People told to look after ‘new’ Ela Beach

By PETER ESILA
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has urged residents to care for the newlook Ela Beach, now called the Era Kone Beach.
Hundreds of city residents as well as diplomats and cabinet ministers gathered at the opening of the K77 million National Capital District Commission-funded redevelopment project. The funding was possible through a loan from Bank South Pacific.
“Our country will be hosting in a few months, the Apec (Leaders’) Summit, we must be proud of our country, the infrastructure that we are building is for your own use,” O’Neill said. It complements the K120 million Apec Haus built by Oil Search as a tax credit scheme.
“The leaders who will be visiting, they want to be proud of us and make sure that we welcome them in our country, they are investors,” O’Neill said. “This is not the place to drink, chew betel nuts, sit and find trouble.”
NCD Governor Powes Parkop and Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko said they were determined to do more for the city and urged residents to take responsibility and embrace the changes.
Parkop said Port Moresby should be the hub for tourism, arts, culture and music.
The next stage of the redevelopment project will include a 2000-seat amphitheatre, a restaurant, food court, shaded facilities as well as beach development all the way to Koki Fish Market.