Legal team to probe NCDC Act

By JOHN IAMO

Central Provincial Assembly in the weeklong assembly sitting have resolved to establish a legal team in place to review and propose amendments to NCDC Act and do an audit of all land court cases in the province, land boundaries and surveys.

Governor for Central, Robert Agarobe said the assembly as the legitimate body, made resolutions to be adopted by the provincial government and the administration.

President for Hiri Haoda Rogea called for a peaceful march to Parliament to petition the Prime Minister James Marape on HIVASO physical planning area in Hiri district.

The provincial assembly members include Abau MP and Minister for Health & HIV/AIDS Sir Puka Temu, Goilala MP and Minister for Transport William Samb and Kairuku-Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo.

• Governor Agarobe told Assembly members to adopt the following resolutions:
  1. Audit of all land court cases in Central province, and for Central Provincial Government to join land boundaries and land survey.
  2. Establish a legal team headed by Avia Koisen as the chair and Biari Ubuna, Chairman of Lands & Physical Planning as the deputy chairman to review and propose amendments to NCDC Act to give back ownership of Port Moresby to Central Province.
  3. Immediately convene Land Board Meetings & Physical Planning Board meetings to enforce the respective jurisdiction over the land within the jurisdiction of Central Province.
  4. That Central Province Physical Planning Board to clear the land along the border with NCD in Central province, to Central Province physical planning area.
  5. That the proposal “Greater POM under the Hiri, Vanapa and Sogeri or HIVASO physical planning area contain an estimated area of 260, 000 hectares of land mass in the Kairuku-Hiri electorate of Central province advocated by the Department of Land & Physical Planning through the office of the Chief Physical Planner, to be declared illegal for lack of wider consultation with Central Provincial Government and its people.
  6. District of Hiri led by three local level governments of Hiri, Koiari, Vanapa/Brown make a peaceful march to present to the PM on behalf of the people of Central Province, on issues of illegal land grabbing, unlawful extension and expansion of NCD land boundaries and review of National Capital District Commission Act to give back city of Port Moresby to Central province, under the national governments “Take back PNG” slogan.

In support of a protest march to Parliament house, member for Kairuku-Hiri, Peter Isoaimo also agreed for the Assembly to pass a resolution for the Central provincial administration to petition the National Government in the next session of parliament.

This is so that the Central province members of parliament can present the petition in parliament, saying that the people of Central province are not happy on the current land arrangements and call on the Prime Minister to put a stop to any physical planning areas in Central province.

Chairman for Lands, Biari Ubuna during the Assembly meeting also presented a statement saying land issues for our Central people is always contentious similar to other parts of the country, except that because of co-existence with NCDC, we see our land issues quite differently to other provinces.

Ubuna also presented a several parcels of land which have controversy surrounding them that includes;

Portion 1221 – Part of Ilimo Farm land. The controversy surrounding the issue of portion 1221 is now being taken head-on by Governor Agarobe by way of litigation and we are confident that the current special lease title issued to NCDC will be revoked and title given to Central Provincial Government.

Portion 349 – Part of Ilimo Farm land, which currently accommodates the run-down Koita-Oro Boroma business and the thriving Ilimo Dairy Farm entity. The both businesses are operating from portion 349 without any defined business operating boundary.

Ubuna stated that so much land has being lost to NCD development cause either through dubious deals, through ignorance or through pure carelessness in the last 20 years.

“However, the fact of the matter is that Port Moresby or NCD is theoretically owned by the people of Central Province or the Central Provincial Government, but in reality we are spectators on our own soil.

“Therefore, I salute Governor Agarobe for taking bold initiatives to address some of these mess created by the previous successive governments and one of them is portion 1221,” Ubuna said.