May 31 is D-Day

 By ISAIAH IGISH 

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has reaffirmed that May 31 is the deadline for the construction of all 2015 Pacific Games venues.

The contractors for the 2015 Games Village, the Sir John Guise Stadium and the Taurama Aquatic Centre have promised to have the facilities ready by then.

The deadline is one month before the Games, which starts on July 4. It will give ample time for the PNG Sports Foundation, the 2015 Games Organising Committee and the Pacific Games Council to assess and test the facilities. 

O’Neill led a Government delegation and representatives from sporting bodies on his third visit to the Games venues in Port Moresby.  

“The contractors have said to complete the facilities by May 31. 

“We have no reason not to believe them or underestimate their capability,” O’Neill said.

“We’re not marking around. The facilities will be completed by May 31. We will be ready for July 4.

“If someone tells you that there will be delays, ‘tokim em ol giaman nambaut’ (tell them they are joking).”

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop said he would work with O’Neill, Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko and the Games Organising Committee to make sure everything was ready by July 4. 

“The result speaks for itself, that it’s a quality facility. 

“It will be the best Games in the Pacific. Everyone is working to get the Games in order,” Parkop said.

“Organisation-wise, we have Emma Waiwai (GOC chairperson) who is working flat out to prepare everyone for the Games.”

Tkatchenko said the 2015 Pacific Games was only the beginning of big things for PNG. 

“After the Pacific Games, we will look more into many international and local events and competitions,” Tkatchenko said. 

 “These facilities have been designed as world-class facilities. We can host any international event here.” He said the pool at the aquatic centre was similar to the Melbourne Aquatic Centre. PNG can therefore host any FINA-certified competition.

Fletcher Morobe project manager Geoff Hall said the indoor part of the complex needed more work.

“Two major things to happen here — one is to lay the flooring and one is install the seating,” Hall said.

“Six weeks to lay flooring, eight weeks to install seating.”

He said the flooring would start on Monday.

He said light poles were taking shape and would be finished on time while all materials for the 50m pool were already in the country.

At the Games Village — University of Papua New Guinea — BECA senior project manager Jack Tipene, who is providing a consultancy role for the Games Village, said the venue was 90 per cent complete.

The contractor was doing landscaping work, with final touches to the facility.

Construction workers at the Sir John Guise Stadium were busy laying out the seating and doing work on the canopy. 

Work on the pitch is complete with the all-weather synthetic track surface yet to be laid to complete the athletics track.