Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have acknowledged the potential of the Bina Harbour project in West Kwaio, Malaita Province.
The project was highlighted in the Communiqué issued at the conclusion of their Retreat in Noro, Western Province, during the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM).
In the Communiqué, Leaders also recognised fisheries development, including through the East New Britain Initiative (ENBi), as a transformative opportunity for the region.
They underscored the importance of cross-sectoral mechanisms, such as the Joint Ministerial Working Group of Fisheries and Economic Ministers, in advancing the ENBi.
Leaders further welcomed the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development as the key regional framework to guide economic integration across the Pacific.
The proposed Bina Harbour project carries an estimated cost of more than SBD1 billion (USD202 million) and will cover infrastructure, facilities, utilities, and connectivity.
The Solomon Islands Government believes it will transform the national economy by creating 1,600 jobs and injecting around USD400 million over the next 15 years.
Tribes from the Bina region are supporting the Bina Harbour Tuna Processing Plant Project through Indigenous Terrain Mapping (ITM), a process designed to integrate traditional knowledge, cultural values, and land use history into development planning.
Led by the Pacific Horizons Consultancy Group, the ITM process has included “tok stori” sessions with tribal leaders and landowners in Honiara, Bina, and West Kwaio over the past three months.
These sessions have provided insights into land ownership, family connections, water sources, and community relationships.
Tribes linked to the Kwaleunga water sources, including leaders from the Lafari and Rafea Houses of Chiefs, have expressed strong support for the work and called for it to move forward to beneficiary mapping.
In early August, senior government officials met in Honiara to review three concept layouts for the Bina Harbour port and tuna processing plant.
Designs were prepared by Kramer Asia Pacific, focusing on land infrastructure, and Haskoning Australia, responsible for wharf and port infrastructure.
The Bina Harbour Tuna Processing Plant Project Steering Committee has since endorsed a layout deemed fit for purpose, cost-effective, community-acceptable, environmentally sustainable, and adaptable for future expansion.
The Bina Harbour Tuna Processing Plant Project is a Solomon Islands Government initiative led by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
Its Project Office is funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and includes the Bina Region Arrangements for Governance unit, which liaises with land, water, and harbour rights-holders to ensure inclusive community participation.
