Wycliffe tells the plan for Nabouwalu Town
Works are being carried out in Nabouwalu in Government’s bid to declare it a town. And there are plans by the Ministry of Local Government to have the centre fully equipped by the end of this financial year. Nabouwalu (Bua Province) would join Labasa (Macuata) and Savusavu (Cakaudrove) as towns in Vanua Levu. In an interview, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Environment, Joshua Wycliffe, said they were working towards a deadline. “There are several things that have happened so far, including appointment of Environment Impact Assessment consultants, topographic work, engineering work that needs to be done in Nabouwalu,” Mr Wycliffe said. “The team is working on it and I’m hoping that by the end of this financial year, everything is ready in place so at least by the beginning of next year we have a marked date for the declaration.”
It is understood that this much-awaited development would be a major upgrade for the North as it would be able to cater for the greater Bua province. The Bua Provincial Council in their meeting last year relayed their plans to ensure that the Nabouwalu when declared a town would thrive. Tui Vuya Ratu Amenatave Rabona in an earlier interview said they have big plans for what is to be a satellite town that would serve the province. Ratu Amenatave said they had blocks of land ready to be developed and would be given out on a first comefirst serve basis for business, districts and investors who wished to develop them.
Mr Wycliffe, however, revealed there are no current plans for the cane farming centre of Seaqaqa to be declared as a town but would have more information in the middle of this year.