Western Province (Papua New Guinea)
Encyclopedia
Western Province is a coast
al province
in southwestern Papua New Guinea
, bordering the Indonesia
n province of Papua
. The provincial capital is Daru
, on the island of Daru. The largest town in the province is Tabubil. The provincial government has purported to change the name of the province to the Fly River Province but this remains unofficial as names of provinces are set out in the Constitution of Papua New Guinea and changes must be made according to the constitutional amending process.
and its tributaries
including the Strickland
and Ok Tedi
rivers, the largest lake in Papua New Guinea Lake Murray is also in Western Province.
In the province is the only part of Papua New Guinea which possesses land west of the 141°E line that divides it from Indonesian Western New Guinea
. This is a small section of territory bordered by the Fly River
.
The Tonda Wildlife Management Area
in the south-western corner of the province is a wetland of international importance and the largest protected area in Papua New Guinea.
. Other major settlements are Kiunga
, Tabubil, Ningerum
, Olsobip
and Balimo.
The major economic activity in the province is constituted by the Ok Tedi Mine
, initially established by BHP and the subject of considerable litigation by traditional landowners both in respect of environmental degradation
and disputes over royalties. It is currently operated by Ok Tedi Mining Limited
(OTML).
, Chimbu
and Northern
Provinces, attempted to change the name of the province. The government uses the term Fly River Provincial Government. However, not having been accomplished by way of constitutional amendment, the change is unofficial.
There are three districts
in the province. Each district has one or more Local Level Government (LLG) areas. For census
purposes, the LLG areas are subdivided into wards and those into census units.
. There is one provincial electorate
and each district is an open electorate. The following table lists Members before and after the 2007 general election
.
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
al province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
in southwestern Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, bordering the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n province of Papua
Papua (Indonesian province)
Papua comprises most of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands. Its capital is Jayapura. It's the largest and easternmost province of Indonesia. The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea...
. The provincial capital is Daru
Daru
Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is located near the mouth of the Fly River on the western side of the Gulf, just north of Torres Strait and Far North Queensland...
, on the island of Daru. The largest town in the province is Tabubil. The provincial government has purported to change the name of the province to the Fly River Province but this remains unofficial as names of provinces are set out in the Constitution of Papua New Guinea and changes must be made according to the constitutional amending process.
Geography and ecology
Western Province covers 99,300 km² and is the largest province in Papua New Guinea by area. There are several large rivers that run through the province including the Fly RiverFly River
The Fly at , is the second longest river, after the Sepik, in Papua New Guinea. The Fly is the largest river in Oceania, the largest in the world without a single dam in its catchment, and overall ranks as the twenty-fifth largest river in the world by volume of discharge...
and its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
including the Strickland
Strickland River
The Strickland River is a river in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, and is the largest tributary of the Fly River.- Environmental concerns :...
and Ok Tedi
Ok Tedi River
The Ok Tedi is a river in New Guinea. The Ok Tedi Mine is located near the headwaters of the river, which is sourced in the Star Mountains. Nearly the entirety of the river runs through the North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, but the river crosses the international...
rivers, the largest lake in Papua New Guinea Lake Murray is also in Western Province.
In the province is the only part of Papua New Guinea which possesses land west of the 141°E line that divides it from Indonesian Western New Guinea
Western New Guinea
West Papua informally refers to the Indonesian western half of the island of New Guinea and other smaller islands to its west. The region is officially administered as two provinces: Papua and West Papua. The eastern half of New Guinea is Papua New Guinea.The population of approximately 3 million...
. This is a small section of territory bordered by the Fly River
Fly River
The Fly at , is the second longest river, after the Sepik, in Papua New Guinea. The Fly is the largest river in Oceania, the largest in the world without a single dam in its catchment, and overall ranks as the twenty-fifth largest river in the world by volume of discharge...
.
The Tonda Wildlife Management Area
Tonda Wildlife Management Area
The Tonda Wildlife Management Area is a wetland of international importance and the largest protected area in Papua New Guinea. It is located in the south-western corner of the Western Province and is contiguous with Wasur National Park of Indonesia...
in the south-western corner of the province is a wetland of international importance and the largest protected area in Papua New Guinea.
Demographics
There were 153,304 inhabitants counted at the 2000 census. The provincial capital is DaruDaru
Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is located near the mouth of the Fly River on the western side of the Gulf, just north of Torres Strait and Far North Queensland...
. Other major settlements are Kiunga
Kiunga, Papua New Guinea
Kiunga is a port town on the Fly River in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, just upstream from the D'Albertis Junction with the Ok Tedi River. It is the southernmost terminus of the Kiunga-Tabubil Highway. Local industry rests on a cornerstone of freight and haulage, particularly from the...
, Tabubil, Ningerum
Ningerum
Ningerum is a small town on the Kiunga-Tabubil Highway, about equidistant between the two centres of Kiunga and Tabubil. Ningerum is the seat of the Ningerum Rural LLG, which was the second most populous LLG in the North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea during the 2000 census...
, Olsobip
Olsobip
Olsobip is a station town in the north of the Papua New Guinean Western province, located on the Upper Fly River. It is the seat of the Olsobip Rural LLG. It has a rural airport but, set in a rich forest, it is unaccessable by road...
and Balimo.
Economy
Ok Tedi Mine
The Ok Tedi Mine is an open-pit copper and gold mine located near the headwaters of the Ok Tedi River, in the Star Mountains Rural LLG of the North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea...
, initially established by BHP and the subject of considerable litigation by traditional landowners both in respect of environmental degradation
Ok Tedi Environmental Disaster
The Ok Tedi environmental disaster, due to the annual discharge of millions of tons of mining waste, has harmed the environment and livelihood of 50,000 people who live on or near the Ok Tedi River in Papua New Guinea...
and disputes over royalties. It is currently operated by Ok Tedi Mining Limited
Ok Tedi Mining Limited
Ok Tedi Mining Limited is a Company from Papua New Guinea that administers the Ok Tedi Mine in the northern part of the Western Province. Its main office is located in a building known as the White House in Tabubil....
(OTML).
Politics
The Western provincial government has, like the governments of North SolomonsBougainville Province
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, previously known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea. The largest island is Bougainville Island , and the province also includes the island of Buka and assorted outlying islands including the Carterets...
, Chimbu
Simbu Province
Simbu, also known as Chimbu, is a Highlands Region province in Papua New Guinea. The province has an area of 6,100 km² and a population of 259,703 . The capital of the province is Kundiawa...
and Northern
Oro Province
Oro Province, formerly Northern Province, is a coastal province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Popondetta. The province covers 22,800 km², and has 133,065 inhabitants ....
Provinces, attempted to change the name of the province. The government uses the term Fly River Provincial Government. However, not having been accomplished by way of constitutional amendment, the change is unofficial.
Districts and LLGs
Districts and LLGs of Papua New Guinea
||This page is a list of districts and Local-Level Government areas of Papua New Guinea.On the highest level, Papua New Guinea is divided into four Regions. Below, Papua New Guinea has 20 province-level divisions: 18 integrated provinces, the autonomous province of North Solomons and the National...
in the province. Each district has one or more Local Level Government (LLG) areas. For census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
purposes, the LLG areas are subdivided into wards and those into census units.
| District | District Capital | LLG Name |
|---|---|---|
| North Fly District North Fly District, Western Province The North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea is the northernmost, smallest, and arguably the most remote of the three districts of the province... |
Kiunga Kiunga, Papua New Guinea Kiunga is a port town on the Fly River in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, just upstream from the D'Albertis Junction with the Ok Tedi River. It is the southernmost terminus of the Kiunga-Tabubil Highway. Local industry rests on a cornerstone of freight and haulage, particularly from the... |
Kiunga Rural Kiunga Rural LLG The Kiunga Rural LLG is a local level government area situated in the North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. In the year 2000, the LLG had a population of 13,249 people. The township of Kiunga is within the boundaries of this LLG, but has its own urban LLG.... |
| Kiunga Urban Kiunga Urban LLG The Kiunga Urban LLG is a local level government area situated in the North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. In the year 2000, the LLG had a population of 8265 people. The township of Kiunga, which is governed by this LLG is the government seat of the district.... |
||
| Ningerum Rural Ningerum Rural LLG The Ningerum Rural LLG is a local level government area situated in the North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. In the year 2000, the LLG had a population of 13,156 people. The main population centre is Ningerum.... |
||
| Olsobip Rural Olsobip Rural LLG The Olsobip Rural LLG is a local level government situated in the North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. In the year 2000, the LLG was the least populous of the district, with a population of only 3851 people. The capital of the LLG is a station town by the name of Olsobip.... |
||
| Star Mountains Rural Star Mountains Rural LLG The Star Mountains Rural LLG is a local level government situated in the Star Mountains in the North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. In the year 2000, the LLG had 1691 homes, and a population of 12,114 people. The current population is more likely to now be around 15,000... |
||
| Middle Fly District Middle Fly District, Western Province The Middle Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea is a large, coastal district that forms the central area of the Fly River basin. It contains the Local-Level Government areas of: Balimo Urban, Bamu Rural, Gogodaia Rural, Lake Murray Rural, and Nomad Rural, and the population... |
Balimo | Balimo Urban |
| Bamu Rural | ||
| Gogodala Rural | ||
| Lake Murray Rural | ||
| Nomad Rural | ||
| South Fly District South Fly District, Western Province South Fly District is a district of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Daru. The population of the district was 46,407at the 2000 census.... |
Daru Daru Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is located near the mouth of the Fly River on the western side of the Gulf, just north of Torres Strait and Far North Queensland... |
Daru Urban |
| Kiwai Rural | ||
| Morehead Rural | ||
| Oriomo-Bituri Rural |
Members of the National Parliament
The province and each district is represented by a Member of the National ParliamentNational Parliament of Papua New Guinea
The National Parliament of Papua New Guinea is the unicameral national legislature in Papua New Guinea. It was first created in 1964 as the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea, but gained its current name with the granting of independence in 1975....
. There is one provincial electorate
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
and each district is an open electorate. The following table lists Members before and after the 2007 general election
Results of the Papua New Guinean general election, 2007
Counting of the official results of the Papua New Guinean general election to elect members of the 2007–2012 National Parliament, held from 30 June 2007 to 14 July 2007, was largely completed by 6 August, the deadline for the return of writs. Counting in two seats was delayed for a further few days...
.
| Electorate | Previous member (party) | 2007 winner (party) |
|---|---|---|
| Western Provincial | Bob Danaya (PNGLP PNG Labour Party The Papua New Guinea Labour Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea.At the last legislative elections, 30 June–14 July 2007, the party won 1 seat .... ) |
Bob Danaya (PNGLP PNG Labour Party The Papua New Guinea Labour Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea.At the last legislative elections, 30 June–14 July 2007, the party won 1 seat .... ) |
| Middle Fly Open | Roy Biyama (URP United Resources Party The United Resources Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. The party won 5 out of 109 seats in the 2007 General Elections... ) |
Roy Biyama (URP United Resources Party The United Resources Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. The party won 5 out of 109 seats in the 2007 General Elections... ) |
| North Fly Open | Martin Tabi (PNC People's National Congress Party The People's National Congress Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. Its former leader Bill Skate served as prime minister from 1997 to 1999 and as speaker of Parliament from 2002 to 2004. Skate died in 2006 and the party is now led by Peter O’Neill.... ) |
Boka Kondra Boka Kondra Boka Kondra is a Papua New Guinea politician. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007, representing the electorate of North Fly Open... (elected as Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... then joined PNC People's National Congress Party The People's National Congress Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. Its former leader Bill Skate served as prime minister from 1997 to 1999 and as speaker of Parliament from 2002 to 2004. Skate died in 2006 and the party is now led by Peter O’Neill.... ) |
| South Fly Open | Conrad Haoda (PNC People's National Congress Party The People's National Congress Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. Its former leader Bill Skate served as prime minister from 1997 to 1999 and as speaker of Parliament from 2002 to 2004. Skate died in 2006 and the party is now led by Peter O’Neill.... ) |
Sali Subam Sali Subam Sali Subam is a Papua New Guinea politician. He has been a National Alliance member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007, representing the electorate of South Fly Open. Subam first contested the electorate at the 2002 general election, but lost to People's National... (NA National Alliance Party (Papua New Guinea) The National Alliance Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. It was founded in 1995 by Bernard Narokobi, Moi Avei, Bart Philemon and Masket Iangalio, who invited Sir Michael Somare to lead them to the 1997 elections after he had been sacked as leader of the Pangu Party.National Alliance... ) |
See also
- Hindenburg RangeHindenburg RangeThe Hindenburg Range is a mountain range in western Papua New Guinea, stretching from the Star Mountains to the east, at about ....
- Hindenburg Wall
- Star MountainsStar MountainsThe Star Mountains are a mountain range in western Papua New Guinea, stretching from the border with Indonesia, at about to the Hindenburg Range...
- Kiunga-Tabubil HighwayKiunga-Tabubil HighwayThe Kiunga-Tabubil Highway is an all weather gravel road that runs from the river port town of Kiunga through Ningerum and Tabubil to the Ok Tedi Mine site, in the remote North Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The road is around long, but this changes as sections are...