Papua New Guinea will have two new provinces - Hela and Jiwaka - by 2012 ."
People from the two new provinces who packed the public galleries in Parliament for the vote yesterday were delighted.
The Post Courier reports that the approval in parliament of the move is the end of 35 years of struggle for Jiwaka .
The Hela people of southern Highlands, the home of most of PNG's oil and gas, have also been waging a strong campaign for years.
Parliament yesterday gave unanimous support for the law to come into effect,
The law now allows for the creation of the provincial headquarters and administration.
But this will not be done until after the third reading begins in two months time.
