Australian support for Rimbunan Hijau
The Australian government, and by default its people, help to support and indirectly fund Rimbunan Hijau’s destructive logging practice and allegations of human rights abuses in PNG.
Australia is the largest market for sawn timber from Rimbunan Hijau’s logging operations. Large amounts of sawn timber (value added) from RH's operations is exported to Australia while Japan and China take the bulk of the cheap raw logs.
Australia makes generous contributions to funding the PNG Police Force.
Australia spends $400 million on aid to PNG but none of that is spent on cleaning up the forest industry that is one the biggest contributors to rural poverty and environmental degradation in PNG.
