Oro Province of Papua New Guinea

Oro Provincial Flag

Administration

Provincial headquarters: Popondetta

Number of districts: 2 - Ijivitari, Sohe

Number of LLGs: 9

Number of wards: 162

About Oro

Oro Province covers the northern side of the Owen Stanley Ranges and a stretch of coastline from Cape Ward Hunt in the north to Collingwood Bay in the south. It includes the village of Kokoda near the eastern border with Central Province, as well as Cape Nelson and the coastal fjords near Tufi on the coast. High incomes can be earned in the Kokoda Valley from oil palm, cocoa and fresh food. More moderate incomes from oil palm canbe earned near the coast. Some wage employment is also available in Popondetta. Elsewhere in the province incomes are very low. A road runs from Popondetta to Kokoda and another to Afore. Otherwise there are very few roads in the province. Coastal communities rely on dinghy and canoe transport. Very remote communities in this province must walk long distances over mountainous terrain to reach roads that continue to service centres.

Ijivitari District

General Information

Administration

District headquarters: Ijivitari

Number of LLGs: 5 - Oro Bay Rural, Safia

Rural, Afore Rural, Popondetta Urban, Tufi Rural

Number of wards: 88

About Ijivitari

Ijivitari District stretches south east of Popondetta and from the Owen Stanley Ranges in the west across the ManagalasPlateau and Mt. Lamington to the Nelson Range in the east.

The district continues down to the coastal fiords of Tufi and then further south to Collingwood Bay.

 Kaukau, coconut and sago are important subsistence crops for the district but there are few opportunities for income from these activities. Oil palm is a high income earner on the coast. The inland areas of Ijivitari have a high potential for agriculture but remain very isolated from services.

Sohe District

General Information

Administration

District headquarters: Sohe

Number of LLGs: 4 - Kokoda Rural, Higaturu

Rural, Tamata Rural, Kira Rural

Number of wards: 74

About Sohe

The Owen Stanley Ranges run along the south western border

of Sohe District. The district includes the village of Kokoda and the Mambera, Opi and Kamusi Rivers.

Oil palm delivers comparatively high incomes for those in the Mambare Valley and there are low incomes available for sales of fresh food and fish. Some wage-earning opportunities also exist in the businesses of Popondetta