The completion of a second phase of development of the Tapuhia Landfill, costing $2.7 million pa'anga, was marked with a handing-over ceremony at Tapuhia rubbish dump on January 13.

The Acting Australian High Commissioner HE Mr Scott McLennan handed the facility over to the Hon. Poasi Mataele Tei, the Minister for Public Enterprises.

'Aisea Taumoepeau said the project included the the preparation of Cell 2 a new landfill site amounting to about $926,000, and the purchasing of vehicles for the collection of rubbish from the Nuku'alofa area.

The Australian Government was the major donor with assistance from the Tonga Government and the Asian Development Bank.

The Tapuhia Landfill Project was launched eight years ago. Initially, the intention was for all rubbish from the Nuku'alofa area to be sorted out on the site; with metal, plastic and perishable trash to go to areas where they could be destroyed.

However, the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Tapu Panuve, said that so far they don't know what to do with the plastic waste, and some of the metal waste was passed on to GIO Recycling.

Cell 1, which has been used for the burying of rubbish is up to full capacity, and Cell 2 will be the new dumping ground, for burying rubbish collected from Nuku'alofa.

It is predicted that by 2017 about 80% of Nuku'alofa rubbish will be destroyed at the Tapuhia Landfill.

The completion a second phase of development of the Tapuhia Landfill, costing $2.7 million pa'anga, was marked with a handing-over ceremony at Tapuhia rubbish dump on January 13.

Tapuhia will be able to cope with Nuku'alofa rubbish for the next 50 years.