Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru is set to travel to Kikori district, Gulf province, tomorrow to inspect the proposed Middletown Industrial Park project.
He is expected to be accompanied by Petroleum Minister and Mt Hagen Open MP William Duma and representatives from the department and executives of the local landowner association.
The Kikori Gas Pipeline Landowners Association chairman Mark Sarong said the trip was an important one as the decision as to whether the project was viable would be made from that trip.
Mr Sarong said that would be the minister’s first visit.
He said it was proposed that the project site would serve as the industrial hub for Gulf province.
"It is a dream field but landowners from this area, with my leadership, are determined to turn this into reality," he said.
The project was a state obligation which had been agreed to by the Government during a meeting in Kokopo in 2008, Mr Sarong said.
He said while a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had also been signed back then, the memorandum of agreement had been delayed as the project had yet to be endorsed.
"Kikori is a priority of the O’Neill/Dion Government and I have been assured by the minister himself that the government is supportive of this project."
Mr Sarong said from the landowners perspective, they believed the proposed site was very central as it was surrounded by all the gas heads, including the Antelope, Kuraga, Pangura and Uramu.
"Once it has been endorsed we will then be able to sign off on the MoA," he said.
Mr Sarong said while the main focus of the Middletown Industrial Park would be to produce industrial projects, it was looking at other developments to also complement that establishment.