Senator Conroy: The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question: 1) An Interpretation Scoping Study has been commissioned by the Australian Government under the Kokoda Initiative to assess the options for interpretation planning for the Kokoda Track Region, including the Owen Stanley Ranges and Brown River Catchment area. 2) The following reports have been commissioned by the Australian Government: The Track: a Historical Desktop Study of the Kokoda Track, available at http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/publications/index.html A working document to ascertain if there is any pictorial evidence remaining of the wartime condition of the track to inform track maintenance work undertaken by the Kokoda Track Authority, a Special Purposes Authority of the Kokoda and Koiari Local-level Governments. One of the main outcomes from the report is that the historical evidence in relation to condition is not comprehensive enough to provide a basis for widespread heritage work based on photographs or maps. 3) Under the Kokoda Initiative the Australian Government is providing assistance to Papua New Guinea to help identify and assess the special values of the Kokoda Track and surrounding Owen Stanley Ranges and Brown River Catchment region. These may include natural values such as the outstanding biodiversity of the region, the importance of the local Papua New Guinean cultural heritage and the military history values.