Company to build jetties, wharves to last 40 years

 By SHIRLYN BELDEN 

THE Government has engaged a local company to build wharves and jetties guaranteed for 40 years for Manus and New Ireland provinces. 

Nawae Construction was yesterday announced by the Office of Governor-General as the contractor to build five maintenance-free jetties in the two provinces under government funding of K38.62 million. 

Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio approved the deal by signing the contract documents along with Nawae managing director John Mek and the Works Department. 

The department will undertake the design and maintenance of the wharves. 

Mek said the company would go into pre-casting and setting up of the site to allow construction to be done offshore. 

He said construction in both provinces would be done simultaneously and he expected work to be completed next year. 

The project will be conducted under the department’s community water transport sector budget. 

“The first month is pre-casting, preparation and setting up,” Mek said. 

“Then the construction work ex­pect about a month to complete a wharf. The material mainly used for the wharves is concrete and steel. It will be procured locally, in Lae, Morobe.  Procurement is mainly local, like 60 per cent of locally provided materials,” Mek said. 

He said the structure of the jetties and the concrete used would give a 50-year maintenance-free life span for the jetties.