The occupants of the Guv Stoa settlement in Madang have asked for an extension of 6 months, The National has reported.
In a letter to the Provincial Administrator Ben Lange, settlement leaders have asked that their pleas be considered under humanitarian grounds.
The plea, according to community leaders was for the sake of their 500 plus children who were attending nearby schools, employed residents who would be displaced to seek alternative arrangements and that natural justice had been denied.
The eviction notice had given them 2 weeks to voluntarily vacate the area.
The eviction noticed was served after a peaceful protest march by the institutions of higher learning in the area – Madang Technical College, Divine Word University (DWU) and the Maritime College which was brought about after constant harassment and attacks on staff and students.