With a new port, a new hospital and plans to redevelop Nadzab Airport, things are looking up for Lae, Papua New Guinea’s second-largest city. However, says Alan McLay, these developments highlight a shortage of land, and a need for more effective town planning.
Lae Port. Credit: Skyscrapercity
Two cricket legends will be in Lae next month. Arjuna Ranatunga and Andrew Bichel will be here on Thursday 28th of August and a fund raising dinner is being organised to raise funds for Cricket Lae. The kids of Lae will be able to attend a coaching clinic to be headed by these cricket greats which will help with their development and will be a wonderful memory for them in later life.
Cricket PNG in collaboration with the International Cricket Council is looking at upgrading facilities in Lae. This is exciting news for Lae and is just what we need to take the focus from the rather depressing political scene at the moment in Papua New Guinea.
In reality, Lae is doing well and will only get better.
Port
The new port will be completed hopefully early next year, which will provide that extra wharfage so urgently needed. Already the Independent Public Business Corporation is looking at further increasing the wharfage, as it looks like the amount of shipping has outgrown the wharf developments yet again.
The plan by Customs to upgrade its ICT systems is most welcome, as it will allow them to keep up with the exponential growth of shipping and cargo movement.
The soon to be reconstructed Angau Hospital, which is a joint operation between the PNG and the Australian governments, will see brand new hospital buildings constructed to world standards with the best and latest equipment.
Recently, the system has struggled to keep pace with the number of data entries required, mainly because of the slow internet connections. So, the plan to upgrade to a VSAT system will provide the necessary internet speed and the use of data entries through a website will provide more flexibility and ultimately speed up the system for users.
The abysmal road access to the Port of Lae will only improve from now on, with the upgrade of Mangola Street.
Hospital
Alan McLay, Lae Chamber of Commerce Inc.
The soon to be reconstructed Angau Hospital, which is a joint operation between the PNG and the Australian governments, will see brand new hospital buildings constructed to world standards with the best and latest equipment.
The planned redevelopment of Nadzab Airport will include a better runway, bigger and more functional terminals and development of Airport related industries. The Government has made a decision on this development, and we are waiting to hear about the detail.
Whatever eventuates and how quickly it happens will of course affect our plans to urge the upgrade of the airport and terminal to take international flights.
Land shortage
With development comes associated problems, which must be addressed soon.
Lae is running short of land, because the Government has not opened up any new land in Lae since Independence, apart from the old airstrip land, which is now a real mess.
Urban Management is vital for proper and coordinated development, but the Lae Urban Local Government (LULLG) is all but dysfunctional. The real problem is that the ULLG is confined to the archaic city boundaries and much of the development is taking place beyond these boundaries.
The developments that are taking place particularly toward Nadzab are all being done without any proper planning, and hence there will be problems down the track. Town services and utilities must be provided and schools and recreation areas are needed.
Urban Management is vital for proper and coordinated development, but the Lae Urban Local Government (LULLG) is all but dysfunctional. The real problem is that the ULLG is confined to the archaic city boundaries and much of the development is taking place beyond these boundaries.
Not only does the LULLG need to be revamped but it needs to be expanded to provide urban facilities to the places of new development.
Alan McLay is the Executive President of the Lae Chamber of Commerce.
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