Park awareness begins

By HELEN TARAWA
THE Department of Lands and Physical Planning is carrying out awareness in the communities near the Konebada Petroleum Park regarding a land development, acting secretary Tiri Wanga says.
The land was originally marked as an economic trade zone.
“We’ve already engaged some of our working teams who are going around the villages carrying out the awareness programme,” Wanga said.
“The awareness is to inform the villagers that the areas marked were open for any type of medium-term development plans.
“If they have any plans, they can exercise and develop those activities within the plan or the gazetted area.”
He said they would not take away the customary landowners’ rights and interests for the interest of the State or the Konebada Petroleum Park Authority.
Wanga said the issue was always subjected to criticism.
“If most of them don’t want it, then we will always review it and bring it closer to the developed park,” he said.
Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Benny Allan said the department has not surveyed the extended land of 23,000 hectares for the Konebada Petroleum Park,” he said.
“Those are imaginary boundaries that are not surveyed.
“They are just imaginary boundaries given and any petroleum development activity that’s going to happen will extend to these area.
“The Surveyor-General has not gone out there to survey to give a boundary, its just an imaginary boundary that was given.”