Trans-Island Highway Construction

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) was established in 1985. Its mission (approved by the National Executive Council on 22 August 1989) is to ensure natural and physical resources are managed to sustain environmental quality and human well-being.

The Department of Works (DOW) is the Papua New Guinea Government’s implementing agency for infrastructure in the country. It is the biggest and one of the oldest government organizations in the country starting as the Office of Works and Supply during the pre-independence era. Being the biggest is due to the fact that it is the only department in the government that can boast having an office in every province in the country all linked together through the wide area network. DOW is responsible for maintaining approximately a total of 8,738.46 kms of roads throughout the country. This figure stands as of 2007. Of this total, 5,755.20km are graveled, 2,779.48km are sealed and the remaining 523.35km are inaccessible due to factors such as weather conditions etc.