Senior government officials met in Honiara earlier this month to review options for the layout of the planned Bina Harbour port and tuna processing plant in Malaita.
Three concept layouts were prepared by Kramer Asia Pacific, which focused on land infrastructure, and Haskoning Australia, which worked on the wharf and port infrastructure.
The Bina Harbour Tuna Processing Plant Project Steering Committee endorsed a layout considered fit for purpose, cost-effective, suitable for the site, able to accommodate expansion, acceptable to the community, and with minimal environmental impact.
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey, Stanley Waleanisia, told the meeting, “This is a priority project, a lot of work is required, and we all need to get on board and achieve this for Malaita.”
The proposed port infrastructure includes a berth for fishing and international shipping vessels, along with a container and cargo handling yard. The tuna processing plant will feature a construction pad, access roads, office and personnel accommodation, utilities, and storage facilities.
Over the next two to three months, the concept layout will be further developed to allow detailed costings. This will provide the Government and its development partners with a clearer picture of the funding required to build the port and supporting infrastructure.
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Permanent Secretary and Steering Committee Chair, Dr Christian Ramofafia, thanked participants for their support, noting the importance of broad government involvement in the national project. He also acknowledged assistance given to the Bina Harbour Project Office, which is coordinating preparations.
“We are extremely grateful to the New Zealand Government for its support, due to which we are making progress and on track for a good outcome,” Dr Ramofafia said.
The tuna processing plant itself will not be built by the government but by a global tuna industry operator under the project’s public-private partnership model.
The concept layouts are based on prefeasibility studies, bathymetric surveys, and geotechnical data carried out by the Bina Harbour Project Office.
The Steering Committee also discussed developing a Master Plan for the wider land area to support residential and commercial growth. Financing options, including government contributions and development partner support, were also raised. PS Finance and Treasury, Mckinnie Dentana, expressed his ministry’s willingness to support the initiative.
Government ministries represented included National Planning and Development Cooperation, Finance and Treasury, Lands, Housing and Survey, Environment, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, and the Office of the Prime Minister.
The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, the lead ministry for the project. The Bina Harbour Project Office is funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
SOURCE: Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
