Bill eyed to prevent Manam-type disaster for Kadovar islanders

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Inter-Government Relations Minister and Wewak MP Kevin Isifu is expected to prepare a Kadovar Restoration Authority Bill to be tabled when Parliament sits next month.
National Planning and Monitoring Minister and Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru said this yesterday when thanking the Cabinet for the approval of K2 million relief assistance to the volcano-affected Kadovar islanders last week.
The K2 million would be used to assist with the relief assistance to the Kadovar Island people, to be resettled at the care center at Dandan, Turubu.
Maru thanked all those involved in helping to relocate the 533 out of the 691 islanders to the mainland following the volcanic activities on Kadovar on Jan 5.
The swift action by the councilors from Ruprup and Kadovar Islands, the PNG Defence Force personnel from Wewak (2RPIR), the East Sepik provincial government and administration was commendable, he said.
Maru said: “One factor in our favour is that, in the East Sepik case we do not have to start from scratch.
“We have the benefit of hindsight where we can learn from the lessons from the volcanic eruption
experience from Rabaul and Manam.
“Clearly we cannot make the same mistake the Madang leaders did in the case of Manam, where the people are still living in care centres at Bogia, many years after the Manam volcanic eruptions because of political infighting and differences.
“In East Sepik we must all work together with the national Government to permanently resettle our people as soon as practical.
“The onus is now on the Wewak MP and Minister for Inter-Government Relations Kevin Isifu, in consultation with the East Sepik government to prepare a new Kadovar Restoration Authority Bill to be tabled in Parliament in the coming February session of Parliament.”
The Bill is to allow for to establishment of the required restoration authority whose primary function would be to:

  • Identify and acquire land for the resettlement of displaced islanders, including to negotiate with landowners;
  • Provide services and infrastructure for the resettlement
    area;
  • Provide for care centres and associated services, such as health care, education, food and safe water supply;
  • Liaise with donors and international organisations to ensure services to displaced persons are properly co-ordinated and satisfy generally acceptable international standards; and,
  • Ensure human rights of displaced persons and the members of the host communities are protected.

“In all fairness, while we are working on the settlement of the Kadovar people, it is only proper that I urge Isifu, who is also Minister responsible for all natural disasters, to also concurrently champion the resettlement of the people of Manam who are still living in care centres,” Maru said.