PNG Urban Growth Demands Lawful Land Ownership, Parkop Tells Settlers

As Port Moresby continues to grow, PNG National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop has drawn a firm line on land ownership, stating that families relocated from the 2 Mile settlement must obtain land titles through payment, not expectation.

Governor Parkop said the relocation programme was designed to move families from unsafe and informal settlements into properly planned suburbs, but insisted that ownership of state land has never been free.

Capital District Governor Powes Parkop

He said misunderstandings surrounding the resettlement process risked creating unrealistic expectations among urban settlers.

“No one has ever received free land titles inside state land or within the city,” Governor Parkop said.

The Governor explained that 80 families affected by the 2 Mile relocation were allocated surveyed land at 6 Mile, complete with legal titles, as part of a structured resettlement plan.

He said some families have already paid for their land, while others are paying over time, describing the arrangement as fair and consistent with land practices across the country.

“This is about giving our people dignity, security, and a lawful pathway to ownership,” he said.

Governor Parkop said informal settlements across Port Moresby were not created by choice but by necessity, with families driven there by rising rental costs and delays in land processing.

“Our people want to live in proper homes,” he said. “But when access to land is denied or delayed, we condemn our people to settlements.”

He said the construction of the Sir Hubert Murray road left authorities with no option but to relocate families living along the corridor, noting that infrastructure development must take priority for the wider city.

“Where the road goes, water and power follows,” Governor Parkop said.

He highlighted success stories from areas such as 9 Mile, Vadavada and Taurama Valley, where residents paid for their land titles and invested in permanent homes and businesses.

“At 9 Mile, people have built good homes and even guesthouses because they were given security of title,” he said.

Governor Parkop said the NCD administration has committed budget funding to support settlement upgrading and resettlement, including basic services, while urging a cultural shift in attitudes toward land ownership.

“We must stop the mindset that land should be given for free,” he said.