For Rhodes PNG, a construction and development company delivering prefabricated schools, hospitals, health centres and housing across Papua New Guinea, sustainability begins with the realities of geography, logistics and affordability.

Buildings in remote areas must function long after construction teams have left — without expensive systems or hard-to-source components. Rhodes designs its structures with a 50-year design life, prioritising resilience, low maintenance and upfront cost control.

“It’s not just a box-ticking exercise,” said Andrew Avenell, co-owner, director and head of Rhodes PNG. “It’s the way things have to be.”

Prefabricated construction plays a central role, reducing waste, minimising freight and simplifying installation on site. The company employs 300 to 400 people directly while supporting a wider network of local subcontractors, helping communities establish their own construction businesses. Rhodes PNG also became the first construction and engineering company to achieve triple recertification under the EDGE gender equality standard from the International Finance Corporation.

Tuhava Town: Commercial and Industrial Opportunity

That reputation for durable, practical construction is now feeding into Rhodes’ most ambitious project: Tuhava Town (tuhava.com). Located at Napa Napa — approximately thirty minutes from Port Moresby’s international airport and ten minutes from the Motukea International Shipping Port — Tuhava is PNG’s first master-planned community built on customary land converted to a 99-year state lease. It is designed to deliver up to 4,000 homes over 20 years, alongside schools, healthcare facilities, a marina and conservation areas. Housing demand is already outpacing the company’s ability to build. “We cannot build fast enough,” Avenell said.

While the residential component has attracted strong interest from PNG’s expanding middle class and institutional buyers, it is the commercial and industrial dimension that presents some of the most compelling opportunities in Port Moresby’s current property landscape. The Tuhava Industrial and Business Park, on Napa Napa Road, offers purpose-built infrastructure, including warehousing for light industrial, manufacturing, logistics, and oil and gas operations; secure laydown yards and storage areas; office spaces tailored to commercial requirements; and retail facilities serving the growing community.

The site’s strategic positioning — close to Port Moresby’s CBD and the country’s primary international and domestic shipping ports — makes it attractive for businesses requiring logistics access, laydown capacity for project staging, or warehousing and manufacturing facilities meeting international benchmarks. For extractives companies, service providers and logistics operators supporting PNG’s resource sector, Tuhava offers a rare combination of titled state lease land, quality infrastructure and proximity to key transport corridors.

The development is structured as a genuine partnership with customary landowners, built on principles of mutual benefit and local economic development. Rhodes prioritises developing local subcontractors who build their own businesses on the back of demand for installing and maintaining infrastructure, further enhancing the local market economy.

For businesses seeking industrial land in Port Moresby with security of tenure, modern infrastructure and a managed commercial environment, the Tuhava Industrial and Business Park represents a significant opportunity. Enquiries can be directed through tuhava.com.