City bringing down building after notice was defied

A CONDEMNED building is expected to be demolished by the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) after its occupants defied a notice served to them.
The building is located in front of District Court in downtown, Port Moresby, and it is occupied by the education division of the Central government.
NCDC’s environmental health coordinator for Moresby South Silas Jonathan said in a statement that they were waiting for approval from the NCDC physical planning board (PPB) before work could be begin.
“At the moment, we are waiting on approval from the board to begin our work on demolishing the building,” he said.
Jonathan said the building was condemned and unhygienic for human habitation due to structural defects and the general state of the building.
“The general state of the building is deplorable, dilapidated and unfit for human habitation, thus, contravening Public Health Act and other relevant laws and by-laws enforced by NCDC as the municipal authority,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Central administrator Francis Koaba said they would work on maintaining the building.
“We have received the demolishing letter from NCDC’s PPB but we also asked them to give us time while we locate an alternate accommodation for the division staff,” he said.
Koaba said only a few members of the division occupied the building but the Central government also had plans to maintain the building, depending on funding.
“We will get our own contractors to maintain the building and remove all those squatters that are using the building.”