Chan set to transform NIP
NEW Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has an ardent desire to transform the province to a level that will become the ‘role model’ for the whole country. Sir Julius said the province was to provide models in areas of socio-political-economic and management leadership. He said this when addressing the summit on reformation, good governance and new focus for New Ireland province. He said his leadership team would study the outcomes of the summit and very carefully see how they would reposition and refocus themselves within the various functional divisions and officers in the public service so that a fresh take off could be done.

Landowners in K28,000 deal
LANDOWNERS of a repeater station site in East New Britain will be benefiting from a 10-year agreement with Telikom PNG in which the landowners will be receiving K28,000 a year. President of the Toma/Vunadidir local level government David Piamia said this when expressing gratefulness with the deal made by the Tomavatur landowners and Telikom PNG. The funding would come under the community security and maintenance package of the Tomavatur repeater station. Mr Piamia said the landowners would be providing security and carry out maintenance to the repeater station.

Conservation policy in place
THE Department of Environment and Conservation now has a policy in place to safeguard Papua New Guinea’s natural habitat and biodiversity. Environment and Conservation Minister Benny Allen officially launched the country’s national biodiversity strategic action plan (NBSAP) at the 8th Pacific Islands conference on nature conservation and protected areas in Alotau recently. The policy will set out the roadmap for conservation and sustainable use of our rich and biological diversity and is our contribution to the regional strategic vision on biodiversity conservation and development.

Police embark on training
THE Royal Papua New Guinea Police Constabulary is currently embarking on an intensive training programme for police men and women around the country. This was outlined by the Human Resource Development and Training (HRDT) Division during the Momase regional training officers conference in Lae, Morobe province, recently. The conference was attended by provincial and regional training officers with their instructors from Sandaun, East Sepik, Madang and Morobe.

Emergency plan shapes up
THE National Disaster Centre and the United Nations are working together to develop a national contingency plan for Papua New Guinea. Details of the plan are to be further discussed at the provincial disaster coordinators’ conference currently in Lae. NDC had also developed a generic national disaster management plan for provinces to use as a blue print or guide to develop their own that are suitable to their needs and requirements.

Kabui to probe spending
PRESIDENT of the ABG Joseph Kabui will be investigating the spending of his government’s school fee assistance programme by the Bougainville education department. This follows complaints by students attending institutions in East New Britain with outstanding fees, adding ABG failed to meet its obligation.

Electrical fault leaves Hagen without water
MANY schools and government offices in Mt Hagen city were forced to close yesterday after the city’s water supply was cut.
Many schools and offices in the city sent students and staff home early because they could not use the toilets and there was no water to drink.
Some city residents with vehicles drove to nearby creeks to get water for drinking, cooking and washing.
A staff from the PNG Water Board told The National water supply was cut off yesterday morning after an electrical fault at the main water inlet station located at the back of the Holy Trinity Teachers College.
PNG Power was told to rectify the problem but it did not react quickly.
The staff also denied landowners had turn off the mains, adding he doesn’t know when water supply will be restored.

Duo swept away by Bumbu
TWO persons were swept away by the Bumbu River in Lae after heavy rain Wednesday morning.
John Kange, 70, was collecting firewood along the river when he fell into the swollen river.
Some people who saw the incident tried to help but found his body about 100m downstream,
The other person, a young man from Kerowagi, remains missing despite an extended search by family and friends.
A few weeks ago, a man was washed down to Voco Point.

‘No politics in project’
PERSONAL gains and petty politics must be kept out of the historic K80 million Southern Highlands rural electrification (SHRE) project.
Chairman of Hides Joint Venture Ltd (HJVL) Philip Undialu said undertake the SHRE project with technical expertise from PNG Power Ltd.
He was responding to media reports that Koroba-Lake Kopiago MP John Kekeno blasted Mr Undialu for ‘hijacking’ the project.
Mr Kekeno claimed that he is the chief proponent of the project but Mr Undialu ‘hijacked’ the project and smelled ‘something fishy’ as the plan outlined in the media recently was contrary to the original plan.