Sir Mekere hopes authorities address plight of villagers

MORESBY North-West MP Sir Mekere Morauta, pictured, said he shared the pain of the families in Hanuabada who lost their homes and belongings in a fire on Saturday.
More than 200 are homeless after 15 homes were razed and 12 partly destroyed.
Sir Mekere said his office and the Hanuabada election coordinators were working with the Central Disaster Committee to assess what needed to be done to help the families.
He said unfortunately the electorate had not been given any money, including the district service improvement programme funds.
But he had sought assistance from the National Capital District Commission.
Sir Mekere said he was confident that the strong sense of village and community spirit would result in the immediate support for the families affected by the fire, until a long-term assistance could be provided.
He said the event highlighted the increasingly precarious situation of traditional villages engulfed by the urbanisation of the national capital.
“I hope that this will be a wake-up call to the Motu-Koita Assembly, National Capital District Commission and the government to help resolve the plight of the villages,” Sir Mekere said.