STREET AND RESIDENTIAL NAMING PROJECT ON THE MAP
By: Joshua Lafoa’i
The first phase of the Street and Residential Address Naming Project is completed. It covers the heart of Apia City areas within a 2 kilometer radius from the clock tower to Mulinu’u peninsula, Vaimoso to the west, and Apia and Moata’a to the east.
The project is part of government’s efforts to further enhance government’s response to national security matters affecting the country, and strengthen national emergency response during and after disasters.
Equally important, the project will help government utility services such as electricity and water supply to pinpoint targeted areas that repairs and maintenance are required for government services to mobile accordingly.
It will also enhance economic opportunities for Samoa in line with the bigger picture to plan ahead for the next 20 to 50 years.
“Our country is advancing in terms of development,” said Chairman of the Cabinet the Taskforce for Street and Residence Addresses’ (TASRA) and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Agafili Tomaimano Shem Leo.
“Infrastructure has changed rapidly over the last 5 to 10 years,” he continued. “If you look at the way development has been unfolding, and looking ahead strategically on what Samoa will become over the next 20 years, it is timely now for government to implement this project.”
On the bigger picture, the Taskforce Chairman noted that Samoa is “a progressive economy and as such we can no longer ignore certain developments to support key sectors of the economy such as tourism, agriculture and transport to name a few.”
The Project is one of government’s development initiatives designed to identify locations of streets, services, and residences in Samoa in real time.
It is being developed in view of the international best practice with the use of available technology such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) to advance the identification of locations in Samoa on Google application.
It is implemented in phases with the ultimate aim to cover the whole country
The following is the Information Paper supporting the Street Naming/Address Allocation Project
The essence of pinpointing and locating the right destination in a timely manner is an important component of efficient travels internally and internationally to date. Migration global patterns confirm that the people have become very mobile.
They have been commuting from their homes to work in cities and return back despite the long distances they have to ensure, due to fast and reliable transportation, infrastructure and technology nowadays.
Advancement in economic development results from prioritizing service mobility and swift and reliable pinpointing of the locations of these services.
Samoa since 2014 has graduated from its LDC status to a developing country due to the speed of its economic development. One development that Samoa needs to address is the allocation of addresses for each family, business, institutions, and utilities to name a few, so that information and services required by the people can be made available in real time.
Most developed nations including our neighboring Pacific countries such as New Zealand, Australia have efficient systems to identify their streets and residential addresses. This has simplified and made travels more efficient and timely in these countries and especially for visitors.
This is why it is important for Samoa to allocate not only street names but addresses for residences as it supports and correlates with many developments, utilities, health services, and national security responses including emergencies.
Samoa has seen over the last two decades remarkable changes in its migration patterns and residential settlements.
Northwest Upolu has become the fastest populated area, with the Apia urban center’s landscape evolving due to the erection of new businesses and high rise buildings.
These changes come with new challenges.
The biggest challenge Samoa will face in the future is the inability to find accurate street and residential households, businesses, churches, government and private service providers.
The need for proper registry of streets and residences addresses will assist to curb this problem.
Clear and unambiguous street and residence addresses will enormously help locate a destination in real time.
They are highly essential for the Geographical Information System (GIS) required for current and future urban planning, infrastructural development, mapping surveillance, undertaking of national census, conducting of general elections, faster and responsive disaster relief operations and emergency responses when disasters strike.
Further, technology through the Global Positioning System (GPS) has made it so easy and convenient for global citizens to identify their destinations.
This would be ideal for tourists holidaying in Samoa to find their way around Samoa using GPS.
This will greatly assist Samoa as the government aspires to tailor made its developments for the next 20 years to achieve its 2040 vision.
The Taskforce for Street and Residence Addresses (TASRA) was approved by Cabinet.
The TASRA has been tasked to lead this project and report to Cabinet. Members/Ministries in the TASRA include the following;
1. Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
2. Ministry of Finance
3. Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure
4. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
5. Office of the Attorney General
6. Ministry of Women, Community and Social
Development
7. Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology
8. Land Transport Authority
9. Office of the Electoral Commissioner
10. Samoa Bureau of Statistics
11. Samoa Water Authority
12. Electric Power Corporation
