A drive to 2 Mile in Port Moresby will expose one of the biggest problems facing urban development in Papua New Guinea’s capital.
The tail end of this settlement is connected to Gabutu Settlement which links up with Kaugere Settlement. On the other side is Badili, cluttered with combination of industrial warehouses, shops and houses.
It is a clear example of the challenge faced by the municipal authority in progressing Port Moresby’s development.
While the city is in a middle of a development boom spurred by favourable economic growth, what is clear is that the divide between the haves and have-nots is set to widen.
This phenomenon is expected to increase significantly as the city prepares to host international events such as the upcoming Pacific Games and the 2018 APEC Summit.
Existing developments such as the Erima Flyover Bridge have resulted in the eviction of settlers at the Waigani Arts Centre settlement and there is a high possibility that, as more infrastructure projects of similar magnitude begin, the evictions will accelerate.
In addition, the municipal authority has already embarked on a massive clean-up campaign in the city by imposing a ban on the sale and consumption of betel nut. This has affected the livelihoods of thousands of poor households who rely on the buai trade to sustain their life in the city.
Out of desperation a number of /vendors have already lost their lives while many more are each day subjected to abuse and physical harassment from city rangers.
Efforts to rid betel nut from the streets of Moresby have been frustrated by regular violations of the ban including smuggling and the growth of lawlessness around the trade.
Despite all that, the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) remains undaunted and is still fully committed to its endeavour.
The 2 Mile scenario is a common sight in Port Moresby. Not far from 2 Mile Settlement is the notorious Talai Settlement. Its growth is ominous to those who wish to develop that part of the city. Removing settlements is not easy.
Not far from Talai settlement, several high class apartments can be seen on the other end of the mountain. Konedobu and along the Poreporena Freeway present a similar situation.
On Konedobu Hill, fancy high rise apartments with fortress walls overlook the semi-structured shanty houses with rusty iron roofs and cardboard walls which paradoxically look out to the picturesque Fairfax Harbour.
Further towards Hohola, the Burns Peak Settlement emerges around a corner. Much of it is surrounded by decent houses but settlement itself is rapidly crawling its way to the top of the hill.
Other settlements such as Erima, Morata and 4,5, 6, 8 and 9 Mile are about to find themselves in a similar predicament as development permeates these areas.
A couple of years ago the 2 Mile Settlement and the neighbouring Talai Settlement were at the centre of a controversy involving NCDC and water utility Eda Ranu over huge unpaid water bills.
Eda Ranu alleged that the city commission owed millions of kina in outstanding debt for water provided to settlers at 2 Mile and Talai, although NCDC argued otherwise.
In other settlements such as Erima, unpaid water bills and illegal water connections have resulted in water supplies being severely restricted. Water is accessible only at ordained points and at certain times of the day.
Attempts are being made by the respective MPs for Moresby South and Moresby North-East to connect their constituents to water, especially those in the settlements.
These initiatives are highly commendable; however the real challenge is to ensure that the communities take ownership of the services by paying for them so that they can be sustained. A repeat of the contagious and unproductive “hand-out mentality” will hinder development.
What is interesting about the 2 Mile Settlement is how the government, through the municipal authority, has made a decision not to evict the settlers living near the road.
Road resealing has already sliced off a large chunk of the slope on which stand the high covenant houses. Logically it would have made sense if the settlement houses on the opposite side of the road were removed or pushed back several metres to free up space.
Yet the tax paying residents of this part of Moresby had to forego a bit of space for the sake of road expansion. One gets the feeling that this decision was driven by political considerations rather than a cost-benefit analysis.
If so, the government’s strategy will be tested when the 2 Mile settlement becomes more visible to the travelling public. If the government persists with its agenda to turn Moresby into one of the most livable cities in the Pacific, then it may mean these settlements days are numbered.
While the city is in a middle of a development boom spurred by favourable economic growth, what is clear is that the divide between the haves and have-nots is set to widen.
This phenomenon is expected to increase significantly as the city prepares to host international events such as the upcoming Pacific Games and the 2018 APEC Summit.
Existing developments such as the Erima Flyover Bridge have resulted in the eviction of settlers at the Waigani Arts Centre settlement and there is a high possibility that, as more infrastructure projects of similar magnitude begin, the evictions will accelerate.
In addition, the municipal authority has already embarked on a massive clean-up campaign in the city by imposing a ban on the sale and consumption of betel nut. This has affected the livelihoods of thousands of poor households who rely on the buai trade to sustain their life in the city.
Out of desperation a number of /vendors have already lost their lives while many more are each day subjected to abuse and physical harassment from city rangers.
Efforts to rid betel nut from the streets of Moresby have been frustrated by regular violations of the ban including smuggling and the growth of lawlessness around the trade.
Despite all that, the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) remains undaunted and is still fully committed to its endeavour.
The 2 Mile scenario is a common sight in Port Moresby. Not far from 2 Mile Settlement is the notorious Talai Settlement. Its growth is ominous to those who wish to develop that part of the city. Removing settlements is not easy.
Not far from Talai settlement, several high class apartments can be seen on the other end of the mountain. Konedobu and along the Poreporena Freeway present a similar situation.
On Konedobu Hill, fancy high rise apartments with fortress walls overlook the semi-structured shanty houses with rusty iron roofs and cardboard walls which paradoxically look out to the picturesque Fairfax Harbour.
Further towards Hohola, the Burns Peak Settlement emerges around a corner. Much of it is surrounded by decent houses but settlement itself is rapidly crawling its way to the top of the hill.
Other settlements such as Erima, Morata and 4,5, 6, 8 and 9 Mile are about to find themselves in a similar predicament as development permeates these areas.
A couple of years ago the 2 Mile Settlement and the neighbouring Talai Settlement were at the centre of a controversy involving NCDC and water utility Eda Ranu over huge unpaid water bills.
Eda Ranu alleged that the city commission owed millions of kina in outstanding debt for water provided to settlers at 2 Mile and Talai, although NCDC argued otherwise.
In other settlements such as Erima, unpaid water bills and illegal water connections have resulted in water supplies being severely restricted. Water is accessible only at ordained points and at certain times of the day.
Attempts are being made by the respective MPs for Moresby South and Moresby North-East to connect their constituents to water, especially those in the settlements.
These initiatives are highly commendable; however the real challenge is to ensure that the communities take ownership of the services by paying for them so that they can be sustained. A repeat of the contagious and unproductive “hand-out mentality” will hinder development.
What is interesting about the 2 Mile Settlement is how the government, through the municipal authority, has made a decision not to evict the settlers living near the road.
Road resealing has already sliced off a large chunk of the slope on which stand the high covenant houses. Logically it would have made sense if the settlement houses on the opposite side of the road were removed or pushed back several metres to free up space.
Yet the tax paying residents of this part of Moresby had to forego a bit of space for the sake of road expansion. One gets the feeling that this decision was driven by political considerations rather than a cost-benefit analysis.
If so, the government’s strategy will be tested when the 2 Mile settlement becomes more visible to the travelling public. If the government persists with its agenda to turn Moresby into one of the most livable cities in the Pacific, then it may mean these settlements days are numbered.
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