Airport relocation included in next year’s budget

THE relocation of Kundiawa Airport in Chimbu from the provincial capital to the Kup area in Kerowagi district will be factored into next year’s budget to get the project rolling, National Planning Minister Richard Maru says.
Maru said this in response to questions from Kerowagi MP Bari Palma in Parliament yesterday concerning the closure of Kundiawa Airport and the progress of commitment by Government through Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to relocate it to Kup, an area between Jiwaka and Chimbu.
Palma said National Airports Corporation in conjunction with the Chimbu government under the leadership of former Governor Noah Kool, had already completed a feasibility study on the relocation plan and submitted it to the National Planning Department.
Maru said the Government had planned to relocate the airport to Kup and convert its current location into an industrial park for Chimbu.
“I’m very much aware of the commitments made by the prime minister and the fact that the current airport is desired to be turned into an industrial park for Chimbu, which I must say I support.
“I now ask the minister for civil aviation and his agencies to provide me the details of the costing and the redesigning of the airport so that we can commence work on the relocation work,” Maru said.
Maru said he would make sure the project was figured into next year’s budget and was implemented.
“I have already discussed with Civil Aviation Minister and will personally be going up to Chimbu to see the relocation sites,” Maru said.
“I will also be going all the way to Karimui to look at the new special economic zone for Chimbu that we are planning to create and I want to inform the people of Chimbu that I will make sure this project is figured into next year’s budget.”