Deuba Go-Ahead

Plans for the multi-million dollar Pacific Harbour resort de velopment at Deuba Beach— about 35 miles from Suva on the Queens Road—have been ap

proved by Fiji’s Subdivision of

Land Board.

The first stage, involving the de velopment of about 1,100 acres, was originally estimated at about $5 million. However, a further half to three-quarters of a million will have to be spent because of the board’s condition that a water-borne sewer age and a sewage treatment plant be included.

Mr. Ralph Grierson, of Harrison and Grierson and Partners, the local consultants for the project, master minded by Southern Pacific Properties Ltd., said in February that phase one would involve the development of about 1,100 acres of the 7,800 acres which the company owns or on which it has legal options.

Five or six hotels are to be in cluded in the initial development— as well as 1,340 residential sites, a commercial area, 135 acres of lakes and waterways and an 18-hole golf course.

18? miles of road

Work is expected to begin in April or May and complete servicing of the area with water, electricity, sewerage and 181 miles of road should be completed by the end of next year. Mr. Grierson said that one hotel would be built by the company and probably leased to overseas in terests. The other hotels would be built privately by the organisations which would run them.

The opening up of residential sites at Deuba should herald a new high in the cost of residential land in Fiji.

Mr. Grierson predicts that residential sites in the development will range from about a quarter of an acre to 11 acres in area and would cost from 55,300 to $17,700 in price.

They would be designed as single family, estate or home unit blocks.

The company intends to impose rigid conditions on the type and standard of housing to be built in the area— and when fully built-up, the 1,100 acres of stage one should contain accommodation for about 10,000 people.