Preparations Underway for CAUSE II Project Handovers in Gizo and Noro

GIZO, Western Province – PREPARATIONS are well underway for the official handover of 19 completed CAUSE II sub-projects to the Western Provincial Government and local communities in Gizo and Noro.

Representatives from the CAUSE II Project Management Unit (PMU), Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Finance and Treasury, World Bank and Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will be present in Gizo on 22 September and Noro on 23 September for the official handover ceremonies.

The handovers mark an important milestone for CAUSE II’s investment in the province, with completed infrastructure projects being formally transferred for the benefit of local authorities, communities and residents.

The completed sub-projects include community infrastructure and services designed to improve public access, local infrastructure, climate resilience and essential urban services in the two townships.

In Gizo, nine sub-projects have been completed, centred on footpath construction and solar-powered lighting installation, along with wharf storage yard improvement at at Banana Valley. These works reached 2,903 direct beneficiaries, engaging 108 community workers of whom around 28 were women and 67 were youth. Together, contract value and materials brough total investment in Gizo’s completed sub-projects to $818,267.66.

In Noro, 10 sub-projects have been completed spanning footpath construction across several communities, solar-powered LED lighting installations, and market infrastructure works including a fish stall, drainage rehabilitation, and a jetty landing deck installation. These sub-projects reached 26,416 direct beneficiaries, engaging 155 community workers of whom around 48 were women and 111 were youth. Combined contract value and materials brought total investment in Noro’s completed sub-projects to $2,009,716.00.

The handover ceremonies will also provide an opportunity for Project partners, local authorities and communities to recognise the work carried out through CAUSE II and the contribution of community-based implementation to improving local infrastructure.

CAUSE II is a Solomon Islands Government initiative implemented through the Ministry of Infrastructure Development in collaboration with provincial and local government partners, with support from the World Bank and the Australian Government through the Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands Umbrella Facility Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

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