Construction & Real Estate

While resources-related projects will always be the engine of the sector, the rising number of residential, hotel, retail, transportation and office developments are becoming increasingly important, as the country’s hosting of APEC in 2018 and the expanding middle class continue to shift Papua New Guinea’s construction priorities. Although a downturn in the commodity cycle, the end of construction on the PNG LNG project and long-standing ambiguities over land rights have constrained development in the real estate sector, changes are afoot that could lead to significant improvements. About half a dozen major housing projects are now under way, and homes at reasonable prices are fast becoming available. A culture of home ownership is taking hold, driven by rising prosperity and aspiration. This chapter contains interviews with Matthew Lewis, Managing Director, Hornibrook NGI; and Graham Boddington, General Manager, Northbuild Construction.