A New Port Moresby

From JOHN RYAN, in Port Moresby

Relocation of Jackson’s Air strip, a new city centre, suburbs designed for pedestrians, a popu lation nearing 300,000 . . . these are the factors in the biggest thing in New Guinea’s peacetime

history—an expert, modern town

plan for Port Moresby.

The plan was drawn up by con sultants, Maunsell and Partners (Mel bourne) and Alan M. Voorhees and Associates Incorporated of McLean, Virginia, and Melbourne, The New Guinea Administration has presented the plan to the public untouched, and the final version will depend to a large degree on public reaction.

The consultants considered five alternative regional plans for the long-term development of Greater Port Moresby, and they’ve put their plans on the ground for the 10-year period to 1980 and the 20 years to 1990. Total estimated cost is 5A20.300.000 about $1,000,000 a year for development over 20 years.

The major features: © The city centres, now ham strung in 75 acres bounded by the wharf, Ela Beach and Paga and Tuaguba Hills, should be shifted to a 500-acre site on Waigani Drive (Racecourse Road) midway between Hubert Murray Highway and the University of Papua-New Guinea.

The consultants say it would be ideal for the civic centre, including Supreme Court and House of As sembly. • Relocation of Jackson’s Air strip by 1985, to Haidana Island opposite Porebada Village, west of Port Moresby, Coral reefs would form part of the foundation for the new strip, and a causeway road would be built a short distance to the mainland at Porebada. The De partment of Civil Aviation already has a $13,000,000 investment in the existing Jackson’s Strip, and much of the total Port Moresby develop ment plan will hinge on DCA’s de cision (or otherwise) to go along with the plan. Existing Jackson’s Strip would be turned over for hous ing. ® All new suburbs (both for the 10-year and 20-year projections in the plan) have been designed for an urban community short of personal transport, and generally unable to afford regular public transport.

The suburbs have been designed as self-contained livework areas, so that people can get to work on foot. © Government headquarters, Kone dobu, should be shifted towards the proposed city centre on Waigani Drive.

Overall, the plan is to get the business and commercial centre away from the restrictions of the existing Port Moresby peninsula, and into the university valley, and into the new centres of native population.