Researcher recommends splitting Talasea district

THE Talasea district of West New Britain (WNB) needs to be split into two or three electorates so that its increasing population can receive better services, a researcher says.
Senior Research Fellow and programme leader of Education Research Programme of the PNG National Research Institute Dr Kilala Devette–Chee said during a WNB community gathering in Port Moresby on Sunday that Talasea had a population of about 201,500.
“According to the 2011 National Population and Housing Census, the WNB population stood at 213,520,” he said.
“The Kandrian-Gloucester had 64,477 and Talasea had 149,043.
“The provincial population is growing at a rate of 3 per cent every year.
“Therefore, with the annual provincial growth rate of 3 per cent, the provincial population in 2021 is estimated to be around 288,768.
“The breakup for the two districts are: Kandrian-Gloucester 87,200 and Talasea about 201,561.”
Dr Devette–Chee said the land mass was about 20,387kmsq, stretching from the Nakanai Ranges to the tip of Cape Gloucester.
“This makes it difficult to deliver basic education and health services to the rural population,” she said.
“I do not want to sound too political, but as an outsider looking into the province, I have seen sufficient evidence to show clearly that Talasea’s population is 201,561 and this requires one or two more electorates for services to flow in.
“This is long overdue and it is up to you, the West New Britain community to request for new electorates now.”