MANY of the government’s critical infrastructure assets remain in hazard-prone areas, particularly those vulnerable to flooding, Disaster Management Minister Mosese Bulitavu says.
Mr Bulitavu said the location of key government facilities had affected disaster response efforts in the past.
“Despite the Government’s continued efforts to strengthen disaster response, many of our critical infrastructure assets remain in hazard-prone areas, particularly those vulnerable to flooding,” he said.
He gave the current Commissioner Northern Division warehouse as an example.
From 2021 to 2022, he said its flood-prone location created major challenges during a tropical cyclone.
“The response teams distributing relief supplies and non-food items were forced to move essential supplies to safer locations because of the warehouse’s vulnerability to flooding.
“This significantly delayed our response at a time when communities needed assistance the most.”
He said the new emergency warehouse built at Vaturekuka in Labasa would address those issues by providing a safer storage facility for relief supplies and emergency equipment.
“The project is expected to be completed within 56 weeks, subject to favourable weather conditions.”
He said the new warehouse would allow relief supplies to be pre-positioned before disasters struck, improve logistics coordination and reduce delays in emergency operations.
The investment, he said, would strengthen the government’s ability to respond more effectively and ensure assistance reached affected communities without unnecessary delays.
