You highlight my point JF Aus. Before independence, the plantation your local gathered 40 bags of copra from, would have been a 30 ton a month enterprise. The local copra ship would have called once a month & transported that 30 ton to market for no more than the petrol to carry by outboard canoe cost to carry those few bags.

Perhaps Ozzie plantation owners would have moved to palm oil. I remember Kimbe when it had about 10 kilometers of road, now it has 150 Km & growing.

Don't think I am knocking the people. Their problem, I believe, is that we brought them halfway from the stone age to the 20Th century, then ran out leaving them stranded in no mans land. They would be much better off if we had stayed & finished the job but they would be no worse off now, if we & the Germans before us, had never gone there.

Hasbeen,

It is good to hear you are not knocking the people. Solomon Islanders are good people, really exceptional. The British Royals regard them as most gracious people. I think they are sometimes too gracious, too polite, too proud , and most dislike AID.

They still use stones for cooking and smashing bush nuts open.
The original estimated 80,000 when Europeans arrived is now about 600,000. I would say 95% do not have a paid job.

Cattle once used to clear under the trees became inbred and small and were eaten due to need during the coup.
Palm oil is underway but not almost everywhere like coconuts.

Aus does not have to be there to truly assist and finish the job as you say.
There is a major crisis out there in the ocean.
PM Abbott should attend to it but I think he is too busy with bike riding etc.

I truly thank OLO for this site and allowing our opinions in such discussion.
I would donate to OLO if I could afford it. One day I will.

Still no input from the Rev. Tim I notice.

My solution. No Aid to anywhere unless it's Emergency after a disaster. Fix Australia's infrastructure first. We need Super Fast Trains to carry freight on a double track system track to Hubs between Darwin & Melbourne. A High Speed Freight Rail Line from Townsville to Dampier as planed more than 30 years ago. (Saw some of the plans.) When Australia is up to speed, then we may be able to afford to spread some Aid around "with careful planning."

I don't care what the Church Groups do. If they want to spread their 15% left over after "the 85% Administration Fees" have been deducted, that their thing. Most of that 15% goes on Bibles & building Churches, not helping the people. Oh, that's what they call, helping the people spiritually. ;-)

I agree JF Aus, the Solomon Island people are great people.

I also think the Poms did a much better job there than we did in PNG. In the Shortlands I had a very fat dark gentleman, in a very small canoe, paddle out to my boat & ask in a very cultured English, if I would care to have dinner with he & his wife.

He was Oxford educated, had been chief of police in Honiara for 10 years, but as British policy dictated, he had to retire after 20 years total service. Thus he took his education, knowledge & expertise back to his home village.

He did lament that the islanders would not eat fresh beef. He had taken a small herd back to the plantation he had bought, but even his workers refused it, preferring tinned bully beef.

They have lost a lot though. I once escorted a fleet of about 10 canoes from VuVu on a fishing trip to an isolated island. It had been a tradition, but they no longer build canoes big enough to act as mother ship on such trips. At least they had not gone to tinnies, as have some.

Hasbeen, I am touched by your understanding of Solomons people and experience with them.
However things there have changed considerably.

Yes the Brits did best, Aus has done virtually nothing in SI though the High Commissioners do try.
I have not been to PNG but some Aus people have commented Aus did the wrong thing doing so much drinking there, helping the habit.

Ausaid in SI is run by a Councillor with no management power.
Truly I have been looking but have seen no new aid development from all the Howard-Rudd-Gillard Ausaid, except maybe some new police houses near the Honiara airport.

I think it very wrong the aid budget to the region has been tampered with, it should have been increased to cope with impact and consequences of developed nation impact on traditional seafood availability.

Australia is the wealthy neighbour, NZ and other do more than Aus.
The RAMSI thing happened because Aus was concerned about terrorists coming to Aus via Solomon Islands.

I think Solomon people in need could be provided with cash donations directly. Then they could buy what they need and the money would flow into the economy.
Then donors like Jayb could be inspired by seeing their money really help, even bit by bit.

JF: think Solomon people in need could be provided with cash donations directly. Then they could buy what they need and the money would flow into the economy. Then donors like Jayb could be inspired by seeing their money really help, even bit by bit.

Sorry, mate. Big rule. NEVER, NEVER give anyone cash as Aid.