Professional Documents
Culture Documents
URBAN PROFILE
1
Copyright © United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), 2012
All rights reserved
This report was also managed by Kerstin Sommer, Alain Grimard, David Kithakye, Mathias Spaliviero, and Doudou Mbye
in Nairobi.
HS Number: HS/038/12E
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Acknowledgements
Editing: Edward Miller
2
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA
URBAN PROFILE
UNITED NATIONS HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME
Table of Contents
Forewords 5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7
BACKGROUND 10
GOVERNANCE 12
CONCLUSION 31
BIBLIOGRAPHY 43
3
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - ForewordS
44
Forewords
5 5
Urbanization in the can support with its own resources and through donor
Solomon Islands is partners.
a relatively recent
phenomenon, but it The Honiara City Council executive is preparing to
is expanding steadily. formulate city development strategies and activities
In the 2009 census, to promote and improve urban management and
almost 20 percent planning.
of the country’s
total population On behalf of the Honiara City Council and the residents
lived in urban and of the city, I fully endorse the Honiara Urban Profile
peri-urban areas. and look forward to further interventions from UN-
However, with an Habitat to support the efforts and plans to improve the
annual urban growth image and progress of our city.
rate of 4.7 percent,
it is projected that,
by 2020, about 25
percent of the country’s population will be living in
urban areas.
In the Solomon Islands, urban growth is often not
perceived as a potential path for economic growth
and prosperity, but as the cause of increased poverty,
unemployment, and crime, as well as environmental
degradation, high socio-economic inequality, and
growing informal settlements which lack access to basic Israel Maeoli
urban services. These unfortunate trends, however, are Honiara City Mayor
the result of weak urban planning and management
and poor governance. National policies and priorities
tend to put more emphasis on rural development than
upgrading provincial towns and other urban areas.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - ForewordS
66
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
77
and the existing roads need to be upgraded, especially settlements in Honiara, the lack of affordable housing
in informal settlements. Education and health care and developable land for low and middle income
facilities are available, but they are often poorly earners also drives the trend. The informal settlements
resourced and run-down. are unplanned and therefore lack adequate services
(roads, power, sanitation, policing, water, and garbage
Honiara city is faced with poor service delivery, lack of collection). Poverty and unemployment are often
public sanitation, poor planning, a shortage of housing, higher in the informal settlements, as most residents
high costs of living, environmental degradation, depend on gardening and informal economic activities
and a rise in informal settlements. There are two key such as street vending for their livelihoods (Union Aid
challenges for the Honiara City Council and the Abroad-APHEDA, 2009, Ministry of Lands, Housing,
Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Survey Planners and and Survey, 2006).
Policymakers:
A housing shortage exists, despite about 15 percent3
(1) achieving good governance and effective urban of the city’s land (22.73 square kilometres) being
planning and management, particularly with regard underdeveloped. Of that 15 percent, informal
to informal housing and the provision of land to settlements occupy about 13.5 percent. Informal
meet the demands of the growing town population, settlement residents have continued to improve their
and homes over the years, resulting in a mixture of housing
quality. About 65 percent of houses in informal
(2) achieving and maintaining a clean and healthy city. settlements lack durability (Ministry of Lands, Housing,
and Survey, 2006) and therefore cannot withstand
strong winds and cyclones. As a result of the housing
GOVERNANCE shortage and high rental costs4, increasing numbers
The Honiara City Council is the governing body for of middle- and high-income earners are moving to
Honiara city and has 23 members2. It is mandated informal settlements.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - Executive summary
88
the marketing of food products and handicrafts. erected along road reserves and on steep slopes is a clear
The Honiara City Council depends on the central sign of ineffective planning and development control.
government for budgetary support to meet its major The goal of Honiara City Council and the Ministry of
infrastructure requirements such as roads, as its internal Lands, Housing and Survey Planners and Policymakers
revenue is insufficient to cater for such projects. The is to include informal settlements in their corporate
economic base of the city is small and needs to be plan and link it to the Honiara Local Planning Scheme.
diversified for greater resilience. The challenge for the
city council and the central government is to create a
friendly socio-economic and political environment that BASIC URBAN SERVICES
will allow the formal and informal sectors to flourish.
Honiara faces a high urban growth rate and increasing
demands placed on the current urban services. Open
dumping and burning of solid waste, irregular garbage
SECURITY AND RESILIENCE collection, and littering are common features of the
A high rate of youth unemployment and alcohol city. The Solomon Islands Water Authority has nine
consumption, the increasing economic gap between the boreholes, but these are not enough to meet the
rich and the poor, low staff-related policing capacity, increasing demands in the city. An estimated 30 percent
and poor policing resources have given rise to safety and of all households in the city are connected to sewerage
security concerns in Honiara. This has repercussions for lines.
the local and national economy, investment, and the
tourism industry. Honiara City Council has 14 primary and secondary
schools in Honiara. The student–teacher ratio in most
A major goal for the Royal Solomon Islands Police schools is higher than 40:1. Secondary schools in
Force and the local police constabulary is to contain the particular lack adequate offices, libraries, classrooms,
illegal production, sale, and consumption of beer and playgrounds, and laboratories. Honiara hosts the
99
BACKGROUND
10
10
URBAN PROFILING IN HONIARA
Honiara is one of three profiles undertaken in Solomon
Islands (the two others are of Auki, Malaita Province and
Gizo, Western Province). Each profile is published as a
separate report. This is the Honiara City Profile and it
presents the outcome of Phase One of the Participatory
Slum Upgrading Programme.
1111
GOVERNANCE
The Honiara City Council is linked to the central limited financial support from the central government8.
government through the Ministry of Home Affairs and is This has often reduced the ability of the council
the governing authority for Honiara. It has 23 members to provide quality services to the city’s population.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - GOVERNANCE
(12 are elected by residents in each of the 12 wards, 8 are In addition to lacking the required technical and
appointed6, and 3 are Honiara Members of Parliament) managerial staff in most of its departments, the council
who serve a four-year term. The elected councillors does not have a human resource development policy or
and the Honiara-based members elect the mayor, who a system to measure the work performance of individual
heads the council’s executive. The mayor appoints employees. Promotions and recruitments are often
chairpersons to head the overall administration of the made on a “who-you-know” basis, ultimately resulting
council’s eight portfolios7. Each councillor appoints in poor work outputs.
persons from their respective wards to serve as members
of a Ward Development Committee. The committees The active local and international non-governmental
work with their ward councillors and solicit financial organizations (NGOs) in Honiara appear to be working
support from them to meet minor development and in isolation, with no formal mechanisms established for
community needs in their respective local area. developing partnerships with the Honiara City Council,
which would have clear benefits. The establishment of
Honiara City Council has had a long history of the Ward Development Committees provides an entry
weak governance, which has led to large debts and a door for better governance, but they need coordination
dysfunctional institution. The continuing political and empowerment to improve and maximize their
interference in decision making has resulted in participation and potential.
expenditure on projects that have not been budgeted for.
In 2004, the Minister for Home Affairs terminated the The Honiara City Institutional Strengthening Project
elected councillors and replaced them with an appointed coordinated by the Commonwealth Local Government
authority awaiting new elections (Parker, 2010). Forum improved the Honiara City Council’s service
delivery capacity. Achievements of the project include
The ineffective political administration of the council is improved internal revenue collection from businesses,
also linked to insufficient internal revenue collection and property rates and market fees; enhanced management
systems; and weekly garbage collection in and around
6 The Minister of Home Affairs has the power under the Honiara the city (Parker, 2010). However, there is still need
City Council Act of 1999 to appoint eight members from for the council to ensure the effective and equitable
various stakeholders to the council.
7 Education; land and planning; works and transport; trade and 8 The central government contributed SBD 4 million of the
commerce; law enforcement; finance/administration; health and council’s SBD 19 million budget in 2010 (Honiara City Council
environment; and youth, sports, and women. Budget, 2010).
12
12
distribution of basic urban services to all housing • A building by-law guides building and design
settlements, especially informal settlements. In order standards in Honiara, but it has never been
for the council to achieve and maintain this, better effectively enforced.
development partnerships with various stakeholders
will be required.
PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
• Honiara City Council receives limited funds from • The mayor is elected by the elected councillors;
the central government through the Ministry the mayor is therefore more accountable to the
of Home Affairs and tied funds for specific councillors than to city residents.
programmes.
• Financial accountability and transparency remain
• Insufficient funds and weak administrative and elusive within the council.
technical capacity continue to impede the effective
delivery of better services. • Limited internal revenue and support from the
central government impede the council’s efforts
• Decision making in the city council is still heavily to execute its mandatory functions effectively, as
top-down. expected by the citizens.
• There is no system in place to collectively engage • Civil society organizations are active in Honiara but
urban stakeholders in activities such as a public lack the coordination to make a significant impact
forum. on service provision and poverty alleviation.
• The city council is empowered by the Local • Internal revenue collection has improved, but
Government Act to make by-laws and regulations ongoing efforts must be maintained to achieve a
to control governance at the city level. 100 percent collection rate.
• The Minister for Home Affairs has the power • There is an urgent need for effective strategic
under the Local Government Act to dissolve the planning to link social and urban management
Honiara City Council government for malpractice and planning of the city.
and appoint a more competent team.
• The Town and Country Planning Act empowers
Honiara City Council and the Ministry of Lands,
Housing and Survey physical planners to carry
out physical planning in Honiara through the
Town and Country Planning Board. However, the
planning departments in the council and ministry
are under-resourced and lack the technical capacity
to effectively plan and manage the city.
1313
AGREED INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
• Improve corporate planning and management
practices to achieve more accountability and
transparency within Honiara City Council.
• Design new strategies or strengthen existing ones
to improve internal revenue collection within the
council.
• Formulate a comprehensive human resources
training policy relating to capacity gaps and
competence.
• Design mechanisms (e.g. a forum) to allow for
wider participation of key stakeholders in the city
in order to improve accountability and decision-
making processes.
• Review the Honiara City Council ward boundaries
in order to cover a reasonable geographical area.
• Review the current operations of the Ward
Development Committees to make them more
people oriented and responsive to the needs of
urban residents.
• Improve coordination among Honiara City
Council departments as well as between the
Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Survey and
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - GOVERNANCE
NGOs.
14
14
INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS AND HOUSING
15
15
settlements as a result of the shortage of formal housing INSITUTIONAL SET-UP
and high rental costs12.
• The Town and Country Planning Board has
Over 65 percent of the informal settlements (or 1,950) the power to undertake physical planning and
of the 3,000 houses lack durability and therefore development control in Honiara and delegate
cannot withstand strong winds and earthquakes. These such powers to the ministry and city council
settlements, some of which are located on steep slopes, planners. They require additional resources and
are at high risk of collapsing in the event of a natural skilled personnel13 to execute their responsibilities
disaster. effectively.
Weak administration of temporary occupation licenses • There is a lack of forward physical planning in
has led to licensees ignoring the requirement to Honiara, in spite of a local planning scheme.
annually renew their license, with arrears accumulating
to approximately SBD 2.8 million in 2006 (Ministry of • The power to allocate land rests with the
Lands, Housing, and Survey, 2006). Commissioner of Lands under the central
government’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and
Survey.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS AND HOUSING
16
16
• Development of a partnership framework may
encourage community participation in service
delivery, particularly in the informal settlements.
17
17
GENDER AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - GENDER AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
Gender inequality continues to exist in Honiara despite unemployed in Honiara. The population of youth (15–
consistent efforts from the National Council of Women 24 years) in Honiara is 15,580 (24 percent of 64,609),
and the Ministry of Youth, Children and Women Affairs and this group has an unemployment rate of 45 percent
(with financial and technical support from Australian (Noble, 2011:101). Women meanwhile account for 44
Agency for International Development, World Bank, percent of the 1,906 unemployed in Honiara (Solomon
New Zealand Agency for International Development, Islands Government, 2011). These statistics are linked
and UNDP) to address the problem. Solomon Islands to females’ low level of formal education and the lack of
is a male-dominated country and this will continue employment opportunities for the increasing number
to constrain women as they try to participate in of young school dropouts (Solomon Star, 21/6/2011:8).
development activities. Traditionally and culturally, Policymakers and community leaders do not pay much
women are obligated to take on household roles, rearing attention to the welfare of youth in Honiara, and many
children and undertaking other domestic duties. Males of them remain marginalized, wandering around the
make most decisions, at household, community, local, city (Christine, 2008:32). As a result, a higher number
and national levels. of women and youth are engaged in informal economic
activities, with some young women involved in casual
Despite these cultural restrictions, many women prostitution (Donnelly and Jiwanji, 2010:81).
now hold key positions (managers, lecturers, pilots,
and doctors, etc.) within the public and the private The Honiara City Council’s Department of Youth,
sectors, which were previously dominated by men. But Sports, and Women continues to engage the youth in
participation of women in governance and decision- sports and establish youth networks in the suburbs. The
making processes still remains low, and this is a key department engages 25 youth (on a temporary basis)
challenge for both Honiara City Council and the to work with them during major sports events and
central government. There is a need to create more other youth activities in an effort to involve the youth
opportunities for women in these areas so they can in development. The department also works alongside
improve their economic well-being and consequently NGOs such as Save the Children and Oxfam to give
the standard of living of all citizens. awareness talks on domestic violence, crime prevention,
and teenage pregnancy in the informal settlements. The
Unemployment is higher in Honiara than in other urban recent youth policy intends to formally set up a youth
centres, although the city remains Solomon Islands’ council to work with the department in implementing
main source of work opportunities. Many households this policy (Honiara City Council, 2011). However,
find it difficult to meet their basic needs (UNDP/ limited funds from the city council may affect such
Solomon Islands Government, 2008:3). Women and efforts.
youth are more vulnerable to crime and unemployment
and constitute the majority of those who are The high unemployment rate among youth and women
1818
in Honiara is being addressed partially by the World • Donors and international and local NGOs are
Bank-supported Rapid Employment Programme, supporting empowerment programmes for women
which is coordinated by the Ministry of Industrial and youth through capacity building, but on an ad
Development and the Honiara City Council. The hoc basis.
programme aims to employ a maximum of 7,500
casual workers (women and youth) from the city’s 12 • A unit within the Royal Solomon Islands Police
wards over a 5-year period to clear and clean footpaths, Force deals with domestic issues and assists women
side roads, and drainages. Additional inputs from the in the city to prosecute offenders.
city council will be necessary to make the programme
sustainable and link it to other donor and community • The Family Support Centre, an NGO, also
activities. provides free counselling for victims of domestic
violence in the city.
1919
THE URBAN–RURAL ECONOMY
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - THE URBAN–RURAL ECONOMY
Honiara’s economic base is dominated by the service grants14 from the central government. The economic
sector, as the city is Solomon Islands’ main commercial base of the city is small and should be diversified to
and administrative centre. Wholesaling, retailing, increase its resilience. The challenge for the city council
banking, and restaurant and hotel related businesses are and the central government is to create a better socio-
the main formal economic activities. The formal sector economic and political climate that will allow the
employs just over 27 percent of city residents or 17,425 private sector to grow in the future.
out of 64,609 people (Solomon Islands Government,
2011).
An increasing share of national wealth has been THE INFORMAL SECTOR
produced in Honiara, with a range of urban economic Unorganized and unregulated informal economic
activities strengthening the viability of rural economic activities in Honiara provide job opportunities for many
development by providing markets, processing centres among the urban and rural population, especially those
and trans-shipping points for rural produce. The city without a formal education. This includes the selling
has benefited from major infrastructure investments in of betel nuts, cigarettes, stationery, handicrafts, and
recent years, making it the most attractive destination food along the streets in Honiara (Union Aid Abroad-
for rural–urban migration in the country. Honiara hosts APHEDA, 2009:32). Kukum Market was the single
many international development agencies, companies, designated area for selling betel nuts and cigarettes, but
NGOs, and government agencies and institutions that was closed down in 2009 due to its unhygienic state.
enhance service delivery to both the urban and rural Honiara City Council lacks the funds to upgrade the
population of the country. market, and this has led to an influx of street vendors
in the city and the creation of a temporary market
No large-scale manufacturing industry exists in near the Kukum Market site on private premises. Such
Honiara, besides a number of construction companies, activities are prohibited under the city council’s by-laws,
a brewery and printing presses. The Honiara City but the city council lacks the capacity and resources to
Council internal revenue collection from economic effectively address this issue.
activities in Honiara was about SBD 11 million in 2010,
representing 58 percent of the SBD 19 million in the Honiara’s main market lacks space for the numerous
annual budget (Honiara City Council, 2010 budget). vendors who arrive daily from the rural areas. They thus
This is inadequate for providing quality services to display their products unhygienically on the ground,
the city residents. The council relies mostly on the
central government (and donors) for its infrastructure 14 In 2010, for example, Honiara City Council received a grant
budgetary support. It also receives (limited) annual of SBD 4 million from the central government (Honiara City
Council, 2010 budget).
2020
and small markets have emerged along the roadside REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
in White River, Kola Ridge, Fishing Village, and
Borderline. These markets lack proper sanitation and • The Local Government Act empowers Honiara
parking areas, posing risks to people and vehicles. Both City Council to pass ordinance and regulations
women and men are engaged in informal economic that enhance economic growth and promote a
activities, but women tend to outnumber men in market healthy city.
sales. They work for longer hours, often in unhygienic • The Local Government Act gives the power to
and unsafe environments. Given the importance of the the Minister of Home Affairs to suspend any city
informal sector for unskilled and unemployed rural and council councillor for malpractices or irregularities
urban dwellers, it is vital that Honiara City Council in the administration of the town.
provides decent venues that are not congested and have
sanitation and sanitary facilities. The city council needs • Honiara residents elect members to the national
to work closely with the Ministry of Lands, Housing, parliament and the city council to represent their
and Survey to identify sites for new satellite markets in interests.
White River and Borderline.
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
THE INSITUTIONAL SET-UP
• Honiara City Council receives limited financial
The central government is responsible for the provision support from the central government (annual
of rural and urban infrastructure, and so the Honiara grants), which is usually too small to provide the
City Council is dependent on the Ministry of Industrial required services.
Development to meet its major infrastructure
development needs in the city. • Honiara City Council’s internal revenue collection
needs to improve further to meet and maintain
The city council is under-resourced and has limited quality services in the city.
ability to improve its service delivery to the city
population. • There is limited international development support
for service projects in Honiara. More assistance
Local and international NGOs and church-based is required to stimulate the city and national
groups are actively involved in health and education economy.
delivery in Honiara and its informal settlements, but
no formal mechanism exists to harness the potential • The city council and the central government need
partnerships with authorities. to provide an investment-friendly socio-economic
and political climate in the city.
2121
AGREED INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
• Honiara City Council is to provide backup support
(vehicles) to the work of the Rapid Employment
Programme to improve garbage collection and
drainage clearance in the city and suburbs.
• Honiara City Council is to enforce its littering
and market by-laws.
• Honiara City Council is to work closely with
the central government through the Ministry of
Industrial Development to upgrade the existing
road infrastructure and build new roads.
• Devise mechanisms to improve Honiara City
Council’s internal revenue collection and identify
alternative revenue sources.
• Improve existing market facilities and build new
ones to cater for the influx of market vendors from
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - THE URBAN–RURAL ECONOMY
rural areas.
2222
URBAN SECURITY AND RESILIENCE
2323
of Lord Howe, Fishing Village and Mamanawata – • Community policing in Honiara needs to be
located five metres from the current high-water mark – strengthened through the provision of training and
are the most vulnerable settlements in the city. Climate resources to enable communities to address law
change and natural disasters are a serious concern in the and order issues in effective partnerships with the
city, as construction continues to take place on steep police force, city council and other stakeholders.
gradients, along riverbanks, and along shorelines, all of
which are prone to natural disasters such as storm surges,
erosion and coastal flooding. Honiara City Council and AGREED INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey need to
regulate housing development in such places through a • Improve the working environment for the Honiara
zoning plan and effective surveillance. City Council law enforcement staff.
• Improve resources and training for community
policing and reinforce the links between the police
INSTITUTIONAL SET-UP force, the city council, and NGOs in fighting
• Law and order is maintained by the Royal Solomon against crime in the city.
Islands Police Force in Solomon Islands. • Install more street lights in and around the city
• The Honiara City Council Law Enforcement Unit and in the suburbs.
is responsible for enforcing council by-laws and
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - URBAN SECURITY AND RESILIENCE
24
24
LAND AND URBAN PLANNING
25
25
affect the future development and growth of the city, power is vested with the Commissioner of Lands).
and effective physical planning is urgently required. The Planning and land decision-making processes are
Honiara City Council and Ministry of Lands, Housing, not integrated, resulting in conflicting decisions.
and Survey Physical Planners and Policymakers need
to better manage and control the development of • Ministry and city council physical planning links
Honiara’s available land. are weak.
Honiara cannot expand its physical boundaries without • Physical planning in the ministry and the city
negotiating with customary landowners. In April council is poorly resourced and lacks skilled staff.
2011, the Guadalcanal Provincial Government refused
city expansion into their jurisdiction (Solomon Star, • The Town and Country Planning Act allows for
12/4/2011). The chairman of the tribal groups (Tandai, stakeholders to take part in the development
Malango, and Ghaobata) that owned Honiara and of a local planning scheme, but the city council
the surrounding lands expressed an interest in having planners are not effectively implementing the act.
fair representation in land negotiation processes and
did not want to be represented by the Guadalcanal
Provincial Government or other bodies (Solomon Star, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
19/4/2011). This situation highlights the need for • The Town and Country Planning Act determines
the inclusion of landowners in development planning the way state land is to be used and sets development
processes. controls. This power is delegated to the Town and
There is a critical need to work together with Country Planning Board in each provincial town,
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - LAND AND URBAN PLANNING
the Guadalcanal Provincial Government and the including the Honiara City Council.
indigenous landowners associations to access land for • Planning appeals are referred to the Minister for
the development of new satellite towns beyond the Lands, Housing, and Survey, who has the power
current city boundaries. under the Town and Country Planning Act to
reject or overrule the planning boards’ decisions
and can grant a final decision.
PLANNING ISSUES
• The Land and Titles Act administers the allocation
Honiara city suffers from poor physical planning due and registration of all state land.
to the lack of political will, funds, and skilled physical
planners, in spite of the existence of a local planning • There is no land policy that addresses the urban
scheme18. This is evidenced in the poor transportation poor and squatters.
network, dysfunctional drainage and sanitation
systems, and rising number of informal settlements. • Honiara’s local planning scheme is not effectively
Improving the technical capacity of the city’s planners enforced.
is crucial, so that they are able to systematically address
informal settlements and ensure that key urban issues • Honiara City Council has three staff responsible
are factored into their overall corporate plan for the city for enforcing the Town and Country Planning Act
as it continues to grow. (serving notices to illegal developers and ensuring
compliance with city council building by-laws).
Honiara city needs a proper drainage system to cater
for the overflow of road surface water and to counter
erosion during heavy rains. It also requires properly RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
designed parking areas, landscaping, more street lights,
and an improved road design. Physical planning and • Honiara City Council and the Ministry of Lands,
decision making in the city currently have limited Housing, and Survey have no budgetary support
public participation. for the preparation of subdivision plans for new
residential sites.
• Ward Development Grants are limited and often
THE INSTITUTIONAL SET-UP redirected to support relatives and political allies
• Honiara City Council and Ministry of Lands, instead of improving existing services or supporting
Housing, and Survey Planners are responsible for the development of new ones.
administrative and planning functions but lack the • There is no formal partnership arrangement to
power to allocate state land for development (this encourage community participation in service
delivery such as garbage collection.
18 The local planning scheme intends to control planning
requirements (road design, types of buildings, site yards,
parking areas, etc).
26
26
PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY • The Commissioner of Lands is unable to evict
illegal developers or occupiers of state land.
• Despite the enormous efforts by the Solomon
Islands Institutional Strengthening Lands and • The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey’s
Administration Project to strengthen the capacity system to retrieve unpaid land rent and expired
of the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Survey to leases has not been effective over the years, resulting
better manage state land, the ministry still has poor in high land rent arrears.
state land administration, weak revenue collection,
widespread corruption, and a poor work ethic. Project proposal Page 41
LAND AND
• State land is no longer put to public tender, which Review the Land and Titles Act and
URBAN
deprives the public of the opportunity to apply. Town and Country Planning Act to
PLANNING
The Commissioner of Lands directly allocates state N°1
improve land administration and
land, hindering efforts to create a transparent, planning processes
accountable, and fair process.
• There are weak links between the Commissioner of LAND AND Project proposal Page 42
Lands, Honiara City Council and the Ministry of URBAN
Review the Honiara local planning
Lands, Housing and Survey Planners, resulting in PLANNING
scheme
land use being contrary to city zoning and the local N°2
planning scheme.
27
27
BASIC URBAN SERVICES
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - BASIC URBAN SERVICES
As the population of Honiara continues to grow, solid garbage. Despite this improvement, rubbish heaps can
waste from households, shops, offices, and markets still be found in some parts of the city and are often
also increases, as does coastal pollution. Honiara faces left uncollected for weeks, increasing health risks for
a high urban growth rate, putting pressure on urban the public. Sustaining and improving current services
services. The current capacity of the water and sewerage will require additional resources and community
systems (designed for a population of 30,000 people in partnerships. The key challenge for the city council is
the 1970s) cannot cope with the present demands. to build the capacity of the existing Ward Development
Committees to mobilize community members to
actively participate in waste management.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Open dumping and burning of solid waste, irregular WATER
garbage collection, and littering are common features of the
city. Honiara City Council has five compactor trucks and The Solomon Islands Water Authority provides water for
a bin vehicle (to carry a waste bin) for garbage collection slightly more than 77 percent of the 8,981 households
and hires six private contractors for weekly collection in in the city (18 percent of which are located in informal
the suburbs. Poor garbage collection has led to people settlements). The authority has nine boreholes within
dumping their solid waste on the shoreline, polluting the the town boundary, but these are not enough to meet
coastal and marine environments. The landfill is located the increasing demand of the city due to the lack of
approximately three kilometres from the city and is likely financial resources to repair the aging system and
to run out of space within the next six years. address ongoing illegal connections. The Solomon
Islands Water Authority relies mostly on the Kongulai
Honiara’s central business district and the areas along water source (acquired by the government from the
the feeder roads leading to the suburbs have become customary landowners) and faces excessive demands
visibly cleaner with the implementation of the Rapid (more than SBD 1 million) for land rent payment from
Employment Project19, which employs more than 300 the landowners. Land disputes at Kongulai and other
casual workers (youths and women) from the 12 wards issues led the Government of Japan to suspend its SBD
in Honiara to clear footpaths and drains and collect 90 million project for Honiara water improvement
(Solomon Star, 15/4/2011). This has seriously affected
19 The Rapid Employment Project is funded by the World Bank the authority’s efforts to improve Honiara’s water
and NZAID to provide employment opportunities for the supply. In the meantime, the authority has formed a
unemployed people in the city to do general cleaning. It is a team to identify and disconnect or charge for illegal
five-year project (2010–2014) administered by the city council water connections.
and intends to employ up to 7,500 workers.
2828
SANITATION pneumonia are Honiara’s most common diseases. As the
city’s population continues to rise, it is critical that the
An estimated 30 percent of all households in the city existing clinics are upgraded and new ones are built to
are connected to 14 (deteriorating) sewerage lines cater for current and future needs.
whose outlets flow directly into the sea from the central
market and King George VI area, polluting the coastal
environment and raising health concerns for coastal
settlements and the coastal environment. While many ENERGY
new buildings have septic tanks, littering – especially in The Solomon Islands Electricity Authority powers 72
drains – and the lack of public amenities (sanitation in percent of the 8,981 households in Honiara, of which
particular) are serious environmental concerns for the 7 percent are located in informal settlements. Most of
city council. the households in the informal settlements use kerosene
lamps, fire, and candles as their main lighting sources.
The authority struggles to provide reliable power and
EDUCATION meet the present demands – regular breakdown of
generators lead to blackouts. Given the recent rise in
Honiara City Council provides 14 primary and development activities in and around the city, there
secondary schools, which are distributed according to the is need for the electricity authority to upgrade its
main population catchment areas of Honiara. However, generators and provide a reliable power supply for
students and teachers are often late to school due to current and future development needs.
traffic congestion and unreliable public transportation.
The student–teacher ratio in most schools is higher
than 40:1, with schools lacking adequate space and
resources. Secondary schools in particular lack facilities PUBLIC TRANSPORT
such as offices, libraries, classrooms, playgrounds, and In Honiara, buses, taxis, and pick-up trucks provide
2929
poor and low and middle income earners in Honiara.
Solomon Telekom and B-Mobile provide
telecommunication services in the country. Their mobile
services have been extended throughout the islands and
into rural villages, with a great deal of improvement in
coverage since 2010.
AIRPORT
Honiara is the only gateway to the nine provinces and
is home to the country’s only international airport.
Solomon Airlines provides daily flights to outer islands,
making inter-island travelling easier, but these services
are unaffordable for many families. Solomon Airlines,
Air Niugini, Air Pacific, and Virgin Blue provide weekly
international flights.
PORTS
Honiara is the only seaport in the country and serves as
the main link between international and domestic sea
routes. The main wharf at Point Cruz provides a channel
SOLOMON ISLANDS: HONIARA URBAN PROFILE - BASIC URBAN SERVICES
3030
CONCLUSION
The urban population of the Solomon Islands (20 and the Rapid Employment Project, setting up Ward
percent) is relatively low by world standards, but the Development Committees, and ensuring the continuing
pace of change and its outcomes resemble those found in participation of local and international NGOs, donors,
3131
GOVERNANCE
32
32
Governance (Continued)
(2) identify a staff member within the council to act as (4) conduct public discussions with stakeholders to
training coordinator; determine membership; and
(3) dentify local institutions to carry out the training; (5) devise regulations and rules to guide the operation
of the public forum.
(4) develop relevant training modules based on the
training needs analysis; and Output Indicators: A framework for public
participation is completed; key stakeholders and
(5) implement the training programme. community membership are identified; regulations and
rules guiding the operation of the forum are established.
Output Indicators: Training needs are
identified, with a training manual to address these Staff Required: An experienced consultant (with
needs; the majority of the councillors and city council a development planning background).
staff have undergone training; and staff performance
has improved.
Staff Required: An experienced consultant (with
a curriculum development background).
Project proposal
GOVERNANCE
Devise a mechanism for public
N°2
participation
Location: Honiara
Duration: Six months
Beneficiaries: Honiara City Council, NGOs, the
national government, the business sector, community
members, youths, and city residents
Implementing Partners: Honiara City
Council, the national government, the business sector,
and NGOs, with support from UN-Habitat
Estimated Cost: USD 30,000
Background: Participatory planning improves
the ability of the local authority to respond to issues and
builds effective local governance. It improves sharing of
information, reduces duplication of resources, improves
work outputs, and creates good working relationships
Project Proposals - GOVERNANCE
among different stakeholders. Honiara City Council
needs to create an avenue for city residents to participate
in the planning and governance of the city.
Objective: To promote city ownership through
public participation in the city’s governance and
planning.
Activities:
(1) Devise a development framework to allow for public
participation;
(2) conduct consultations with the city council and
other stakeholders regarding the framework;
(3) review any city by-laws that may object to this
proposal;
3333
INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS AND HOUSING
34
34
Informal Settlements and Housing (continued)
of occupants as stipulated in the Land and Titles Act are likely to be affected;
and Town and Country Planning Act;
(4) digitize the plans and ensure that they are approved
(2) undertake consultations with relevant key by the Honiara Town and Country Planning Board;
stakeholders and informal settlements on the and
methodology to use;
(5) supervise the field survey.
(3) design the awareness programme; and
Output Indicators: Subdivision plans are
(4) implement the programme. computerized and surveyed and a report on affected
settlements and residents is completed.
Output Indicators: An awareness programme
is completed and a report is compiled. Staff Required: Two local consultants
(Geographic Information System expert and qualified
Staff Required: A local social scientist and four surveyor).
fieldworkers.
Location: Honiara
Duration: 12 months
Beneficiaries: Honiara City Council, Ministry
of Lands, Housing, and Survey, physical planners, and
35
35
GENDER AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
GENDER Project proposal Town and Country Planning Act. This contributes to
AND SOCIAL the uncontrolled growth of illegal settlements in and
ENVIRONMENT
Develop gender and youth awareness around the city.
programme
N°1 Objective:
To inform the informal settlement residents about their
Location: Honiara rights and duties so that they are able to comply with
planning regulations.
Duration: Six months
Activities:
Beneficiaries: Honiara City Council, youth
groups, women’s groups, NGOs, and Honiara residents (1) Engage a consultant to identify the rights and duties
of occupants as stipulated in the Land and Titles Act
Implementing Partners: Honiara City and Town and Country Planning Act;
Council, youth, women and sports, councilors, civil
society, with support from UN-Habitat (2)
undertake consultations with relevant key
stakeholders and informal settlements on the
Estimated Cost: USD 30,000 methodology to use;
Background: Approximately 33 percent (22,000) (3) design the awareness programme; and
of the city’s total population are residing in informal
settlements, which have poor water, power, sanitation, (4) implement the programme.
road, housing, and garbage collection services. The city
council and Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Survey, Output Indicators:
however, consider them a low priority and, indeed, a
‘sensitive issue’. As a result, there is a lack of awareness An awareness programme is completed and a report is
among residents of the settlements about their rights compiled.
and obligations under the Land and Titles Act and the Staff Required: A local social scientist and four
fieldworkers.
3636
URBAN–RURAL ECONOMY
3737
Urban–Rural Economy (Continued)
Location: Honiara
Duration: Six months
Beneficiaries: Honiara City Council and city
residents (including informal settlements)
Implementing Partners: Honiara City
Council, New Zealand Agency for International
Development, civil society, and UN-Habitat
Estimated Cost: USD 30,000
Background: The capacity of Honiara City
Council to delivery better services to city residents
depends on its financial ability. Because the city council
depends so much on donor assistance, it needs an
improved revenue collection system and must diversify
its revenue base. There is a need to assess the existing
institutional situation to review processes, assess the
alternative revenue sources, establish a computerized
system, and consult taxpayers and other stakeholders.
This will provide the basis for recommendations to
improve and strengthen the city council’s overall
revenue collection system.
Objective: To improve Honiara City Council
revenue collection and transparency and to ensure
efficient financial management, monitoring, and
Project Proposals - THE URBAN–RURAL ECONOMY
reporting.
Activities:
(1) Undertake an institutional needs assessment of
the city council financial management processes
through a review of revenue collection and financial
systems with stakeholders;
(2) conduct consultations with key departments of the
city council to agree on revenue collection priorities;
(3) assess potential revenue sources; and
(4) conduct public discussions with stakeholders and
other ratepayers to determine the high-priority
issues and improve financial management.
Output Indicators: A report highlighting
the areas for improvement completed, a computerized
system established, and alternative revenue sources
identified.
Staff Required: A qualified professional with a
financial background.
3838
SECURITY AND RESILIENCE
3939
Urban Security and Resilience (Continued)
40
40
LAND AND URBAN PLANNING
LAND AND Project proposal Background: The Land and Titles Act and Town
URBAN and Country Planning Act were based on the British
Review the Land and Titles Act and system, which is highly centralized, giving more power
PLANNING
Town and Country Planning Act to one person. Planning- and land-related decision
N°1 making is not integrated or well coordinated, resulting
in a high incidence of bad or conflicting land decisions
over the years. The process of acquiring land and getting
Location: Honiara planning approval is lengthy under these current acts.
Duration: Six months This creates more room for internal malpractice and
paves the way for the growing illegal settlements in
Beneficiaries: Property developers and Ministry and around the city. A review of these acts is likely to
of Lands, Housing, and Survey and Honiara City improve land and planning management systems.
Council planners and land administrators
Objective: To improve land administration and
Implementing Partners: Ministry of Lands, planning processes in order to eliminate or reduce
Housing, and Survey and Honiara City Council malpractice.
planners, Attorney General Chamber, civil society, and
UN-Habitat Activities:
Estimated Cost: USD 30,000 (1) Consult key staff within the Ministry of Lands,
Housing, and Survey and the Honiara City Council
41
41
Land and Urban Planning (Continued)
Location: Honiara
Duration: 12 months
Beneficiaries: Ministry of Lands, Housing, and
Survey, Honiara City Council, property developers,
NGOs, and residents of the city
Project Proposals - LAND AND URBAN PLANNING
42
42
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Land Work, vol. 2, AusAID, Canberra, 2008 7 January 2011
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ojs/index.pgd/cjfg>, 2010
43
HONIARA URBAN PROFILE
The Honiara Urban Profiling consists of an accelerated, action-oriented assessment of urban conditions, focusing
on priority needs, capacity gaps, and existing institutional responses at local and national levels. The purpose
of the study is to develop urban poverty reduction policies at local, national, and regional levels, through an
assessment of needs and response mechanisms, and as a contribution to the wider-ranging implementation of
the Millennium Development Goals. The study is based on analysis of existing data and a series of interviews
with all relevant urban stakeholders, including local communities and institutions, civil society, the private sector,
development partners, academics, and others. The consultation typically results in a collective agreement on
priorities and their development into proposed capacity-building and other projects that are all aimed at urban
poverty reduction. The urban profiling is being implemented in 30 ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries,
offering an opportunity for comparative regional analysis. Once completed, this series of studies will provide a
framework for central and local authorities and urban actors, as well as donors and external support agencies.
HS Number: HS/038/12E
ISBN Number (Series): 978-92-1-132023-7
ISBN Number (Volume): 978-92-1-132453-2
44