Vagrancy Act and Settlements: Is forced relocation the solution?

By Wilson Thompson

The term settlement has been misapplied out of context and meaning.
The term was developed by then Department of Urban Development and the Housing Commission.
It relates to classification of residential areas. You have Suburbs or Estates such as Touguba and Boroko and Settlements like Hohola, Gerehu and Morata or Taraka and West Goroka.
Then you have Low Cost area such as Gerehu 4-6, Lopi Street, and Self Help Scheme such as Erima, Kaugere, Kama and the Lae Miles area.

In the Agriculture sector, settlement refers to Schemes where amenities such as Schools, Health Centres and Government markets and offices to bring people to live and farm such as in WNB, Sangara in Oro and Situm Ex Serviceman Blocks and other Agriculture Estates throughout the country in Ramu, Arona, Jiwaka, Central, Sepik , ENB and WNBP.
Can we define which is a settlement unless NHC goes back and upgrades it's classification and then the right areas will be determined which is illegal squatter and unplanned settlement within the current usages.

However, people cannot be forced to be go to wherever they are from .
The Constitution is clear on various rights and freedoms and also the circumstance these people end up in urban centres.
There are some fourth or fifth generation of urban residents who are not supported by any superannuation or dole system.
Coming back, there are many reasons why people are in the urban centres throughout PNG.
It would require better opportunities that brought them into the urban centres to make them go back or can be repatriated back to start a new life

These people are in various urban centres for variety of reasons.
Eg. The Labour Scheme of the 1950s and 1960s.
The Ex-service Scheme that saw war veterans and disciplinary forces that now are unemployed but living in the Suburbs such as Hohola..
Some lost their employment.
Many such as from Central and Gulf and Western brought into work are retired and families all living off each other.
Then we have recently retrenchment and retirement in the 1990s and 2000s.
Then you have those brought in or attracted by the city lights
There are so many reasons people move and are now stuck in NCD, Lae, Goroka or Madang.
You can't remove the Sepik, Tolai and Gulf or Central that have lived in Bulolo since the 1920s nor move the Sepiks and Simbu from WNB or the Papuan Compounds in Lae or Madang or Rabia Camp in Moresby or Kerema.

You have to provide incentives such as Resettlement Schemes such as WNB Oil Palm or Vunapalading Cocoa Blocks, Murua and Upulima, Cape Rodney, Gavien Rubber Schemes or Kindeng and AVI Coffee Block or Arona and Gusap Cattle Blocks , Situm, Sangara Blocks to move people to these attractions and social and economic security with schools and health Services and agriculture settlement.