Fund gives settlers notice

By NATHAN WOTI
NAMBAWAN Super Limited (NSL) has given a 120-day grace period for illegal settlers living at the Bush Wara area of Nine Mile outside Port Moresby to voluntarily vacate the land.
This was announced yesterday by the NSL board after the National Court granted it leave to issue Writs of Possession to illegal settlers on land potion 2156, 2157, and 2159, which is combined 200 hectares.
NSL is taking legal steps to secure the vacant possession of its fourth adjacent land portion 2158.
The portions of land were acquired by NSL in 1990, however, the fund had to defend the title in Court up until 2019, when it was given full titles to them.
NSL chief executive officer Paul Sayer said that during the period when the fund had been defending the land titles in court, the land was left unsupervised, leading to substantial settlement by illegal squatters.
“Since securing its rightful titles in 2019, NSL has exhausted all possible options to reach a win-win outcome for itself and the illegal squatters, that would allow it to secure vacant possession,” he said.
“The 120-day grace period starts today (Tuesday, April 9) and will end on July 10.
“Thereafter, the Sheriff’s office with the support of Royal PNG Constabulary will implement the eviction orders.
“Substantial time and resources have been expended to date to secure vacant possession of these assets. It has cost us some millions of kina in the last 30 years fighting for the titles in the court.
“These are funds from our members and the members want good return on investment from their funds and they have been pressuring us regarding the investments from property up in the Bush Wara area,” Sayer said.
He added that after exhausting all options, NSL had no choice but to secure possession of the lands which are valued at K90 million, owned by the 228,000 members, and to proceed with development plans.
Sayer said in the last three years, NSL has gone as far as establishing a project office on site to address any queries, a police outpost, and monthly community awareness meetings to continue to remind illegal squatters to relocate voluntarily.
According to the board, the land has return on investment valued at over a K100 million.
The fund plans to build new mixed-suburbs, with housing, industrial and commercial allotments, and the infrastructure improvements that would come with it, creating thousands of jobs and injecting much needed capital into the economy.
Sayer said it would cost the fund K8 million to carry out the eviction with the bulk of that expense going to fencing and security.
Meanwhile, Sayer stressed that no compensation would be paid to squatters for property damages.