9-Mile township plan before government

By ERIC PIET
A CONCEPT plan of the proposed 9-Mile township is before the National Planning Department for deliberation on transforming the settlement on 35 hectares of land.
The cost of building the township is expected to be estimated by the department, says Housing and Urbanisation Minister John Kaupa.
Kaupa, speaking during an electorate visit on Saturday, said that Housing and Urbanisation would step in to facilitate the work once approval was received.
“At 9-Mile, we will build amenities that will give it significance of being a town and they include a bank, post office, a huge shopping mall, recreational field, schools and a chapel,” he said.
“A contractor will be identified through tendering and bidding process once the plan is endorsed.”
This development is part of Port Moresby’s intention to reduce settlements and turn them to suburbs.
Kaupa said it would be similar to the K7 million Duran Farm project near 8-Mile. However, work there has been stalled for three years.
Kaupa said more than K1 million would be paid to Eda Ranu to complete water and sewage upgrading at Duran Farm. This will be in addition to the K300,000 given in June.
Work is to begin soon by Chinese contractor Yinjiang Industry and a local company called Hausman Construction.
“The project is the national government’s initiative to provide affordable houses for public servants, private companies and citizens as everyone has a right to own a house,” Kaupa said.
“I am determined to get this massive project out of the way since this is a project from 2014.”