Dustbowl row at race course

Asolar power plant is a good development for Samoa but should an Australian contractor be allowed to ruin Samoan businesses in the process?

The question is at the heart of a simmering dispute between two businesses at the Faleata Race Course.

The owner of the Mini Golf, Morten Hansen, said the dust from the construction work being done by MPower, an Australian company, has cost his company many customers and potential revenue.

What’s more, he claims that local farmers who sell their food products across the road are also suffering from the dust as a result of the project.

“That’s what’s happening right now in Faleata. Just because the contractor isn’t prepared to use a little of its profit margin for some basic site protection,” Mr Hansen said.

“What’s happening is that the company is developing the solar site within the Faleata race course by taking all vegetation off the surface and levelling it.

“In the dry season, this is creating a veritable dustbowl that makes it hard for people to breathe during the day near the site. It also puts layers of fine dust on the minigolf course and inside its restaurant, as well as on shelves of the shops nearby.”

Mr. Hansen, his wife Peta Hansen and their 6-year-old baby usually live on-site.

Mr. Hansen said they find it impossible to stay home during the day.

“The dust keeps our customers away,” he said. “Complaints from us to them and the stores surrounding the horseracing course have fallen on deaf ears with the company. This is why we want to raise this issue publically.”

What really infuriated Mr. Hansen has been the attitude of the company.

“Somebody advised me that if I was so keen to get the ground wet, perhaps I should do a rain dance! That’s cold comfort for the businesses in the area that see their regular customers go elsewhere because of the dust problem.

“How can you be so arrogant to just sit in your air conditioned office in Sydney and say to do a rain dance?”

Asked for a comment, Construction Manager, Steven Brown, said he was aware about Mr. Hansen’s complaint.

“But my hands are tied,” he said.

“I’m not the one with the money, I can’t just say get a water truck, I have to get the approval from the company.”

The company he is referring to is MPower, which is based in Sydney.

“I just spoke to Sydney about it (and) once we are finish, we will water it,” he said. “That’s actually $700 a day to water the site.”

Mr. Brown said the issue is difficult for them because they do not control the wind. He promised, however, that something would be done.

“We are well aware of the health issues and the dust will be controlled,” he said.

According to Mr. Hansen, all it takes is for the contractors to make a small investment into water sprayers that keep the dust down while they are doing the groundwork.

“Surely something can be done to keep the dust problem at bay during the daytime when the diggers are working on-site (6 days a week).

Should Australian profits really take precedence over local business people’s lives?”

Mr. Hansen added that he had raised the issue with the company at the beginning of the project where he was promised that something would be done about it.

“They can’t do this in Australia because there are regulations that prevent it,” he said. “But they come here and do it. Why?”

Mr. Hansen said he has already lodged a complaint with the Planning and Urban Management Agency of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E).

“They still haven’t responded to me.”

Mr. Hansen said he is not the only local business who has complained about the dust.

One of the local business owners who does not want to be named confirmed Mr. Hansen’s story, saying the wind blows the dust over to their property, causing their customers to go elsewhere.

“When the wind blows to our direction, our food is covered with dust and the customers will never buy our products.”

It was not possible to get a comment from M.N.R.E yesterday.