About Us
The Melanesian Land Studies Centre is a research and knowledge hub focused on land and resource governance in Melanesia. We explore the complex relationships between customary land systems, development, and sustainable resource management. Through research, community engagement, and policy support, the Centre aims to inform decisions that balance local traditions with modern development needs, fostering equitable and sustainable land practices across the region.
Objectives
The Melanesian Land Studies Centre (MLSC) was established in 1983 as a research and consultancy arm of the School of Surveying & Lands Studies. Its objectives is to:
- Facilitate the cooperation and coordination of disciplines involved in the study relating to land management, land administration, land development, land adjudication, land use planning, urbanization and housing studies, land and geographic information systems, Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry, Geodesy, leading to land surveying and mapping, infrastructure development planning.
- Provide consultancy, continuing professional development, and advisory services on land and resource development/management related matters in PNG and in the South Pacific Region, in keeping with the dynamic requirements of the industry.
- Support research and development of technology appropriate to land and allied disciplines.
- Encourage, nationally and internationally, collaboration, sharing, and exchange of information with institutes and universities with similar interests.
- Publish papers, reports, and journals related to land-related issues regularly.
- Encourage the collection, storage, and dissemination of information related to various allied disciplines, undertake, support, and collaborative research in land and land-related disciplines.
Vision
To be an internationally recognized Centre of Excellence which deals with a wide range of issues relating to modern land development and resources management that are of academic and socio-economic significance to Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific Region.
Mission
To serve as a central source of an extensive range of knowledge, expertise, and technological skills in land and resource management in PNG and the Pacific region.
🗂️ Consultancies
The Centre acts as a conduit for staff to be involved in consultancies such as Short Courses, Valuation Services, Surveying Services, GIS and Remote Sensing services, and Hire of Survey Equipment. The various short courses that have been run include the following:
- Development Appraisal and Feasibility/Viability Studies for Economic Sustainability in PNG;
- Land Administration Process, Documentation and Land Disputes;
- Land Compensation Assessment;
- MapInfo Level 1 and GIS;
- MapInfo Level 2;
- GIS, Spatial Analysis, and Thematic Mapping using ArcGIS 9.1;
- Introduction to Surveying using GPS;
- Satellite Image Processing using ERDAS Imagine 8.5;
- Automated Surveying System; and
- High Precision Surveying and Processing data using GNSS note.
All other consultancy charges are guided by industry-set fees and market rates. Fees can also be negotiated as circumstances dictate. From gross earnings, expenses (if any) are deducted. The 65/35 policy applies to the Net Earnings, where the facilitator to earn 65% of the net earnings, 15% goes to the MLSC, 10% goes to the DSLS, and 10% goes to the University.
📈 Going Forward
MLSC considers the need to review its existing strategic operational plan as paramount to align itself with the Unitech Strategic Plan 2020 to 2024. Its review process began in Semester 2, 2024. Importantly, MLSC should have the mandate to employ personnel to work under the centre to be realistically able to realise its vision, key objectives, and meaningfully contribute to the Unitech Strategic Plan.