Landowners list water demands

The National National

By LUKE KAMA
INLAND Koiari landowners gave the government a petition yesterday about grievances they had with the supply of water to Port Moresby from resources on their land.
They have have given government until Friday to respond to their petition.
The landowners, through their Idutu Koiari Vatabia Association (IKVA), which is made up of more than 60 clans from Inland Koiari area, were the second group of landowners to petition and meet with the government.
An earlier meeting on Monday took place between landowner leaders of Lower Sogeri, Sirinumu Catchment, and Sirinumu Development Association and councillors over outstanding landowner entitlements and benefits from the extraction of water from their land for electricity and water supply to Port Moresby. IKVA chairman Iani Waeako said the inland Koiari people were owners of the water resource that supplied the city.
He said those from Lower Koiari, Sirinumu Catchment and Rouna were landowners who provided land for the contruction of power and water facilities.
“We are the headwater resource owners, but unlike our lower Koiari brothers who are the landowners, we always respect the government and the people,” Waeako said.
“We finally did a peaceful march (yesterday) to meet with the Government after almost 13 years, since 2006, because we have been ignored for far too long since we presented our initial demands in 2006.”
Among their demands are:

  • An outstanding water claim of K159 billion for extracted raw water stocks between 1952 and 2002;
  • for the government to give 35 per cent shareholding in Eda Ranu and PNG Power Ltd to the landowners; and
  • A payment of K20 million for mobilisation of the 60-plus clans under an endorsed memorandum of agreement for 2018 to 2028.

Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari, who received the petitiont, said it would be passed on to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.