Company records have revealed an Australian man is at the centre of the latest push to log pristine rainforest in Solomon Islands, with villagers vowing to continue their fight to protect their customary lands.
The people of Zaira on Vangunu Island in Western Province have fought for years, with the help of scientists, to protect areas described as a "precious relic" of untouched biodiversity.
But late last year the Solomon Islands Environment Ministry issued what is known as a development consent to Domavola Company Ltd, allowing it to conduct logging operations on their land.
Company records show an Australian man, Thomas Crawford, is Domavola's sole director and shareholder.
Domavola is not Mr Crawford's only business interest in the country.
A search of the Solomon Islands business registry shows he registered several other companies from 2012 onwards, operating across various sectors including health, education and agriculture.
Before focusing his attention on Solomon Islands, the 58-year-old from New South Wales was involved in several timber and forestry-related businesses in Australia, according to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
For decades, raw logs have been Solomon Islands' biggest export earner and a major source of revenue for the government, despite its own officials repeatedly warning that the rate of logging is unsustainable.
The people of Zaira are among the few rural communities to reject logging.
"Our livelihood depends very much on the resources we had," community leader Hanz Jino said.
"Several years ago when logging took place close to Zaira, our streams and rivers were polluted [they alleged of a different logging operation].
"That's the very reason why we keep fighting hard to protect these places."
Their customary land is a 1,500-hectare corridor of rainforest stretching from the coast to the island's mountainous interior.
It is home to a rare species of bat and a recently discovered giant rat, and the coast is a rookery for the critically endangered leatherback turtle.
University of Queensland environmental scientist Dr Simon Albert has helped to document the area's ecological significance.
"Unfortunately, the rest of the Solomons, and the rest of Melanesia, has been heavily impacted by resource extraction, and we're left with these little remnants like Zaira which are precious relics of what the whole place used to be like," he said.
The people of Zaira have tried for over a decade to have their land declared a protected area that is off-limits to logging and mining but various government departments have knocked them back.
"They see the value that land and environment gives them in terms of clean water … fertile garden land … hunting … collecting medicines," Dr Albert said.
"So that makes that place even more unique. It's not just the environment but the people as well."
The Australian at the centre of it
Thomas Crawford's Domavola is the latest in a long line of companies that have tried to log on Zaira land.
In a video shot back in 2015, Mr Crawford can be seen addressing a community meeting on nearby Seghe island outlining his views on the benefits of logging.
"Logging represents 50 to 60 to 70 to 80 per cent in certain areas of the income. We are a new company here. Why not give us an opportunity," he said.
"Let's do something positive. Sitting on the edges and saying nothing and doing nothing will not achieve anything for anyone."
Hanz Jino rejects any suggestions that Mr Crawford, or any other foreigner, knows what is best for his community.
"We don't accept that kind of advice," he said.
"We don't need any person to dictate to us what we are supposed to do with our resources."
Mr Jino said he did not believe Mr Crawford or Domavola had his community's best interests at heart in deciding to conduct logging operations on Zaira land.
"He should come to us and we should have a good conversation and dialogue and look at sustainable kind of developments instead of logging."
Hanz Jino says his fellow villagers have lodged a legal appeal against the decision to issue Domavola with a development consent.
Company records show Mr Crawford was not one of Domavola's four founding shareholders when it was incorporated in September 2021.
One of them was long-time MP, businessman and timber industry figure Bodo Dettke.
Another was Wayne Maepioh, the former premier of Western Province.
Records show Mr Dettke transferred his 25 per cent stake to another one of Mr Crawford's companies, Renown Surf and Cargo, in August last year.
After the development consent was issued in November, Renown came to be the only shareholder and Mr Crawford, the only director.
Mr Crawford, Mr Dettke and Mr Maepioh have all declined to comment about Domavola or why they sought to log at Zaira despite local opposition and the area's environmental significance.
'No retreat, no surrender'
Dr Simon Albert said the situation highlighted how authorities in Solomon Islands favoured loggers over locals.
"The economy, the whole legal structure of logging, timber rights, is set up in favour of extractive logging companies and people find it very hard to protect their land," he said.
Whatever the outcome, Hanz Jino is adamant no-one will log the forests around Zaira.
"We will keep fighting for our land, to protect our land. No retreat, no surrender," he said.
The ABC has contacted the Solomon Islands Environment Ministry and its director for comment.
