19 Sep 2002

Work to resume next week at Goro nickel plant in New Caledonia

4:24 pm on 19 September 2002

Work on the Goro nickel plant in New Caledonia is expected to resume next week after all construction was suddenly halted at the beginning of last week following a blockade of the site.

The head of the Goro Nickel company, Pierre Alla, says work on the 1-point-4 billion US dollar project may even restart before the weekend.

He made the comment to the local press on return to Noumea after a visit to the Philippines and France.

About 3-thousand Filipinos are expected to be employed to build the plant - a project which has faced criticism for its possible environmental impact.

Mr Alla has also said rumours are not true that work would not be up and running before January.

When work was suspended last week, more than a hundred foreign workers left the territory.