Former Wewak town boss not impressed with developments

A FORMER coordinator of Wewak Town Authority is unhappy that the major projects being undertaken in East Sepik’s Wewak town have not followed the original plans.
Peter Waliawi, the coordinator of the urban authority from 1980 to 1983, said he was the person who drew up the original proposals of the Wewak storm water project and the Wewak multi-purpose stadium.
The stadium has been built on Prince Charles Oval.
“The priority area for the storm water project was supposed to address the Meni swamp (tais) area,” Waliawi said in Port Moresby on Monday.
Waliawi said the possibility of constructing some form of an outlet with a one-way gate into the deepest part of Wewak’s Harbour to allow flood water from the swamp to flow out into the sea was not considered.
“I personally do not think people who took up the campaign to find a sponsor for the projects campaigned wider and harder to improve Wewak’s water-logged land situation,” he said.
Waliawi said among other things the construction of the multi-purpose stadium with its synthetic athletic track robbed Prince Charles Oval off a soccer field and there was not enough space to have an Aussie Rules game there.
Other sources have said that all new projects like the stadium, boat jetties and town market must have management plans.
This would enable the authorities to maintain the upkeep of the multi-million kina worth of projects.
“The management plans will prevent the projects like the stadium becoming another ‘white elephant’ in PNG,” a source said