Good quality roads are a lifeline for rural and remote communities. A better road means better access to hospitals, to schools and to markets. It means transport costs are lower and local businesses have a greater chance to grow.
Since 2008, AusAID, the World Bank and Tonga's Ministry of Transport have been working together to rehabilitate the country's road network through the Transport Sector Consolidation Project. The skills of local engineering and construction workers are also being developed to create stronger job prospects.
The project is providing a solid foundation for future road sector investments and operations. It is adapting the Australian standards and specifications to Tonga, as well as developing a road safety audit manual that will be used for all future road investments in Tonga. This will make roads safer and help save lives. A new road surface is also currently being trailed in Tonga, and should it be successful, could save the Tongan Government money.
'I am very pleased with the approach that this program is taking. It is providing the foundation for sustainable land transport across Tonga using local resources,' Mr. Ringo Fa'oliu, Director of the Land Transport Division in the Ministry of Transport, said.
This project is not just about infrastructure. It is about opportunity. In the short-term, the project is building the skills of local companies to maintain roads. It is also creating jobs and providing training on how to prepare a bid for government contracts to secure work. The first contract under the project was awarded to a local Tongan company in January 2012, for 4.2 kilometres of road trialling the new road material. Throughout 2012 and 2013, contract packages will be developed to maintain an additional 130 kilometres across Tonga.
In the long term, Tongans will benefit from having safer, more secure access to health, education, and economic services. A stronger road network is the first step on the path to development.
More information
Transport Sector Consolidation Project
How AusAID is working with Tonga