City Sivarai

The successful launch of the Eight Mile unplanned settlement to a suburb today signifies great leadership, led by NCD Governor Powes Parkop in the city of Port Moresby in converting visions into reality.

Eight Mile will be converted into an established suburb once all transformation processes are completed under the National Capital District Commission’s Settlement to Suburb Project.

After the successful implementation of the pilot settlement to suburb upgrade project at 9-Mile Rouna Quarry, the municipal authority NCDC), now extends the initiative to the 8-Mile Settlement.

City Manager Ravu Frank highlighted the commission’s 2020-2030 Urban Development Plan focused on creating a transformed and developed city that is sustainable, productive and livable.

“Settlement to Suburb project has been captured under the city’s development plan and I would like to thank Governor Parkop and the Board and Management of NCDC for the attention given to the challenges of unplanned settlements in our city,” said Mr. Frank.

Mr. Frank also assured NCDC’s commitment to use the available resources and work together with the mandated leaders in the city, responsible ministers of state, development partners, state agencies and city residents for a successful delivery of this project.

“our intentions are clear, we are destined to create a livable city that is planned into a modern city and this project which we have piloted at Nine Mile Rouna Quarry now extends here to 8 Mile and will be rolled out in other unplanned settlements as well,” said Mr. Frank.

Governor Parkop when officiating this project said the vision and goals for the city has already been set and with the leadership the city has now, him as Governor with the three local MPs working with NCDC board and management, transformation, development and service delivery will continue to progress.

“Unplanned settlement is being with us for too long and is needs to end, our people deserves better standard of living and good quality of life.

We can improve our peoples’ standard of living and improve their lives only when we bring them into the transformation and development plan here in the city and throughout the nation.” Said Governor Parkop.

Governor Parkop believes that our people have the potential to contribute to nation building, stating that what they will need is land security.

Being inspired and overwhelmed with Papua New Guineans building good quality houses on secured land mostly along Taurama and Gereka roads that are customary land.

Governor Parkop said through this Settlement to Suburb project, title-holders at Nine Mile Rouna Quarry have built quality houses and Eight Mile will definitely follow suit.

Member for Moresby North-East John Kaupa reiterated that, upgrading of unplanned settlement would be his priority, because most of these unplanned settlements are in his electorate.

Yes, they are unplanned but when you access it properly, most of our great leaders, businessmen and women, current employees of both private and government organizations who paying tax daily are residents of these unplanned settlements.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Lands and Immigrations John Rosso congratulated Governor Parkop stating that through his leadership; a lot has been done in terms of transformation and development to the city’s infrastructures.

“The challenge of unplanned settlement is not faced only here in the city of Port Moresby but right throughout the nation and I believe can be adopted by provincial government to mitigate the challenges of unplanned settlements in our country,” Minister Rosso said.

Eight Mile Settlement to Suburb project has commence on Portions 3596, 3580 and 2219 with construction of two roads concurrently.

Land titles will not be given on a golden handshake but through the upgrade project guidelines where those residents have to pay the no less than K40 thousand over a period of years to be recognized as legitimate title owners.