Source: Radio New Zealand

The National Court in Papua New Guinea has declared two special agriculture and business leases covering 38 thousand hectares of land in Oro Province null and void, ordering the state to cancel the title deeds.

The land is in part of the customary territory of nine indigenous tribes, who argued that they rely on it as the basis for their economy and subsistence livelihoods.

The Post Courier reports the customary landowners say the cancellation of the SABL titles is a victory and a case in point for others whose land may have been illegally given away in the guise of SABL to pursue court action.

The landowners were supported by Oro Governor Garry Juffa who joined the court proceeding as the third plaintiff.