Planners set to visit Tokua

OVERSEAS-based planning consultants, Planpac Group, were in East New Britain recently to hold discussions with the provincial administration on concept designs for the Tokua Airport city development.
Tokua Airport is the third in the country to be visited by Planpac Group, which has been engaged by the National Airports Corporation.
Its city concept is to develop airports in the country that have land sites to generate revenue for their upkeep and ultimately turn them into international airports.
The concept design for Port Moresby Airport City has been completed.
Nadzab Central City in Lae has yet to be presented its design.
The visiting team met senior officers of the provincial administration for talks on the concept design and took pictures of the coastline around the south coast area of Tokua.
They are expected to return to the province in April to present the proposed design to government agencies.
Planpac Group specialises in architecture, project management and urban planning and is based in Townsville, Australia, and China.
Other development plans for Tokua focus on the extension of the runway by 300m. That will be funded by the Asian Development Bank.
Preparatory works have started, with a survey completed by Palanga Surveyors and a geotech survey done by another private company.
Work will start in 2014 and involves widening the existing runway, resealing the runway, taxiway and tarmac, extending
the fence and providing new drainage.
At the same time the provincial government’s approved Kokopo/Tokua corridor subject plan is beginning to see rapid development.
Governor Leo Dion said these developments were welcome but it must be organised and regulated by the physical planning board, building board and the land board
to comply with zoning and land use requirements.