K3mil for hydro project

By PETER ESILA
A K3 million hydropower station capable of powering the Goodenough Island, in Milne Bay, will be built to benefit the people of Kiriwina-Goodenough, MP Douglas Tomuriesa says.
“We have already contracted it out, we have just recently paid out K380,000 to the contractor and they have told us that it will cost us about K3 million to build a hydro power station,” Tomuriesa said.
“That will bring in somewhere between 4.5 megawatts to 6 megawatts of power.”
He said six megawatts was more than enough for the island and could easily supply a large urban setting.
Tomuriesa said the company did surveys and work would continue.
He was at the district to open the Vivigani airstrip, a classroom and a teacher’s house for Vivigani Primary School on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Tomuriesa said four sawmills were in Alotau and would be distributed to communities.
He said the sawmills would be used to cut timbers to build houses in preparation for the completion of the hydropower station.
“It is not easy to get money from the Government so when you see power poles, classrooms and airports coming up, look after them.”
He said the developments would provide opportunities for businesses in Vivigani to grow.
Goodenough Island has about 30,000 cocoa trees.
“Just two weeks ago, a boat came and loaded 100 bags of cocoa and took them to Alotau, that is more than 25 tonnes of cocoa, that brought an estimated K102,000 into the economy of Goodenough Island.
“Organic cocoa is what the world wants, it is what the market wants,” Tomuriesa said.
He said nine cocoa fermentaries had been established on Goodenough Island with another eight set to be built to boost as well as seedlings for local farmers.