There are plans to rebuild government services in Gizo in Solomon Islands Western Province on elevated ground away from the coast following the fatal tsunami at the beginning of this month.
This comes after premier of Choiseul, Jackson Kiloe, earlier asked the prime minister to help relocate the provincial capital Taro to a higher and safer location when he visited the province this week.
The premier of Western Province, Alex Lokopio, now says they also want to move facilities such as the hospital, the administration offices and staff accommodation to the hills.
He says many of these facilities have to be rebuilt anyway and while the initial costs will be higher it will still be worthwhile.
"We have to level off all the hills so that won't be easy then, but we hope to start the new construction that will be much better than that we come back to the rural area or coastal line where maybe after a few years the tsunami will strike again and it will waste a lot of money."
Alex Lokopio,
