An estimated 80% of Vaivase- Uta re s idents say they have not been clearly informed about the multimillion project for clean water now underwent to their area.
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A concerned resident said villagers had queried the quorum at a previous consultation before an official letter from the Land Transport Authority was handed over to them.
They were unsatisfied with this communication for several reasons, the Observer was told.
One was that “the majority of the community is Samoans while the letter was written in English.
"Also, at the time L.T.A. carried out their consultations, the majority of the workforce was not present,” he said.
“Pursuant to the Land Transport Authority Act 2007 (the Act) the Authority (LTA) is responsible for the construction, maintenance of all road reserves in Samoa.
The owner of the property is hereby ordered to remove all encroachments and obstructions from the road reserve within 14 days of receipt of this notice.
Neither L.T.A and S.W.A. (Samoa Water Authority) is liable to pay or provide any form of compensation for these encroachments.”
The residents say they are upset with the failure to genuinely consult with those who will be affected by the work.
“By looking at it, seems like they’re forcing us to act immediately but our people here need more information about the project.
“The consultation was carried out by L.T.A. officers and no more than 20 residents attended on that day.
He said that the Japanese Multi Million Tala Funding of Clean Water at Vaivase-Uta was much appreciated by the village, but the people are still annoyed that they were not clearly informed.
“Most importantly, these officers were not fully aware of the finer points raised by residents and were unable to satisfactorily respond to requests for some compensation.
“This includes - land beautification, cosmetic changes, expenses accrued for many years of mowing and cleaning apart from the government-funded lawn mowing and especially the damage to property from falling trees etc. He added that there is imminent damage to property such as ‘government telecommunications underground land line cables, power posts and lines, the drainage system, permanent cement fences, driveways, flora and fauna (gardens) and possible damage to graves of loved ones and buildings.
“We strongly advised the two Authorities to conduct more consultations at the weekends,” he added.
“Lastly, they should offer to provide repairs to permanent structures, fences, driveway and signboards which may be damaged.”
No comment was immediately available from the Land Transport Authority.
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