Fiji Cuts Wharf Plan
p. 21 · Read in the full issue
Down To £2 Million Size
Because of soaring costs Fiji will have to wait considerably longer for its Docks scheme, which in 1952 was estimated to cost £F2 millions, but is now estimated to cost nearer £FIO millions.
THE Fiji Standing Committee on Finance has announced that the Colony will spend on the Suva - Lautoka Dock scheme, £F2,800,000 —that is about £FBOO,OOO more than was planned in 1952 and that the rest will have to be left to posterity.
The full plan called for the re building of Suva docks in the Walu Bay area, building a new wharf at Lautoka. construction of a new slipways at Suva and many other improvements which would totally alter the face of Suva waterfront.
Under the revised plan Lautoka will get its new wharf (for which it has waited for years while it has used the totally inadequate CSR Co. wharf); Suva will get its slipways
and a few other improvements—but for the time being the old wharf (which has given a lot of trouble in recent years) will be patched up “to keep it going for a number of years”.
The steep rise in estimated cost over a six years period is due largely to inflation, but in part also to additions that have been made to the original plans.
As the Finance Committee quite properly pointed out, the Colony could not afford £FIO millions at present. The pity of it seems to be that Authority hesitated too long about spending £2 millions back in 1952—and it could be that by 1964 a mere £lO millions will look very cheap indeed.