NZAID will provide FJ$750,000 to the Rotary Club of Lautoka to support the first six months phase of a five year programme to resettle poor families into new homes, New Zealand's Deputy High Commissioner, Todd Cleaver announced today.

"The funding announced today will support the first phase of the extension of the Koroipita Model Town Resettlement Project which aims to resettle poor families into a sustainable community. This will involve the construction of 160 cyclone safe homes in a newly developed, fully serviced, subdivision and will raise the total number of homes at Koroipita to 240," Todd Cleaver said

"The development phase will involve surveying and town planning, engineering design, and basic infrastructure and utility installation and construction. 

"Koroipita Stage 1 is almost complete and 80 families have been resettled in new homes with facilities such as a kindergarten, shop, office and playground.  New Zealand is pleased to be able to support this important initial stage of the Koroipita Stage 2 project," Todd Cleaver said.

The President of Rotary Club of Lautoka, Kamal Kumar said that the planning of this extension to the Koroipita Model Town has been thorough.

"The infrastructure will be built to a high standard – we have two full time engineers on the team and we also have four full time community development specialists. We will soon be recruiting local staff.

"The people of Lautoka and of Koroipita are extremely grateful of this support from the people of New Zealand – and for the contributions from Rotary International, and the volunteers who have served at Koroipita.

"This is tackling poverty in a direct and long term holistic programme. The city of Lautoka is becoming surrounded by squatter settlements but this model town project offers hope for solutions," President Kamal said.

It is estimated that about 140,000 people are living in 190 informal settlement areas throughout Fiji and improving the living conditions and livelihoods of people in squatter settlements is the focus of NZAID's work in Fiji.

Household income and expenditure surveys have shown that more than one third of informal settlement households live below the official poverty line and another third has are at risk of falling below the poverty line in the event of a family crisis or increasing basic living costs.
For more information on NZAID's assistance to Fiji click here.