In 1990, Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) purchased large parcels of land in Port Moresby with the intention to develop new, master-planned suburbs, catering to the needs of the growing Port Moresby population. These lands are described as Portions; 2156, 2157, 2158 and 2159, also commonly known as “Bushwara” at 9-Mile, Port Moresby.

This land is owned in trust by NSL for over 235,888 hardworking Papua New Guineans who are our Members. NSL, however, had to defend its title to these lands in Court over a number of years due to litigation instituted by various parties claiming ownership of the land. Whilst NSL was defending its titles in Court, these portions of land were left unsupervised, leading to substantial settlement by thousands of illegal squatters.

NSL has always operated with the utmost integrity and commitment to the Law, by following all legal requirements to lawfully secure the titles of its Land Portions.

In 2019, NSL re-secured its rightful titles of the 9-Mile Land Portions 2156, 2157 and 2159. Following the Courts decision, the NSL Board chose a path of responsible repossession, engaging with all stakeholders to find a satisfactory solution for our Members, the illegal squatters, and other interested parties. NSL engaged in lengthy discussions with various stakeholders, exploring every possible option to find an equitable resolution (win-win) for all parties. Discussions were undertaken in good faith, however, no viable resolution was able to be reached.

In 2021, substantial time and resources were expended to secure vacant possession. NSL had gone so far as to establish a project office on site, a police outpost, and monthly community awareness meetings to keep illegal squatters informed about the outcomes of the ongoing discussions, and provide them accurate and up-to-date information from an authorised NSL representative, while also encouraging them to commence immediate and voluntary relocation.

In 2024, after exhaustive discussions had once again failed to reach a mutually acceptable solution, the decision was made to re-secure these valued assets owned by the 235,888 Members of NSL, in line with NSL’s primary mandate to protect and serve the interest of its Members first and foremost.

Appreciating the sensitivity of this exercise and the impact on all stakeholders involved, NSL did not reach this decision lightly. In consideration, however, of the time, opportunity and exhaustive efforts provided to respective stakeholders, and the illegal squatters to voluntarily relocate, the decision was made to proceed with securing Vacant Possession.

• On Tuesday, 12 March 2024, the National Court reinstated NSL’s Vacant Possession of the Land Portions 2156, 2157 and 2159. The Court granted leave to NSL to issue Writs of Possession to illegal squatters. The refreshed Orders provided a  20-day grace period, during which time illegal squatters could voluntarily vacate the respective portions, allowing them the opportunity to remove any personal property at their own cost.
• The 120-day grace period commenced on Tuesday, 12 March 2024.
• On Friday, 15 March 2024, the Court issued Writs of Possession to the hand of the Sheriff for this purpose.
• On Sunday, 7 April 2024, NSL through its Project Site Manager provided a final awareness session to illegal squatters, reiterating the grace-period provided by the Court and the need for them to commence relocating immediately.
• On Monday, 8 April 2024, Nambawan Super held a press conference to announce to its Members and the general public, that the 120-day grace period had commenced.
• Separately, on Friday, 14 June 2024, after several years of litigation, the Court ruled in favour of NSL over Portion 2158, granting refreshed Orders to proceed with the eviction of this particular illegal squatter.
• On Thursday, 20 June 2024, the Sheriff’s Office together with the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) executed the Eviction Order for Portion 2158, with Vacant Possession secured and handed back to NSL.
• On Wednesday, 10 July 2024, the 120-day grace period ended for illegal squatters on Portions 2156, 2157 and 2159.
• On Thursday, 11 July 2024 the Eviction Exercise commenced. The Sheriff’s Office together with the assistance of the RPNGC attended at the various portions of land to secure vacant possession in favour of NSL.
• On Thursday, 1 August 2024, after over 30 years, NSL on behalf of its 235,888 Members received the 'Notice of Delivery' of Vacant Possession, officially handed over by the Sheriff’s Office.

Due to the effective planning and cooperation of all parties involved, the 9-Mile “Bushwara” Eviction Exercise, the Country's largest recorded eviction, was carried out in a safe and peaceful manner.

Securing Vacant Possession

Following the Vacant Possession of the 9-Mile Land portions, NSL immediately moved to secure its 217.8 hectares of land as its first priority. The land was immediately cleared and access roads created so that the construction of a boundary perimeter fence could commence in order to prevent any further illegal squatting.

At the time this Report is being prepared, the perimeter fencing work is well underway with 92% complete. While the project has experienced delays due to unexpected wet weather, the project team expects all fencing work and associated culvert construction to be completed by the end of May 2025. This marks the completion of the first phase of the development plans, with the aim of ensuring that the property is secure, so that the Fund can work through the preliminary stages of developing its Master Plan.

Next steps and plans

Nambawan Super’s intention is to devise a Master Plan that will deliver a mixed-use development that includes industrial, commercial, retail, housing and institutional components, in order to maximise the financial benefit and return for Members. Along with the significant infrastructure improvements, this development plan will create thousands of jobs and inject significant capital into the economy.

Nambawan Super’s primary goal is to generate strong returns for Members through careful investment into assets such as the 9-Mile Land. The final Master Plan design will be determined with all 235,888 Nambawan Super Members' best interests in mind, ensuring fair investment results for the benefit of all our Members nationwide, not just those within Port Moresby.

Development time frame

While NSL is committed to delivering this project as soon as practically possible for the benefit of its Members, it is evident that there is a lot of work involved before the Land portions can be fully developed.

The Fund would like to reiterate that development projects, particularly those of significant scale such as these, do not happen overnight and require careful planning, collaboration and time. The process involves multiple steps, and the coordination and involvement of various internal and external stakeholders and suppliers, each of whom have their own internal processes and timeframes that impact the project’s delivery timeframe.

As with all NSL projects, the Fund intends to complete each phase fully, correctly and to the highest standards and quality. This approach is critical in order to achieve the best possible returns for our Members. NSL is focused on protecting and growing the retirement savings of its 235,888 Members, which comprise workers in both the public and private sectors. These Members include; police personnel, teachers, nurses, correctional service personnel, and other public and private sector  employees.

For further queries or more information, call our toll-free number 180 1599 or email 9mile@nambawansuper.com.pg