A new $1.6 million evacuation centre will soon provide the people of Viria Village in Naitasiri with a safer place during natural disasters, while recognising the community's contribution to one of Fiji's most important water infrastructure projects.
Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $1,604,107 Viria Village Evacuation Centre, saying the project reflects the coalition government's commitment to strengthening disaster resilience while giving back to resource-owner communities that have made significant contributions to Fiji's national development.
Ro Filipe says Viria Village played a vital role in Fiji's development by allowing the construction of the new main raw water intake, a critical infrastructure project that strengthened water security for the Greater Suva Area and lower-lying communities along the corridor.
He says the evacuation centre is one way the government is recognising and rewarding the sacrifices made by the resource owners for the benefit of all Fijians.
The Minister stressed that communities contributing to nationally significant infrastructure projects should also receive meaningful and lasting development benefits.
He says the Viria project is part of a national programme to construct modern, multi-purpose evacuation centres for resource-owner communities across the country.
Viria Village joins Nagado Village in the Western Division, Nasealevu Village in Macuata in the Northern Division and Tamavua Village in the Central Division as beneficiaries under the programme.
The new double-storey facility will include a Women's Resource Centre, a fully equipped kitchen, a dispensary room, accessible washroom facilities and a spacious community hall that can be used for village meetings, training programmes, youth activities and other community events.
Construction is expected to take about 20 weeks, subject to weather and site conditions, with works continuing in the 2026-2027 financial year following the Government stand-down period.
Ro Filipe encouraged the people of Viria to take ownership of the facility once it is completed, saying it is an investment in the village's safety, resilience and future.
He says the groundbreaking marks more than the start of construction, describing it as a shared commitment to preparedness, resilience and ensuring communities that contribute to Fiji's development also benefit from meaningful Government investment.
