New Vuna Wharf to be ready before King's Coronation [1]
Thursday, September 6, 2007 - 18:36. Updated on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 - 14:33.
The reconstruction of a new Vuna Wharf is expected to be completed before the Coronation of HM King George in August 2008.
The first phase of the work, begun this week by the Ports Authority, involved clearing out all of the rubble and pulling out electricity wires from the site.
Lupeti Vi the Manager of the Ports Authority said this is in preparation for a team of inspectors and engineers who will arrive from New Zealand on October 1 to drill and survey the foundation of the wharf. He said once the survey is done, the plan for the new wharf would be drawn up and they are currently looking at hiring a company in New Zealand to do the design work.
Lupeti added that once the plan for the wharf is completed the reconstruction work would be tendered out to interested parties or companies.
The Port Authority is looking at using the new Vuna Wharf for cruise ships, yachts and frigates but that will be confirmed on a later stage, he said.
Meanwhile, Tukua Tonga the Head of the Planning and Urban Management Division of the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources said that they are targeting to finish the new wharf before the king's Coronation, and it will be a big rush to meet that target.
The wharf was closed to the public on August 31 until the work is completed.
Vuna Wharf, within sight of the Palace, was built in 1906 and used to be the main passenger-landing place for Nuku'alofa before the construction of Queen Salote Wharf in the 1960s.
Nuku'alofa Reconstruction
In the meantime, the ground-breaking ceremony to officially launch the Nuku'alofa Reconstruction is still on schedule for September 28, he confirmed.
Tukua added that the loan from China for the reconstruction is at this stage not yet finalized.
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