Konebada landowners: Reconsider land allocation

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
THE landowners of the Konebada Petroleum Park outside Port Moresby have written to Lands and Physical Planning Minister Benny Allan to reconsider the allocation of their traditional land to the Konebada Petroleum Park Authority.
Allan, through a National Gazette (G76 dated February 7, 2017), declared more than 23,000 hectares to come under the administrative authority of the KPPA.
The declared area covers sea, land, the villages (except for Tatana and Baruni), plus all businesses within the declared area.
The land belongs to landowners of Tatana, Baruni, Roku, Kouderika, Porebada, Boera, Papa and Lealea.
It also includes the business community along Fairfax Harbour, starting with Puma at Napanapa on the west, and Motukea and Edai township towards the PNG LNG site – the Konebada petroleum park.
The landowners, through their company LNG Plant Landowners Association, claimed it was an intrusion of their customary land by the Government without proper consultation and regard for their interests and rights.
Association secretary Tau Baru said they came to know only this month that there was a declaration called the Konebada Petroleum Park Zone covering more than 23,000 hectares.
“Our purpose is to raise our objection that we completely reject this declaration,” he said.
This is because:
l The declaration was done without any consultation with affected communities and customary landowners; and,
l the park zone covers a large sea and land area for which they assumed that the Government and proponents must have a plan for;
l  As the indigenous people and traditional landowners of the declared area, they have been marginalised.
Chairman Nao Nao said they would also be presenting a petition to Allan on the matter.