Moresby Hotel

Plans For Fourth

Papuan Airline Transport Ltd. has announced its inten tion to build a £160,000 hotel near the Port Moresby airport, which would give Port Moresby four hotels.

But an application to the Lands Board for the conversion of an agricultural lease already held by Patair to a hotel site has failed.

The board said it could not make a hotel site available in the area without giving other interested parties an opportunity to tender for it.

Manager of Patair, Mr. Cliff Jackson, has since said Patair is preparing an appeal against the board’s decision and that he is confident of its success.

Latest development in the proposals has been an Ansett Transport Industries announce ment that it was negotiating to join Patair in the project.

Following this announcement Mr. Jackson said it was now likely up to £250,000 would be spent on the hotel.

The idea of a hotel in the Six-Mile and Jackson’s Airport area is popular with the 500 or so native workers who live in the area.

They say it would relieve the pressure on the Boroko Hotel, three miles closer to Port Moresby, as well as provid ing them with drinking facilities close at hand.

The Port Moresby police have not yet publicly disclosed their views on a hotel being sited in the area but are believed to be in favour of the principle.