Gerehu resettlement plan met with stiff opposition

The municipal authority’s plan to resettle evicted residents from the 2-Mile and 4-Mile areas into Port Moresby’s Gerehu suburb has been met with fierce resistance.

Gerehu, one of the capital’s largest suburbs, is the home of the "Gerehu-for-Gerehu" movement. This initiative involves local youths working voluntarily with police to combat crime and protect public spaces, including the main bus stop and various residential stages. G4G leaders have collectively regard the resettlement plan as a major setback to the progress they have made in securing the suburb.

NCD Governor Powes Parkop recently announced that a temporary care center will be established in Gerehu to house the evicted families for six months.

"We have secured 10 hectares of land from the customary owners at Baruni," Parkop said. "The possibility to extend [the land] is there; we are in negotiations now. We are going to move all those evicted from 2-Mile and 4-Mile there as a temporary care center."

Governor Parkop said said a six-month window is intended to give the city administration time to finalize long-term solutions.

"I've given direction to the City Manager and our team to ramp up the surveying, especially at Farea," Parkop said. "For the land allocated for affordable housing, we can start to filter everyone there to ensure they have a better future that contributes to their well-being and the well-being of the city."

The announcement has sparked immediate backlash from the Gerehu-for-Gerehu movement, which views the influx of displaced settlers as a potential threat to local stability.

To address these concerns, a public forum is scheduled for Saturday, February 21st, in Gerehu. The meeting aims to gauge resident views and discuss a way forward. Representatives from the National Capital District Commission [NCDC] and the police are expected to attend.