Manus promised more role
PAPUA New Guinea's foreign minister has vowed Manus Island residents will be involved in the permanent asylum seeker facility amid threats of sabotage to the temporary processing camp.
Foreign minister Rimbink Pato said there has been a lack of communication between PNG's national government and provincial administrators over Australia's plans for the asylum seeker facility on Manus Island.
"There has been a lack of communication," Mr Pato told The National newspaper.
"Locals will be involved in the permanent processing centre.
"We have now resolved the matter and will continue to resolve any matter that comes up."
Landowner groups say they have missed out on building and service contracts for the facility and fear most of the spin-off economic benefit will end up back in Australia or on mainland PNG.
One landowner representative, Mary Handen, told AAP her group met Manus officials briefly on Friday and have since had a series of meetings rescheduled.
Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin last week labelled Australia "arrogant" after provincial officials reported they felt dictated to by Australian officials about immediate plans for the asylum facility at a meeting in Brisbane on October 11.
Local MP Ronny Knight told AAP landowners' threats of sabotage on the ABC last week were genuine.
"Nobody goes to Manus until we sort these issues out," he said.
He says an application for an injunction on asylum seekers has been drawn up but not yet filed.
"If landowners don't want it to go ahead then it won't go. It's a simple as that.
"They have all the ways to stop it - we're talking about water, we're talking about power, we're talking about everything.
"Coconut trees (laid) across the road, the airport - the whole town will shut down."
He says the hiring of security company G4S at the site is an example of "Boomerang Aid" - something Manusians experienced at the closure of the Howard-era centre there in 2004.
"For (Australia) to give it to G4S is just a slap in the face, it's a repeat of 2001," Mr Knight said.
"You get G4S in there you'll never get them out. It's jobs for the boys, boomerang aid."
The Australian government through the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby issued a statement last week saying the hiring of external service providers may be temporary.
The landowners are made up of five clans of Manus District's Los Negros Island, home to Lombrum Naval base where the current asylum processing facility is based. Manus, referred to as an island, is actually a close collection of several islands.
More than 100 Australian Defence Force (ADF) engineers have been working there for more than a month.
Australia is aiming to send asylum seekers there at the end of October.
AAP
Foreign minister Rimbink Pato said there has been a lack of communication between PNG's national government and provincial administrators over Australia's plans for the asylum seeker facility on Manus Island.
"There has been a lack of communication," Mr Pato told The National newspaper.
"Locals will be involved in the permanent processing centre.
"We have now resolved the matter and will continue to resolve any matter that comes up."
Landowner groups say they have missed out on building and service contracts for the facility and fear most of the spin-off economic benefit will end up back in Australia or on mainland PNG.
One landowner representative, Mary Handen, told AAP her group met Manus officials briefly on Friday and have since had a series of meetings rescheduled.
Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin last week labelled Australia "arrogant" after provincial officials reported they felt dictated to by Australian officials about immediate plans for the asylum facility at a meeting in Brisbane on October 11.
Local MP Ronny Knight told AAP landowners' threats of sabotage on the ABC last week were genuine.
"Nobody goes to Manus until we sort these issues out," he said.
He says an application for an injunction on asylum seekers has been drawn up but not yet filed.
"If landowners don't want it to go ahead then it won't go. It's a simple as that.
"They have all the ways to stop it - we're talking about water, we're talking about power, we're talking about everything.
"Coconut trees (laid) across the road, the airport - the whole town will shut down."
He says the hiring of security company G4S at the site is an example of "Boomerang Aid" - something Manusians experienced at the closure of the Howard-era centre there in 2004.
"For (Australia) to give it to G4S is just a slap in the face, it's a repeat of 2001," Mr Knight said.
"You get G4S in there you'll never get them out. It's jobs for the boys, boomerang aid."
The Australian government through the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby issued a statement last week saying the hiring of external service providers may be temporary.
The landowners are made up of five clans of Manus District's Los Negros Island, home to Lombrum Naval base where the current asylum processing facility is based. Manus, referred to as an island, is actually a close collection of several islands.
More than 100 Australian Defence Force (ADF) engineers have been working there for more than a month.
Australia is aiming to send asylum seekers there at the end of October.
AAP
