South-east Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel, ABC April 12, 2011,
Environmental activists in Cambodia are opposing a multi-million dollar agribusiness proposal by a company associated with former treasurer Peter Costello.
They say the project will close off an internationally significant wildlife corridor.
But the company behind the banana plantation and reforestation project in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains says it will be sustainable and provide jobs and export income.
The mountain forests have been regenerating for the last 10 to 15 years after previously being selectively logged.
For the last decade, the Wildlife Alliance has been protecting the area from poachers, illegal settling and logging with its own rangers and government backing.
Now the NGO's founder, Suwanna Gauntlett, is opposing the Australian proposal for a 5,000 hectare banana plantation and 20,000 hectare reforestation project.
"As you can see it is a forest with grassland and bushland. It was indeed a former logging concession," she said.
The company planning the development says there is no forest of value on the site, but the unbroken tree link between the two mountain ridges is clearly visible from the air.
The area is said to be one of only seven unbroken elephant corridors in Asia and the planned plantation is right on it.
Plans for a high-tech, drip-irrigated plantation to export bananas as well as a replanting project to give migrating elephants a new pathway have so far failed to win support from critics.
"That reforestation that they're talking about doing alongside the banana plantation is also where the company says the elephant corridor will be moved to," Ms Gauntlett said.
"So my first answer is no because that is a populated area and elephants will not migrate and move through a populated area."
'Big concern'
Australian company BKK Partners is a corporate and financial advisory servicel, with former treasurer Peter Costello listed as managing director and partner.
The company has an office in Phnom Penh, where it is advising Indochina Gateway Capital on developing the $600 million agribusiness investment fund planning the plantation.
The ABC's requests for an interview were declined. The company also denied that Mr Costello is involved in the project, although he was in Cambodia promoting it last year.
"One of the things that BKK does is it is managing an investment by Indochina Capital Gateway which is raising funds for a very major agricultural investment here in Cambodia," he said in an interview with the Phnom Penh Post, which is still on the newspaper's website.
"BKK has established a presence here in Phnom Penh. We have a full-time resident director."
Cambodia desperately needs economic development to increase the standard of living.
The company says the banana project will generate up to 75,000 jobs. But villagers are still unsure whether the impact will be positive.
Village chief Chan Sao says villagers hunt and forage in the forest to survive.
"We can't raise animals in the forest like cows and buffalo if we lose our land. This is our big concern," he said.
The villagers say that no-one from an Australian company has been to see them.
Indochina Gateway submitted a formal application to develop the banana plantation in December and is now awaiting a permit.
They say the project will close off an internationally significant wildlife corridor.
But the company behind the banana plantation and reforestation project in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains says it will be sustainable and provide jobs and export income.
The mountain forests have been regenerating for the last 10 to 15 years after previously being selectively logged.
For the last decade, the Wildlife Alliance has been protecting the area from poachers, illegal settling and logging with its own rangers and government backing.
Now the NGO's founder, Suwanna Gauntlett, is opposing the Australian proposal for a 5,000 hectare banana plantation and 20,000 hectare reforestation project.
"As you can see it is a forest with grassland and bushland. It was indeed a former logging concession," she said.
The company planning the development says there is no forest of value on the site, but the unbroken tree link between the two mountain ridges is clearly visible from the air.
The area is said to be one of only seven unbroken elephant corridors in Asia and the planned plantation is right on it.
Plans for a high-tech, drip-irrigated plantation to export bananas as well as a replanting project to give migrating elephants a new pathway have so far failed to win support from critics.
"That reforestation that they're talking about doing alongside the banana plantation is also where the company says the elephant corridor will be moved to," Ms Gauntlett said.
"So my first answer is no because that is a populated area and elephants will not migrate and move through a populated area."
'Big concern'
Australian company BKK Partners is a corporate and financial advisory servicel, with former treasurer Peter Costello listed as managing director and partner.
The company has an office in Phnom Penh, where it is advising Indochina Gateway Capital on developing the $600 million agribusiness investment fund planning the plantation.
The ABC's requests for an interview were declined. The company also denied that Mr Costello is involved in the project, although he was in Cambodia promoting it last year.
"One of the things that BKK does is it is managing an investment by Indochina Capital Gateway which is raising funds for a very major agricultural investment here in Cambodia," he said in an interview with the Phnom Penh Post, which is still on the newspaper's website.
"BKK has established a presence here in Phnom Penh. We have a full-time resident director."
Cambodia desperately needs economic development to increase the standard of living.
The company says the banana project will generate up to 75,000 jobs. But villagers are still unsure whether the impact will be positive.
Village chief Chan Sao says villagers hunt and forage in the forest to survive.
"We can't raise animals in the forest like cows and buffalo if we lose our land. This is our big concern," he said.
The villagers say that no-one from an Australian company has been to see them.
Indochina Gateway submitted a formal application to develop the banana plantation in December and is now awaiting a permit.
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