Confronting road reserve encroachments: A road maintenance challenge

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development’s (MID) Transport Management Service Division is calling upon all property owners and community members in Honiara and provincial centres alike to assist in addressing a pressing challenge that affects road safety and development: encroachment of private property onto designated road reserves.

These road reserves are critical zones set aside for future expansions and act as road furniture for bus stops and utility service (electricity, water/sewage, communication lines) improvements aimed at enhancing connectivity and transportation efficiency across our city.

Unfortunately, various sections of the road and drainage systems have become obstructed due to unauthorised encroachments, such as erecting betel nut stalls, fencing and house extensions and other structures, posing significant challenges for our road construction crews as they strive to expedite essential maintenance and expansion tasks.

MID, in partnership with the Lands Division and the Honiara City Council, is taking proactive steps to address encroachments while fully acknowledging the legal dimensions

“We are collaborating with the aforementioned stakeholders to navigate this issue whilst upholding the rights of property owners, ensuring that our public infrastructure remains functional and accommodates future expansion.

“Therefore, we urge our property owners to be mindful of the importance of road reserves and to refrain from constructing or placing any obstructions within these designated areas,”

“These spaces are vital for the ongoing development of our infrastructure, and we should share the responsibility to maintain them for the benefit of every road user,” MID emphasized.

The government also acknowledges the Honiara Local Planning Scheme 2015 that provides the guidelines for all developments within the city and, in this case, the roads – secondary roads that lead into communities and fringes of Guadalcanal Province jurisdiction. There is also the Road Transport Act that provides regulations for road zones.

The legally required road reserve in Honiara: primary roads (main roads) are 30 metres.

Additionally, there is ongoing work to formulate a distinctive Roads and Bridges policy that will capture secondary roads (feeder roads and provincial gazetted roads).

Drainage systems are integral to our road zoning efforts. Our team is currently working on a stand-alone drainage bill that will complement the national building code bill once it is passed in Parliament this year.

As urbanisation continues at a fast pace in our city, so too do the challenges associated with it. Let us be reminded of the balancing act we must perform to accommodate individual property rights alongside communal benefits.

MID encourages all Honiara residents to support our construction teams in their efforts to maintain and extend our roads and buildings alike.

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MID statement