A new town plan for the Nuku'alofa Central Business Area is expected to be complete by March before reconstruction work starts in April, said the Hon. Paul Karalus, the Minister for Transport, and a member of the Government Reconstruction Committee, today.

Paul said that the area destroyed in the events of 16 November was currently being surveyed, and the information would be useful for a group of town planners from Manukau City and from Pro Design Architects who were expected to arrive in Tonga, either on January 22 or 29. There will be 10-days of meetings between the groups, government representatives and stake-holders.

Paul stressed that the new town plan for central Nuku'alofa will be a conceptional plan, "the basic amenities such as sewerage, roads and footpaths will be a concern of government, but what private businesses and individual land owners will build in their properties will be entirely up to them."

Paul said that the group from Manukau City would focus on the planning of the central Nukuk'alofa area, "where there are businesses and many private residents. The Pro Design Architects group will get involved in zoning, and conceptional ideas.

"The general idea is that by March a town plan is completed, and reconstruction to start in April-May, for the town to be ready in time for the Coronation next year," he said.