Latest pictures of Port Moresby's building boom

New Gateway Hotel Conference Centre and apartments at Seven-Mile

Kenmaiti Fried Chicken joint at the new Steamships commercial centre in Gordon

Work starts on Ela Vista on Touaguba Hill overlooking Ela Beach

Long-established Windward Apartments overlooking Ela Beach with Manuabada Island in the distance

Signboard at Ela Beach Hotel redevelopment

Work at Ela Beach Hotel

Ela Beach Hotel suites signboard

Gateay Hotel, Seven Mile

Gateway Hotel Conference Centre and apartments project signboard

Gateway Hotel Conference Centre as seen from the front gate of the hotel

Took a drive around Port Moresby this morning and here are more pictures of just a few of the many new buildings mushrooming all over the city.

Port Moresby's right now in the midst of an unprecedented building and construction boom.

Planning factors for Papua New Guinea's Vision 2050

By REG RENAGI

In future, the Papua New Guinea government must look over the horizon at the core permanent features of our geography and domestic situation.

Some important factors for government strategic planners to consider in our Vision 2050 strategy are:

• Distances from major international markets;
• Strategic environment - our homeland is girthed by sea to the east with Solomon Islands and south with Australia, and a common western land border with Indonesia. Hence, our main strategic interests are held in common;
• Demography. We have a low but growing population base with a proportionally small fiscal base. The country over time can not sustain a large ineffective bureaucracy nor incur any large public-cost factors. Therefore, the general plan needs flexibility and professionalism will be needed if our workforce is to be properly trained, and adequately resourced to support future development goals; and
• National interests. The wide spread of our national interests, most of which are shared with other countries, and can only be pursued in a collective endeavour. Thus, collective security has been our basic national development posture for 34 years.

More over, we should also include these three key features to be included in PNG’s strategic planning system:

• Comprehensiveness. The strategic planning system must cover all public expenditure works as well as equipment. This should give a balanced view of government funding and spending in its entirety;
• Transparency. The long term strategy must show the content and state of all plans, programs at all stages, from initial identification through to the commitment of funds and implementation of projects; and
• Strategic linkages. The government must link through a clear chain of logic, its strategic development policy framework through capabilities required to carry it out at all levels of administration from national to local governments. The link between national strategy and spending should be kept more clearly before parliament and government. Thus, governments can better balance policy aims with available resources and better assess the consequences, and risks from any imbalance.

Here, certain strategic deductions must be made with suitable hedging strategies adapted to address demographic trends like population growth, education drop-outs at various levels of the education spectrum (primary to tertiary, including vocational), competition with the private sector, effects of the HIV/Aids pandemic on human capital, including potential brain-drain of our workforce professionals, skilled/semi-skilled labour leaving various employment sectors within government for industry here, and offshore.

For best allocation of resources, good strategic plans: whether short, medium and long-term must be constantly reviewed and maintained. These action plans reflect the need to think ahead in the long term business of sustainable development investment. A careful planning process is needed to ensure that funding and the required development capabilities are available when called for. The next few years will see further reviews carried out as part of what will be a continuous improvement strategy and process, feeding into our national strategic planning system.

The writer is a former PNG Defence Force strategic planner

Strategic management of Papua New Guinea's development

By REGINALD RENAGI

 

Papua New Guinea has a new future vision.

The government’s national strategic plan (NSP) framework 2010 - 2050 recently renamed Vision 2050 and launched by the PNG government is our first long-term plan since independence. 

This framework forms a basis for a strategic 40-year development plan to 2050.   

The key to formulating a sound national development policy lies with good strategic planning for the future. 

PNG must first and foremost, develop sound strategic planning mechanisms built into its overall strategic political and government planning systems. 

The country’s overall strategy must be derived from a combination of factors, including the development of a highly professional, competent and a well-resourced and equipped national workforce (both public and private sector).  

This future workforce must be shaped by a rigorous application of sound planning principals, ass the lead-times for governments are either short (five years) or long-term (beyond a two-term administration).

 Therefore, strategic planning must both look to medium and long term, as well as our ongoing needs to ensure that adjustments are made to cover uncertain ties, and risks that may emerge in future. 

The present improved economic conditions in recent times must now be maximised for long-term growth and prosperity.

 This directly impinges upon future financial assumptions on which a “whole of government” approach taken including related forward planning considerations will be based. 

There are significant challenges with our present political and government systems that must be critically addressed today.

Government planners, therefore, face a period of growing complexity and uncertainty. 

In addition, through a process of economic reform and restructuring, PNG will become a more open and competitive market economy. 

To better achieve this, the private sector is expected to support future developmental efforts to contribute towards the NSP in the next few years.

 Some key factors of change national planners must fully take into account are:

·        Government modernisation programs within the region;

·        The future impact of economic interdependence and changing trade alignments on international relationships, and whether this will produce stability or new tensions;

·         The economic dynamism of the Asian countries, while increasing the stability of the region, but also if sustained over the longer term, will bring changes in our relative national strength;

·         Continuing economic and social problems in the south-west pacific;  and

·         National aspirations for a better future quality of life and wellbeing.

PNG’s strategic environment poses many development challenges. 

We are now facing varying levels of transnational issues with serious security implications that the government must critically addressed. 

Thus, development priorities of national capabilities must be driven principally by our future vision, mission and core values and guiding principles derived from the national constitution.

Careful planning of future development must ensure we have the right level and mix of state management capabilities necessary for national self-sufficiency and reliance over time.

 Therefore, development efforts must be at an appropriate level and can be economically sustained within national resources. 

This approach provides a rigorous, enduring basis for disciplined planning as our future strategic circumstances become more demanding.

PNG’s long- term plan covers 40 years and in that timeframe, the government needs to also factor in forecasted future risks with suitable in-built hedging strategies designed to minimise risks that may affect final outcomes.

 The task for national planners is not easy but to make certain that our strategic framework is comprehensive enough to cope with future contingencies, not yet discerned by the most far-sighted government analyst. 

 

Reginald Renagi is a former PNG Defence Force Chief, now a maritime school trainer and writes as a hobby.

 

What a wonderful world

After all the bad news from Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea this week, it was quite refreshing to take my children for a walk to the Gerehu shopping centre this morning and see all the trees in full green and flower.
It reminded me of one of my all time favorite songs, Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World
I see trees of green...red roses too
I see em bloom...for me and you
And I think to myself...what a wonderful world
Or this poem by Joyce Kilmer
Trees

Joyce Kilmer. 1886–1918

I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

New Lutheran head bishop for Papua New Guinea

Principal of Martin Luther Seminary in Lae Rev Gigere Wenge is the new Head Bishop of the 1.3 million strong Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea.

Rev Wenge was elected at the 27^th Synod of the church to take up the top post left vacant by late Dr Wesley Kigasung in May 2008.

Bishop Wenge holds a degree in theology from the Martin Luther Seminary, a degree in Christian education from Concordia University in USA, a degree in science education from Concordia Seminary in US and also a masters degree in theological studies.

He had served as a pastor in the Kabwum district, chaplain for Balob Teachers College, pastor for Hobu Lutheran congregation and lecturer at Martin Luther Seminary.

He was appointed principal of the seminary in 2007.

Bishop Wenge comes from Boana district in the Morobe province.

Acting head bishop Rev Zau Rapa was re-elected for a second term as assistant bishop while church general secretary Isaac Teo lost his post to Albert Tokave from Kainantu District.

Richard Leahy, P2-MJL and a love affair with rural PNG

Richard Leahy (left) with P2-MJL at Nadzab Airport in 2005.Picture by PACIFIC WRECKS

Body bags and charred plane remains against the backdrop of P2 – MJL.-Picture by BUSTIN ANZU

P2–MJL stands out in the burned-out remains of the Kiunga Aviation Cessna 185.-Picture by BUSTIN ANZU

Richard Leahy in Lae.-Picture by PACIFIC WRECKS

On a wing and a prayer

If you look closely at the remaining tail section of the ill-fated Cessa 185 which crashed into the rugged Saruwaged Ranges on Morobe province on Dec 30 last year, killing a family of six people, you will see the initials P2–MJL.

THE plane, in which veteran pilot Richard Leahy almost died , was appropriately registered as P2-MJL, the initials of his father Michael ‘Mick’ James Leahy - one of Australia's most colourful and successful explorers – and widely revered as one of those pioneer explorers who made first contact with and opened up the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Mr Leahy lived on a wing and a prayer, an unsung hero who in his own quite little way, brought about so much development to rural PNG, flying into places where only eagles dare.

This is why Morobe Governor Luther Wenge’s attack on the aging Australian aviator, who calls PNG home, has opened up a hornet’s nest in both PNG and Australia.

Newspaper pages and the internet have been running hot since Mr Wenge – who lost close relatives in the crash - said Mr Mr Leahy should be charged with manslaughter and deported from the country.

Among these is John Pasquarelli, legendary Sepik River crocodile hunter, member of the first house of assembly in 1964, founder of Pauline Hanson’s infamous One Nation Party in Australia, and now artist and political commentator – who has often been called a “racist”.

“Malum, if I'm a racist then this Wenge is the king of the castle!”he told me in typical dry Australian style.

“I hope Wenge is not a relly of yours mate!”

Mr Pasquarelli continued: “I first met Richard Leahy at his family's farm at Zenag near Mumeng, Morobe district in 1962.

“He was 21 and I was 25.

“Now we are 68 and 72 respectively - how time flies!

“Our friendship continues to this day and I remember many Christmases spent at Zenag with the Leahy family.

“Richard has spent all his life flying apart from a very brief interlude at Sydney University - he often visited air shows in the US.

“I flew with him many times and on one occasion in 1972 he flew me from Lae to Coolangatta in a Cessna 185, dropping me off to see my parents while he went on to Bankstown in NSW to have the aircraft serviced.

“On the return trip we were stopped at Townsville by Cyclone Althea - and then when the weather cleared after a couple of days we returned to Lae.

“Richard visited me many times when I was living on the Sepik and more than not he was flying MJL (Michael James Leahy) - the plane he crashed in.

“His long record of safe flying in a country like PNG with its notoriously-changeable weather conditions and difficult terrain says it all.

“His incredible survival of the horrific crash will not be clarified until he has recovered sufficiently to speak to the accident investigators.

“Well-respected by the locals, Richard played an important part in the lives of the local communities he serviced and when he recovers from his terrible injuries, he will be devastated by the tragic deaths of his passengers.”

I knew Mr Leahy and his first wife Robin from my newspaper days in Lae in the 1980s and 1990s, particularly Robin, who had a deep love of PNG history and culture which she shared passionately with me while her husband was soaring in the skies of PNG.

Richard Leahy’s father Mick Leahy was the feisty figure who led the expeditions in the early 1930s, starting from the historic town of Salamaua in the Morobe province, which established for the first time that the Highlands of PNG were not "empty" but packed with vibrant cultures.

In the 1920s and 1930s, there were adventures to be lived and fortunes to be made by strong young men in the gold fields of New Guinea.

Mick Leahy and his associates explored the unknown interior of New Guinea, seeking gold and making contact for the first time with the inhabitants of the interior mountains and valleys.

Their explorations, recounted in Explorations into Highlands New Guinea, probably represent the last of their kind in the world.

It is a story of five years spent in hot pursuit – not of honor and glory, but of excitement and riches – by one such adventurer Michael ‘Mick’ Leahy, his brothers Jim and Pat, and friends Mick Dwyer and Jim Taylor.

The discovery of gold in New Guinea in 1926 at Edie Creek above Wau lured Mick Leahy (and a short time later his brothers Pat, Jim and Dan) into an adventure that resulted in important geologic, geographic, and ethnographic observations of Stone Age people in a region unknown to the rest of the world at that time.

Mick Leahy - known widely as "Masta Mick" - died 30 years ago at Zenag, on a mountain top in Morobe province, where he is buried.

That adventurous streak and love of PNG passed on to Richard, who was was born in Sydney on June 22, 1941, and returned to New Guinea, only to be evacuated with mother Jeanette (who is still alive) soon after the Japanese took Rabaul.

“I started flying training at Lae in 1959 in a Tiger Moth operated by volunteers from Mandated Airlines and TAA,” he said in a rare interview published on the Pacific Wrecks website http://www.pacificwrecks.com/.

“Finished my training at Archerfield in January 1960 and had a full Australian Private Licence by the end of January.

“I converted onto Cessnas at Bankstown during 1960.

“I bought a Cessna 182, VH-BVE from ANSETT / MAL in 1967.

“This aircraft was originally operated in PNG by Madang Air Services.

“Whilst owned by ANSETT if served as a runabout for the ledgendary Dick Glassey. “Passed my Australian commercial in 1968 and was granted a service licence by the department in the same year.

“I flew the 182 commercially for three years and after that began to operate Cessna 185's. “I still have one today and have chalked up around 15,000 (hours) on this type over the years.

“I have also operated Cessna 402s, 206s, Beech Barons and Islanders.”

Papua New Guinea, particularly our neglected rural people, wait with bated breath to see what happens when Richard Leahy comes out of hospital.

Pictures of the deadly road accident in Papua New Guinea (NOTE: PICTURES ARE QUITE GRAPHIC)

All pictures by SAMSON NELAHO