The Ministry of Infrastructure has started the process of building the first wharf on Nomuka Island in Ha’apai, with completion targeted for May 2025.
Currently, transportation to and from Nomuka is by boat, but the absence of a wharf forces passengers and cargo to transfer between ferries and smaller boats. The new wharf aims to improve safety and efficiency for the island’s 300 residents.
Hon. Sevenitini Toumo’ua confirmed that construction equipment has already been dispatched to Nomuka, and work is expected to begin shortly.
“We anticipate completion by May next year. The Ports Authority is overseeing the project, and contracts have been finalized,” Toumo’ua said.
He added that cement slabs for the wharf will be formed in Tongatapu and shipped to Ha’apai for assembly. Excavators are already in place to start the groundwork.
Following the completion of Nomuka’s wharf, construction on a similar facility for Uiha Island is expected to begin.
Nomuka, one of the Crown Prince Tupouto’a’s estates, has long awaited such infrastructure improvements to support the community’s transportation needs.
