about," he said.

The landowners are seeking a compensation package worth more than $US90 million.

The Kokoda track runs for nearly 100 kilometres through the Owen Stanley Mountain Range in Papua New Guinea.

It is renowned as the location of the World War II battle between Japanese and Australian forces in 1942.