THE Honiara City Council is yet to locate land for a new cemetery and rubbish dump for Honiara.
That was according to city clerk Charles Kelly.
He was responding to the call by former Honiara City mayor Andrew Mua and others who wanted these issues addressed.
Mr Kelly said:
“The council is concerned about these two important issues like everyone else.
“We were well aware of these two that the city is expanding as well as its population. It has changed so much but the problem we were having is with land.
“The council has no other plots of land to be used for these purposes.”
He added that after the full council meeting last month, they agreed to negotiate a plot of land outside the city boundary.
“The council has agreed to acquire the plot of land from land owners outside the city boundary to serve these two purposes, but we are yet to start the negotiation process,” Mr Kelly said
He also explained that under city council regulations, residents are not allowed to bury their dead near their homes.
Mr Kelly commended those who sent their loved ones home for burial.
“It is worth commending those who have their relatives sent home for burial. But there are some who decided to bury their relatives in parcels of lands they have title to. This was simply not right as stipulated in the Land and Titles Act and the HCC ordinance.”
Honiara’s only grave yard at Kola’a Ridge has already run out of space.
The same situation was with the Ranadi dumpsite.
According to the 2009 National population census, Honiara has a total population of 64,609 people.
By CHARLEY PIRINGI
