Dept starts clearing land for housing

FENCES were torn down yesterday at the Durand Farm housing project in Port Moresby as the Department for Housing and Urbanisation began clearing blocks of land which had been illegally acquired.
Minister John Kaupa and police watched as bulldozers cleared fences in the commercial area Portion 528.
The department had given a 14-day notice to companies who claimed they owned land at Durand Farm to provide ownership documents.
Kaupa said only one company complied. Its fences and buildings were spared yesterday.
Kaupa said it should serve as a warning to people and companies illegally occupying State land that the ministry and the National Housing Corporation would clamp down on them.
“We cannot continue to delay this important project. The Government has spent about K17 million for the Durand Farm housing project,” he said.
“There are proper processes and procedures to follow. What I see is there are a lot of problems with these people. They said they have the land tittle and the agreement. So where is the agreement?”
Kaupa said these people had forcefully acquired land and put up fences which was illegal.
“I gave them 14 days to come with their documents in reference to the commercial or the residential areas. There are people who came and acquired the area forcefully without going through the proper process with the National Housing Corporation.
“So what we are doing is to evict those people. They must come and show their documents to NHC so that the papers are valid or legal.”
He said the construction of the houses should begin in August or September.
The Government project began in 2012 to provide housing for public servants and private sector employees.