GG’s Office seeks eviction orders

THE Office of the Governor-General is seeking eviction orders in court to remove illegal settlers occupying land belonging to the State on which its office and Government House are located.
Acting official secretary Bill Toraso said illegal settlers had been given advance notice and time to remove their structures and move out, but to date they had not done so.
Toraso said, on instructions from the governor-general, he had held meetings with the concerned parties since 2020 as well as on three occasions last year, but so far the settlers had refused to move.
“Out of compassion, we have notified them (illegal settlers) to move out of the land surrounding the perimeter of Government House as it is State land,” he said.
“We gave them an additional 31 days as of Dec 2, which has since lapsed, but they have refused to leave. We are seeking legal advice, and in addition, a court eviction order to remove them.”
Toraso said he also spoke with the traditional landowners and the matter was before the Department of Lands to pursue with the genuine landowners.
Toraso said the traditional landowners had confirmed the settlers were not traditional landowners but squatters.
“We have tried to find an amicable solution for the illegal settlers but so far they have not been cooperating,” he said.
Toraso added that the Government had allocated funding for the expansion of Government House to include staff housing and the completion of the perimeter fencing for its entire boundary.
“We have yet to undertake and complete these projects because State land is being illegally settled on by these settlers.”
The land area, on which the Office of the Governor-General and Government House is located, is located at Granville area of Port Moresby accessed via D’Albertis Street from Champion Parade, and is Lot 6, Sect 47, and has a total land area of 4.503 hectares.