WAIGANI CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT CONTROL POLICY
POLICY BRIEF:
Approved by the NCD Physical Planning Board at Meeting No. 11/2012, 08th December 2011.
The Waigani City Centre is conveniently located in the centre of the NCD and quite accessible to 90% of the total population in Port Moresby city as all the major residential suburbs of Boroko, Hohola, Tokarara, Gerehu, Waigani and Gordons are within reasonable traveling distances. The Policy covers all allotments in the area bounded in the north by Mokohara and Pitpit Streets, in the east by Magani Crescent and Godwit Road including the some residential allotments of Gordons 5. It is bounded by Cameron Road and Wards Road in the south and by the ridge line running parallel to Waigani Drive.
The initial plan for the Waigani City Centre area was prepared by the PNG Town Planning Office of the Department of Urban Development in the year 1981 and was titled "Waigani City Centre Master Plan." This Plan was later reviewed by the Development Planning and Research Unit of the Department of Lands and Physical Planning and renamed "Waigani City Centre Zoning Plan" and approved by the NCD Physical Planning Board in the year 2003. It was subsequently adopted by the NCD Physical Planning Office. The desired outcome of the Waigani City Centre Plan then was to encourage all national government departments, offices and foreign missions to establish their headquarters in the city centre and ensure that all the future physical developments within the boundary reflect and reinforce the center’s status as the national capital.
Following this, a document titled "Waigani City Centre Planning Standards" was prepared by the Manager, Development Planning, from the Office of the Chief Physical Planner, DLPP in August 2008. To date, it has not been adopted by the localhost/NCDC Physical Planning Office as the document was never approved by the NCD Physical Planning Board, thus creating an immediate need for a new Policy to guide development in the area in light of current problems.
In order to ensure efficient development with high quality urban design, the main elements of this Policy are:
- To provide a clear vision for the Centre and entire Waigani City Centre;
- To identify opportunities and constraints so as to maximize benefits which may arise from the development of the Centre whilst protecting the original intent for the area as the "main public institutional area/national seat of government",
- To set out the types of permissible developments (new/redevelopments) and the controls to achieve the desired outcomes for public institutional, general industrial, commercial, residential and open space development within the entire Policy, and
- To outline design standards promoted by the localhost/NCDC and provides overall guidance for the development layout; streetscape and visual amenities to best accommodate the recent development pressures experienced within the Waigani City Centre.
The policy sets out a vision to:
"Revitalize the Waigani City Centre through the identification of a main commercial precinct that provides opportunities for employment, commercial office buildings and specific areas for shopping and hotel services whilst maintaining it as the main seat of government."
In the event that the Waigani Local Development Plan is prepared, the provisions of that Plan will incorporate the development controls set out in this Policy.
The Stanley Hotel & Suites, Waigani City Centre, Port Moresby, National Capital District.
Waigani City Centre Development Control Policy_pdf.