New board to manage Tapuhia rubbish dump [1]
Monday, October 2, 2006 - 17:28. Updated on Sunday, September 14, 2014 - 18:27.
Tonga's long awaited new rubbish dump could be opened within a month, now that a Solid Waste Management Board has been formed.
The new board formed on September 1 will administer the new $12 million pa'anga Tapuhia Rubbish Dump at Vaini, that was completed on August 18.
The Prime Minister's Office confirmed today that the Tonga Privy Council had appointed the Minister of Health, Hon. Dr Viliami Tangi, as Interim chairman.
The members of the board are the Director of Works, Sione Taumoepeau; the former Minister of Justice,'Aisea Taumoepeau; deputy director of tourism, Taniela Fusimalohi; the Director of Environment, Uilou Samani; the District Officer of Kolofo...ou, Fuiva Tu'ifua; Monalisa Tukuafu, a representative of the private sector; and 'Alisi Pone Fotu, a resident of Nuku'alofa.
The Solid Waste Management Board will be one of the government's enterprises to come under the newly appointed Minister of Public Enterprises, Hon. Afu'alo Matoto.
In the meantime, the Tonga Solid Waste Management Project is anticipating that the relocation of the Nuku'alofa rubbish dump from Tukutonga at Popua to Tapuhia will take place during the last week of this month.
Talita Helu of the Tonga Solid Waste Management said today, that they were targeting to close the seafront Tukutonga Rubbish Dumpat Popua and move to Tapuhia, Vaini, at the end of October. Their three new rubbish trucks should have arrived in Tonga from New Zealand by then.
Prior to the opening of the Tapuhia Rubbish Dump for public use, there will be an official handing over of the site from the Australian government to the new Board.
The construction of Tapuhia was funded by the Australian Government.