Bougainville Land Bill review set for September
The ABG Department of Lands, Physical Planning, Environment and Conservation will be conducting a three-day Land Bill Peer Review meeting next month in Arawa, Central Bougainville.
Secretary Lynnette Baratai-Pokas says the review is to assess the content of the draft Bills to consider the implementation issues and make recommendations for improvement.
Currently the Bougainville Land Bill is divided into four subject matters:
- Government Land Bill
- Customary Land Bill
- Land Registers Bill
- Planning & Development Bill
“The base premise of the legal framework is that all land in Bougainville is customary land unless alienated. This is a reversal of the PNG system of land tenure and delivers on the overwhelmingly heard wishes of Bougainvilleans throughout policy consultations,” Secretary Baratai said.
To facilitate this peer review, the ABG through the Department of Lands, has engaged Jencel Limited, a consulting firm that is comprised of land law experts from academic and land administration backgrounds.
This week, the ABG Minister for Lands Hon. Junior Tumare presented to Jencel Limited its first mobilization payment of K30,000, commencing its engagement.
Following the completion of the peer review of the Land Bills, the Department will conduct regional roadshows across Bougainville for final public consultations before it is tabled in parliament.
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