Apia Township plans

Re: Apia Town planning 

Thanks for these diagrams Keith. They are very informative. I understand the plan is for Vaiusu to be the major import/export wharf and the extended Matautu port to be for transshipment; fish processing; and to be the cruise ship terminal.

Vaiusu occupies a strategic position near the industrial heartland of Samoa at Vaitele. The Vaitele street 4 lane arterial road connects Vaiusu to Vaitele. Apparently, according to the government, Vaiusu was the original place where the port of Apia was going to be built back in the 1960s but then PM Fiame chose Matautu instead as it was closer to Apia.

The problem with Matautu is there is limited space to expand. It is hemmed in on all sides. There are also problems with silt buildup from the nearby Vaisigano River which requires periodic dredging of Apia harbour. The extensions that are going to be made by the Japanese will only bring Matautu up to 300m. This falls far short of Suva’s King’s Wharf which is over 400m long.

 

PS Jeffrey 

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