PNG National Housing Corporation launches mega housing project

THE National Housing Corporation launched its major housing master plan, the K7 million Duran Farm housing project located outside Port Moresby on Friday.

Aimed at addressing the chronic housing shortage for public servants and residents in the city, this farm will hold 2500 accommodation blocks, one high school, three primary schools, five preschools, four police stations, one fire station, one hotel, 58 shops, two mega malls the size of Vision City, six churches, three sporting grounds, three health clinics and four apartments, to name a few.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Paul Isikiel launched the plan witnessed by NHC chairman Keith Iduhu and NHC managing director John Dege at Lamana Hotel.

Mr Isikiel described the occasion as an era for housing development given the present accommodation woes faced in the city and other urban areas, forcing many public servants to live in settlements.

"The Durand Farm will deliver 2500 houses annually per contractor, or if we engage 10 contractors simultaneously then it’s multiplied by 10 until we deliver 40,000 new homes to our population by 2020," Mr Isikiel said.

"The Durand farm social housing program is the first urban development lease assigned to NHC after 30 years, and the launching of the master plan is a milestone in the development of public servants’ housing program in the country to date.

"The concept is very simple, a house and land package is under K350,000. The cost of land development is less than K60,000 per 400 by 400 block. We do not pass the cost of development to the end user therefore the project fulfils the social housing definition.

"National Housing Corporation received K7 million for the Durand Farm project. Of this, K4 million was spent on procuring civil works equipment and K3 million went towards design and subdivision, resulting in the fruits of labour today.

"Durand Farm project is the first under-developed land to be fully serviced by the National Housing Corporation and the Housing Department," Mr Isikiel said.

Today, a tender process will be put through for contracts to bid for 12,000 standalone housing linked to that project.

Mr Isikiel also presented 106 successful applicants to the National Development Bank and 10 titles and their certificates to the Prime Minister and NEC. PNGFacts/Post Courier