Rural areas need information on boundaries, says official

CONSULTATIVE meetings by the Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) are timely and worthwhile, yet the information does not reach most citizens in the rural areas, a rural committee chairman says.
Co-chairperson of the newly-established Bugiau-Wagau special lands task force committee, Steven Konjib, told a media conference that the rural population lacked access and information to enable them to mobilise and take appropriate action and engage actively in such forums.
Konjib spoke of the proposed Labu port development and the special economic zone and industrial park projects at Labu-Tale village in the Wampar local level government area of Huon Gulf, Morobe.
The Bugiau and Wagau people of the Buang LLG in Bulolo shared traditional land boundaries with the people of Huon Gulf’s Wampar LLG.
“Wampar LLG boundary overlaps into our traditional lands,” Konjib said.
“These are the grey areas that must be rectified when incorporated land groups (ILGs) undergo the overall processing of land mediations, identifications, surveying and registration.
“Therefore, new boundary lines must be established in alignment with traditional boundaries.
“These tasks are audacious, diverse, tumultuous and prolonged.
“Nevertheless, we must be the generation that will be tasked to resolve all these reformative development issues in true spirit for ourselves and the generations to come.”