This is a critical question to be asked at this time as you realise squatter settlements-huts and houses have been erected.
Sooner it will be a full settlement of illegal settlers.
Lately, as Port Moresby expands and more infrastructure like roads are built, people have been displaced.
In most instances these people have own permanent dwellings like homes and or shops worth thousands of kina.
The state gives them a notice to vacate within a period of say 90 days and when they do not, reason being it costs much to relocate, their time lapse and the state demolishes their property.
Thinking hard about this, all could have been avoided.
- People would not have been displaced
- Properties worth in thousands of kina would not have been destroyed
- The state would not be affected in having to give notice and wait before it could begin work
What do we need to do?
Look at the NBC situation, illegal settlers are moving in.
Electricity is being pulled through this beautiful landscape with a million dollar view.
Before the NBC or anyone who owns this land tussles with the 'illegal settlers' when they have permanently erected their dwellings, STOP THEM NOW.
The recent incident at 9 Mile roundabout is a sad reality, a man said he lost properties worth millions of kina.
Poor bugger has been doing well and though he owned the place, the state did not stop him when he started.
He has grown overtime only to be dragged down to ashes to start again.
The challenge is for all government agencies, urban planners or land administration people is to be proactive and protect state land or any property from illegal 'annexation' well before people claim ownership of it and then you go into a dispute.
The practice of displacing people after they have settled overtime on state land must be discouraged, just stop them when they are trying to move in.
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