LNG developers must build police houses: Governor

HELA Governor Philip Undialu has urged developers of the multi-billion kina PNG LNG project to help build police houses and a military barracks in the province as part of their corporate social responsibility.
Undialu called on the operators of PNG LNG project (ExxonMobile PNG and Oil Search Ltd) as well as the state to help his province with housing for police and military barracks.
“Since the start of PNG LNG project in 2009, the project has spent nearly K3 million per month hiring police and military officers from Port Moresby and other barracks to provide security for PNG LNG project,” he said.
“With the discovery of additional gas fields like Muruk, we will be doing business in Hela for another 50 years.
“More than 10 years have gone by and you cannot keep hiring security personnel.
“If we used the same money to build local police infrastructure, by now we should have over 500 police houses built.”
Undialu called on Prime Minister James Marape, Police Minister Bryan Kramer and Defence Minister Saki Soloma to work together to build the infrastructure.
The governor said he wanted the hiring of police and defence personnel to stop within three to five years.
“We must start building police infrastructure at Tari, Komo, Margarima and Koroba to enforce law and order in the province and to safe guard the project,” he said.
“I need over 200 to 300 houses in Komo and each of the centres mentioned.”
Undialu further stated that he would write to ExxonMobil and Oil Search to ensure they took up the challenge.
“We must start building infrastructure now.”