85 houses for Niuatoputapu victims to be built on higher ground [1]
Monday, August 16, 2010 - 19:18. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
EIGHTY-five new wooden cyclone resistant houses are to be built on higher ground on the tsunami-devastated island of Niuatoputapu with construction expected to begin before January, 2011.
The reconstruction plan comes more than a year after a devastating tsunami struck the northern outer island on September 30, 2009 killing seven people.
But Peni Vea, the Manager of Government's Tsunami Emergency Recovery and Management Project said no date had been confirmed for the actual construction to begin, and that the tenders for the work will be called for in September. At this stage they had settled the land issue for the relocation of residents to higher ground at Hihifo, Vaipoa and Falehau.
A group of surveyors from the Ministry of Lands in Nuku'alofa were currently surveying the land and that survey should finish by the end of this month, said Peni.
He said the construction timetable kept slipping back because of land issues but now they are in the first phase of surveying the land for allotments after negotiating with landowners.
He expected that the construction work should be tendered out around September this year and would take at least one month to evaluate the bidding documents.
"So we are looking to start mobilizing the construction either in December this year, or early January 2011," said Peni.
The construction, which includes private housing would also include a hospital, school compound and government offices.
Peni regretted that some people were choosing to remain living in the existing area.
"But under the Government reconstruction project we would not be building on these existing areas because it is of high danger risk from the tsunami."
Peni also confirmed that Niuatoputapu Reconstruction comes under TOP$16 million assistance donated by various overseas donors including the European Union, the World Bank and the New Zealand Government.