Tonga's 'Unuaki 'o Tonga Royal University will invest $4 million to develop, renovate and to operate the Tonga National Cultural Centre, a 20-year-old multi-million complex that was built on the shores of the Fanga'uta lagoon, 'Etuate Lavulavu announced this week.

"Phase one includes the construction of three new school buildings to house a Tonga School of Tourism and a Business School. They are to be up and running in the coming school year," he said.

'Etuate, the founder of UTRU, considered it a dream come true when his bid to take over the running of the Tonga National Cultural Centre was successful. The UTRU has been looking for a permanent location for several years, having operated briefly at a Kanokupolu resort property, and also at the Lavengamalie College property before moving back to Nuku'alofa where it is offering classes from a small shop on Taufa'ahau Road.

Cultural Facility

'Etuate also envisaged developing a cultural facility for visitors.

He said he would also build two new fales, a Fale Lalanga, for women to demonstrate weaving, and a Fale Kava Tonga where the ceremony of drinking kava will be carried out.

There will be a multi-purpose hall for conferences and meetings, and two bars and restaurants in two different locations of the 20-acres property. There will be three floor-show groups, "two to travel overseas and promote the centre and one to perform at the centre."

There will also be accommodation, nine units and four private rooms, "and on a different location will be a 40-rooms accommodation for back-packers, 20 for girls and 20 for boys."

'Etuate said he planned to renovate the amphitheatre at the end of the property, opposite the Vaiola Hospital, that was built but was never used and nearby will be a 24-hour drive-in food take-away.

With regards to sanitation services, 'Etuate said they would be building 12 new rest rooms in different locations, and build four huge water tanks and back-up generators.

Cultural Villages

Then along the Hala Taufa'ahau on the shore of the Fanga'uta Lagoon, 'Etuate said he would build five big cultural villages, one for each of Tonga's island groups, Tongatapu, 'Eua, Ha'apai, Vava'u, Niuatoputapu and Niuafo'ou. "Instead of the visitors having to travel all the way to Vava'u, we will bring Vava'u here. When you go into the Ha'apai Village, we will have some of the Chiefs from Ha'apai there and the visitors can have a talk with them.

"Phase two, will be a man-made sandy beach and a man-made island and a barge to take people on a tour around Fanga'uta."

Museum

'Etuate said that the Tonga National Museum, located in a room inside the centre, which was a project of Princess Pilolevu Tuita, would remain where it is.

'Etuate did not want to reveal the details of the arrangement with government for the national asset, or for how long he has an agreement for the property, and whether government will pay him to run it or whether he will lease it from government.

All that 'Etuate could tell us was that he expects to be paying "tens of thousands of pa'anga annually to government".

He said that the bid for the property was opened to the public in February 2008, and he was informed in April that he had won the bidding.

The centre was built with multi-million pa'anga Japanese aid in 1988, and was under the care of the then Department of Tourism, and later the Tonga Visitor's Bureau but it had become run-down and under-utilised.