Blow-out of costs of Tahiti army site clean-up

A township in French Polynesia is alarmed at the cost of cleaning up a former French military site which was returned last year.

Three hectares were ceded to Arue for a symbolic price of one euro and they have been earmarked for the development of a business park.

But the mayor Philip Schyle has told the La Depeche de Tahiti the projected cost to fix the site, which has asbestos, has blown out from $US300,000 to $US1.2 million.

A town official said Arue knew it had to fund the clean-up but regulations have been changed and this had quadrupled the costs.

He said the French High Commission had been approached for help.

He also said this served as a warning to other townships where the military returned land after the end of nuclear weapons testing.