Demolition starts
January 20, 2025 10:16 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Anita Roberts.
Demolition of earthquake-damaged buildings in the Port Vila Central Business District (CBD) will soon begin, starting with two private buildings, after receiving approval from the Port Vila City Council (PVCC) yesterday.
Town Clerk of PVCC, David Hopa, confirmed that they have approved the demolition permits for Chantillys on the Bay and La Casa d’Andrea e Luciano buildings, which means that their owners and contractors can begin the demolition process.
Most of the damaged buildings in town are privately owned, so the process takes time.
Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities (MIPU) and Member of the Civil Engineering Infrastructure Sub-Committee, Johnson Binaru, said building owners must submit their plans for demolition and waste disposal to ensure work is carried out safely and responsibly.
He said waste disposal plan is needed because some of the old buildings contain asbestos, which could cause further issues.
He called on other building owners to submit their plans and speed up the process. He said if the owners do not take responsibility, the government can come step in to handle it, using the law.
“Under the Physical Planning Act, PVCC has the right to demolish a building if it is deemed unsafe. If the owners do not come forward, the council will take action, but for now, we are waiting for the owners to come forward,” said the DG for Internal Affairs, Leith Veremaito.
According to the DG of Prime Minister’s Office and Chairlady of the Recovery Operations Centre (ROC), Cherol Ala, said a timeframe will be given to those building owners who do not come forward to submit their plans for demolition.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General (SG) of the Shefa Provincial Government Council (SPGC), Lionel Kaluat, said they will meet to decide on the demolition of Wong Store building, a damaged structure outside the CBD.
DG Binaru urged people to avoid using the road behind the building at Tagabe as it could collapse at anytime. He said a team from the engineering subcommittee will block the road from the public.
All private building owners are to hire their own contractors and cover the cost of demolition.
