District buys machines to build roads

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By PISAI GUMAR
THE Huon Gulf development authority (HGDDA) in Morobe has bought two earth-moving machines to help build roads and improve access to the Salamaua hinterland.
The authority hopes road accessibility will kick start more socio-economic activities in the area.
The machines purchased include a bulldozer costing K1,023,000 and an excavator costing K528,000 from supplier and dealer UMW Niugini Ltd.
Local MP Ross Seymour, district chief executive officer Moses Wanga and Wampar president Boaras Giuka picked up the machines from UMW Niugini branch manager Meck Tongon and product sales manager Samson Upa on Monday.
Seymour said the bulldozer would continue the road project linking Buansing and Mubo and the excavator would be used in the building of the Buakap-Sabaya road to link interior Salamaua villages.
“The Salamaua hinterland has been in the dark for decades though we’ve constructed the road as far Sabaya but soil erosion has caused landslips,” he said.
The MP acknowledged the Government and National Planning and Monitoring Minister Sam Basil for allocating K1.5 million in PIP (provincial improvement programme) funding to buy the machines.
Tongon said the machines were fitted with monitoring devices that would alert UMW when it required servicing or suffered any fault.
“We have a tracking device that will alert us in Lae to tell us how they are performing and we have back-up spare parts provide two service options after 250 hours of operation,” he said.
He said the engines could be tracked down from UMW Niugini database system and remotely switched off, if stolen or on request by the owner.
Wanga commended Seymour for his efforts in improving road infrastructure in the district as well as enabling development and access to services.
Wanga said Seymour facilitated the construction of Sapa-Pema (Morobe), Asini-Kamiatum (Salamaua), Rumion-Fanzum-Bogeba (Wampar) and 41 Mile-Mafanazo-Maralina (Lower Watut) access roads.
He added that maintaining the roads was the biggest challenge as many roads were affected by flooding, erosion, landslips and a lack of funding for regular maintenance.

One thought on “District buys machines to build roads

  • I hope Ross have funds and contingency plans in place to combat Covid-19 in Huon Gulf when spending money at this time of Global Crisis.

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