City governor optimistic of Magi Highway bypass

Caption: NCD Governor Powes Parkop

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, October 4, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

NCD Governor Powes Parkop has expressed optimism towards the construction of the new Taurama to Magi Highway bypass as a much convenient route into the city, compared to the issued associated with the current entryway through 6 Mile.

Answering questions asked by Sunday Chronicle at the contract signing of the new bypass on the inconveniences experienced by motorist travelling on the major highway having to pass through the 6 Mile area occupied by settlements adjacent to the road leading into the city. Governor Parkop reiterated the situation with the settlers as one that was allowed to persist as the land was customarily owned.

“The current problem with 6 Mile area is that it is customarily owned by the Saraga brothers so they have been giving out land to anyone that turns up there with money,” Mr Parkop pointed out.

“We are trying to work with them so that we reorganise that part of the city. It can still remain as customary land but it must submit to an urban development plan- something we are working with landowners there.”

He sympathised with the travelling public from the highway, and added that with the new bypass to be constructed there would be similar concerns of other settlements popping up along the alternate route.

“Of course it (6 Mile route) is creating problem with our travelling public from the Magi Highway, and with the new access from Taurama I hope we do not have that problem.”

“I cannot fully guarantee that there won’t be such problems because the land that the new bypass is to come through is still customary land.”

“But what I can assure our people from the Magi Highway and as far from Abau is that if you travel on the access road now it has actually been secured already by property developers,” Parkop added.

“So I don’t think it will have the same problem as the current 6 Mile route. As we speak the entire access road area has been fenced off by developers with construction already taking place.”

He concluded that on the part of NCDC, they are already in discussing the concept of special zones around the access from the Hiritano Highway and Magi along with the ring-road to factor in special economic zones so that the road access is not taken over by unplanned settlements.