The Fly River Provincial Government, under Governor Taboi Awi Yoto, is considering splitting Western into two separate provinces.
The province’s huge landmass has been identified, among others, as a main obstacle to reaching the sparsely isolated communities in terms of service delivery.
Western Governor Taboi Awi Yoto believes that splitting the province would reduce many legacy issues concerning development in the province.
He said it will also allow adequate representation of people from this region in Parliament by creating several more open electorates, especially Nomad and Lake Murray areas.
This proposal comes after the current leaders, including the governor, realised that Western, being the country’s largest province, could be better managed and administered if it is broken up into two separate provinces.
North Fly district through its development authority has already started the process with its policy decision, approving additional three local level governments or LLGs to be created from the current most populated LLGs.
It is understood that South Fly and Middle Fly DDAs would also do so in their respective districts as North Fly.
If the proposal gets through, Western would split into two separate provinces with a possibility of Nomad and Lake Murray areas to become an open electorate and join the current North Fly electorate to form a separate province, leaving the rest of Middle Fly and South Fly districts to become another separate province.
(Filepic: Governor Taboi Awi Yoto)