A contract for the construction of a $900,000 police station at Vaini was signed by the acting Minister of Police, Hon Dr Viliami Tangi and the Country Manager for Fletcher Royco Construction Company, Gary Martin, at the Police Headquarter, Longolongo on Friday, March 12.

Assistant Police Commander 'Atelaite Soakai, said the construction of the new Vaini Police station is one of 21 projects initiated under the Tonga Police Development Project, and will be the first police station to be built under the project.

The project is a Tri-partite development program between Tonga, New Zealand and Australia that was signed in July 2008.

The TPDP is to run for five years and its primary objective is to reform the leadership and the operation of the Tonga Police Force. The project is jointly funded by Australia and New Zealand for over $4 million pa'anga.

Gary Martin said the new station would be a modern one storey concrete building, with holding rooms, interview rooms, offices, a lobby and bathroom facilities, and the construction includes a carpark.