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These villagers wending their way home,
have reason to be happy.
The branches they're carrying, not only contain a cure for coughs, pains, and infections,
they could also provide them with an income;
their only income.
Waria Waria trees grow prolifically in Papua New Guinea's Western province.
It's a type of melaleuca,
and its leaves contain oil
with basically the same medicinal qualities
as eucalypt oil.
The locals have long known its benefits,
but they needed help to develop it into a viable industry.
So they asked Australia's science agency CSIRO for help.
In partnership with the PNG National Forest Authority,
the PNG Biological Foundation and ACIAR
the scientists set to work to establish a sustainable essential oil industry.
Dr JOHN DORAN - "All sorts of claims have been made about the uses
or benefits of the oil locally
including solving baldness and curing malaria
and so forth but
basically the oil is a cineole rich oil
like our medicinal eucalpytus oil and has very similar uses."
The oil is extracted from the leaves by distillation,
so a portable, demountable still,
was designed, for transporting on a plane from Australia
and through the thick Papua New Guinea bush.
And in May 1996 the first pilot still was set up in Bensbach.
DAVID LEA - "The oil being lighter than water comes to the top
and there are quite easy means to tap the oil off,
separate from the water."
There are now five stills in three villages.
But more information is needed about the region
before a viable industry can be developed.
Dr JOHN DORAN - "Part of this project we're now engaged on,
is surveying the natural resources of West Province
for oils with potential for commercial development."
Often the only way to carry out that survey,
is to set out on bicycles over hundreds of kilometres
to study the local vegetation and determine sustainable harvesting techniques.
Dr JOHN DORAN - "The oil industry
we hope will provide
a substantial and sustained income for villages, like this,
so the villagers can afford things
we take for granted."
These villages have no power
or water supply
and little access to medicine.
The Waria Waria oil
is already popular in the Port Moresby markets, but it's hoped that eventually
the oil can find a wider market and create a viable local industry.
"It's an opportunity that they've given us
that we are willing to continue with the project."