ADB, Australia, And Tonga Partner To Commission Climate-Resilient Wharf At Nuku’alofa Port

Tonga Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku led the ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling. The Prime Minister was joined by Minister for Infrastructure Sevenitini Toumo’ua, ADB Director General for the Pacific Leah Gutierrez, and Australian High Commissioner to Tonga Brek Batley.

The project, part of their ongoing commitment to rehabilitate, and upgrade Tonga’s transport infrastructure, has achieved significant achievements, including the completion of Phase 1 which includes constructing a mooring dolphin 1, mooring Dolphin 3, a berthing dolphin, rehabilitating Wharf 1, and developing pavement and other facilities such as stormwater, electrical, firefighting, and freshwater systems.

The project began in 2020 is funded by a $45 million grant from the Asian Development Fund, which provides grants to ADB’s poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries.

In 2023, ADB approved an additional $10 million grant, and the Government of Australia—through their Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific—contributed $20 million, $75 million in total. The Government of Tonga also contributed $8.5 million, bringing the total project value to $83.5 million.