By EDDIE OSIFELO
LEADER of Opposition, Matthew Wale has questioned the Mamara New Capital City at Northwest Guadalcanal.
This followed complaints from people regarding the construction of the 1,000 to 1,300 houses, planning, equipment used and the move by developer, Metropolis Pacific Pty Ltd, a Singaporean company, to sell all the houses to the Government.
The development came about based on the Mamara- Tasivarongo- Mavo agreement Act’ passed in parliament in 1995 to govern the development of the Mamara- Tasivarongo- Mavo areas.
Speaking at the special adjournment motion in Parliament on Monday, Wale said there is need for greater transparency on the agreements, stakeholders and activities involved in this important undertaking.
“We note that there are subsidiary companies involved in activity that was not anticipated in the Mamara Mawo Tasivarongo Act and the original agreement.
“We note also the developer’s assumption that government will buy properties to on-sell to public servants,” he said.
“We note also the exemption in the Act from normal planning requirements for the developments.
“We view all these with great concern. Greater transparency will allow for informed discussion about this project and garnering stronger public support for it, and to glean what lessons we can from it on models of development,” he said.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said there needs to be more discussion to be pursued on such approaches.
However, Sogavare said this development reflects the call for decentralisation of developments outside of Honiara as stipulated in the Townsville Agreement.
