Nature's robbery threatens business

Regina’s Beach Fales is clinging on to what little land they’ve got with little hope, as with each day the ocean is literally taking the fales one by one.

The owners say this is a case of nature's robbery, which they are unable to do anything about.

Built on land owned by Gaono and Fuapepe Alosio Smith, Jacinta and Valeliano Gaono have been operating the fales at Manase for 11 years.

But they are fighting a losing battle against coastal erosion, climate change and some man-made factors. Since the 2009 tsunami, Mrs. Gaono says that with every year, the ocean has been taking more and more of what little beach they had.

“The sea has changed since the tsunami,” she said. “Every year, huge waves come and claim our land. There is nothing that we can do, except watch it wash away.” Mrs. Gaono said the erosion of the beach got worse after Cyclone Evan, with the water now rising to their restaurant fale.

“Last month there was another big wave and it claimed more of our land and now it is so much worse,” she said.

“The waves were coming up as high as our restaurant. This is what I am worried about because it is very expensive to make another fale, another restaurant. “Maybe in five years, we will build a new one but for now we need this one”

She said this is why they applied to the Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A), through the Samoa Hotels Association (S.H.A.) for assistance from damage caused by Cyclone Even under the Mrs. Gaono said she put together all the requirements for the grant and took them across to Apia.

“We applied for the grant in March and were approved for $100,000 around May,” she said.

“This money was to go towards fixing our fales and building a sea wall. “We have received only $20,000 of this money – which has gone towards rebuilding the fales that were taken by Cyclone Evan.”

She said when she inquired about rest of the grant that she was approved for her properties seawall, she was told by S.T.A that they are going to build a sea wall for the whole of Manase. “What I don’t understand is that if they are building a sea wall for the whole of the village – where is the $75,000 they approved for Regina’s Fales for our sea wall alone?

“If Manase is getting this sea wall for free, where is the rest of our grant money?

“Others here have not applied for help, but they are still getting the sea wall. “So I don’t understand where the rest of the money has gone that was granted to us.” The Gaono’s applied to S.H.A. for the money under the Tourism Cyclone Recovery Program (T.C.R.P). According to the application form, available on the S.H.A. website, there is to be only one grant application per project, operator or property.

“Applicants must ensure their grant applications are fully supported and costed,” the application form reads.

“Payment of grants to eligible projects will be made on a 100 per cent instalment basis.” The application further reads that to ensure owner’s commitment to re-build to pre-cyclone capacity and ‘build back better standards, the grant contribution, equity contribution (cash contribution) will be as follows for each affected property.

“The equity contribution will not include contribution towards labor costs, site clearance and other remedial works undertaken by the owners to date,” it reads. What this means is that beach fale owners would be granted this money if they put forward 20 per cent of their own money, then the T.C.R.P. would fund the remaining 80 per cent. In regards to the seawall, Mrs. Gaono said the S.T.A. told her they were going to come and fix the wall in May last year.

“Then I went over there and then came back and they said that maybe at the end of the year,” she said.

“But still there is nothing, we are still waiting.” She said the S.T.A. said they would look for a good engineer to come and assess what was needed for the seawall. “To look at the beach and to see what kind of sea wall will be good for the beach so that is why they are looking for a good engineer,” she said.

“The S.T.A. said we have to go and talk to the other businesses if that it’s okay if they can come and do the sea wall here?

“I said why do we have to do this? They said they are going to run a sea wall along the entire coast of Manase.

“I just want to know where is the $75,000 for our sea wall? We can’t just apply for the whole of Manase – we can only apply for just Regina’s Beach Fales.”

Regina’s Beach Fales, named after Gaono’s granddaughter, who was a nun who passed away in Rome, is all the family have.

“This is our family business but with what is happening to our beach, we are struggling. We are losing tourists because of the damage.”

It wasn’t until March this year, one year after the T.C.R.P. money was granted by New Zealand, that the S.T.A. started looking for that engineer.

The Authority has been running a tender notice in the Samoa Observer for the procurement of services.

“Invitation for request for proposal for a preliminary design for shoreline protection and implementation plan for Manase, Savai’i,” the notice reads.

“Proposals are invited from qualified civil engineering firms and/or technical consultants to prepare a Preliminary design and Implementation Plan for T.C.R.P Technical Assistance under the Environment Risk Component for Manase, Savaii.”

The initial notice had a deadline of yesterday, however, as of last Sunday’s paper the deadline for this preliminary design has been pushed back to Monday April 28, 2014.

According to source within the construction industry, what this tender notice effectively is, is a feasibility study.

“It is just a preliminary scope of works,” the source said. “Bidders have 30 days turn around a design from when they sign the contract.

“It is going to actually depend on what the S.T.A. actually wants and what they can actually afford.

“This initial design could in effect change if the Authority cannot afford what it wants.

“That is just the preliminary design work.”

“It will probably be a year before any work happens on the ground.” President of the Savaii Samoa Tourism Association, Sesilia Leota-Schwalger, said if the construction is not going to happen as possible at Manase, then the S.T.A. should hand over the rest of the money so the Gaonos can begin the work themselves. She said her Association conducted a site visit to the Fales in Manase took some photos and sent through a report to the S.T.A.

“We emailed them and gave them our report of our visit and we were told that they have put out an E.O.I. (Expression of Interest) for a seawall at Manase,” she said.

“So hopefully they will do something. “We are hoping that they do something to that place as soon as possible.

The sooner the better otherwise there won’t be a Regina’s.” Ms. Schwalger said waiting for the E.O.I. process would take longer than Regina’s has to wait. “That will take maybe another three months,” she said.

“And if they get their money now, they can do something with now with it. “I hope they get someone to do that they did say they applied for finding and they got $20,000 “They really should get the rest of their money – if they applied for their $100,000 they should get their $100,000. “I hope they get their money so they can do something about it now.”

S.T.A. C.E.O., Papali’i Sonja Hunter was emailed questions in regards to this situation, but at the time of press the only answer offered was an email from S.T.A. staff member, Gardenia Elisaia acknowledging the questions put to the Authority.

“Please be advised that we will endeavour to get the information you require to you as soon as possible but please note we are currently busy with the Samoa Tourism Exchange at the moment,” she wrote.

“Thank you for your kind understanding.” S.H.A C.E.O, Alexandra Mauli-Rankin was also contacted for comment. “Before I attempt to answer your questions, I would like to firstly reiterate the fact that the Reconstruction Grant Facility (Component 1) of the T.C.R.P. provides assistance through the provision of Building Materials to rebuild back fales and facilities that were directly damaged by Cyclone Evan and therefore does not give out money or funds direct to operators,” she said.

“This was made clear via the presentation by S.T.A. at the T.C.R.P. Launch, March 2013, and through direct consultations with our operators that come through to the S.H.A. office (the T.C.R.P. Focal Point) to apply for assistance.

“Regina’s Beach Fales was approved building materials to the amount of SAT$25,000.00 which the operator had utilised to rebuild four of the 16 fales that had been directly damaged by the Cyclone as well as used to make improvements to the existing 12 fales, communal dining facilities and bathroom facilities.

“These reconstruction works were all completed by December 2013 as per our monitoring and evaluation site visits.” She said according to the K.V.A. Consultants, S.H.A., S.T.A. and P.L.T. Damage Assessment carried out post Cyclone Evan – an estimation of SAT$75,000.00 worth of ‘Technical Assistance’ in the area of Coastal Infrastructure was to go towards addressing the coastal erosion problem experienced by Regina’s Beach fales with an emphasis on the need for ‘thorough investigation required taking into context the whole Beach, with the two streams and the wave action along the shore drift’.

“Thus – this SAT$75,000.00 worth of technical assistance for the coastal erosion site Regina’s is situated on, has been allocated to Component 4, Technical Assistance, of the T.C.R.P. for coastal protection implementation,” she said.

“As there have also been other critical sites identified with coastal erosion problems such as Saanapu, Saleapaga and Tafatafa thus the need to assess the issue on a collective basis.

“The T.C.R.P. Secretariat (at S.T.A.) have since carried out extensive consultations with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.), the Disaster Management Office (D.M.O) and other relevant agencies to implement this component of the T.C.R.P. in the most efficient way possible.

“Where the problem is addressed with minimal disruption to the natural environment and without duplicating the activities of similar Climate Change programmes currently underway.

“Apart from comprehensive consultations with the relevant agencies there has also been the process of drafting Terms of Reference to procure the technical assistance required which of course needs to not only be approved by agencies involved in the implementation of the T.C.R.P. but also by the Donor agencies involved.”

Mrs Mauli-Rankin said from S.H.A.’s records, the majority of those properties that were directly affected by the Cyclone have already accessed the T.C.R.P. and have been assisted – however there is approximately 25 eligible properties still yet to access their T.C.R.P. reconstruction assistance of which S.H.A. and S.T.A. follow up every week.

She said S.H.A. and S.T.A. are also constantly contacting the eligible properties to access their T.C.R.P. marketing assistance which entitles operators to assistance of up to SAT$20,000.00 each (subject to equity contribution, or an owner's investment in an asset that gives him or her an ownership interest) for website development, brochures and advertising in key media outlets which must have the main objective of recovering pre-cyclone demand.

“As mentioned earlier the T.C.R.P. Reconstruction Grant Facility assists in the form of ‘Building Materials’ of which this operator has already received her approved assistance and completed her reconstruction and renovation works to fales that had been damaged by the Cyclone,” she said.

“The T.C.R.P. Secretariat are currently vetting tenders received for the Preliminary Design of Shoreline Protection and Implementation Plan for the areas affected – mainly Manase.

“(The) majority of operators have received their Building Materials – however as per the T.C.R.P. process you must submit three quotes from your preferred suppliers before you receive your building materials therefore we are currently awaiting quotes from seven properties before we can disburse their materials. “As mentioned earlier in my email, the SAT$75,000.00 was the estimated cost of technical assistance required to rehabilitate the coastal erosion at the Regina’s Beach Fale site alone.

“However taking into account the engineer’s advice to address this issue in the context of the whole Beach and not exclusively the site on which Regina’s is situated on – the SAT$75,000.00 has been allocated into the Technical Assistance component pool of funds so that the issue can be dealt with on a collective basis to ensure a sustainable and long-term solution.” Mrs Mauli-Rankin said the T.C.R.P. Grant Facility is made up of 4 Components; 1 – Reconstruction Grant Facility, 2- Marketing Grant Facility 3- Training Grant Facility 4- Technical Assistance Grant Facility.

“Each components have allocated budgets to implement their objectives as well as ensure that all those who were directly affected by the Cyclone are assisted,” she said.

“The TCRP and its Grant facilities remain and are open until mid 2015.” She clarified that the STA tender notice currently being advertised in the newspaper for a Shoreline Protection and Implementation Plan for Manase was a part of Component 4 – Technical Assistance which already had an allocated budget.