Vanuatu's Council of Chiefs in Efate have spoken out against government plans to open a so-called TamTam travel bubble with New Caledonia.
Air strip at Bauerfield Airport in Port Vila Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
Last month the government announced it would look to reopen the borders between the main island of Efate and New Caledonia in the hope it would boost business in the capital Port Vila and aid necessary travel for those studying in both countries.
However the local Council of Chiefs said borders were still closed to people from New Caledonia and other countries.
The Council Chairman, Chief Simon Poilapa, said a resolution around Efate and its offshore islands which was made in 2020, would stand.
Poilapa's comments follow the first community cases of Covid-19 reported in New Caledonia.
The chief said the lives of the people of Vanuatu were more important than the concerns of the government around financial situation of the country.
Poilapa said the economy could recover but the life if a person could not be recovered if they died.
Chief Simon Poilapa Photo: RNZ Pacific / Hilaire Bule
Chief Poilapa said the governement didn't consult with the Chiefs of Efate before declaring the intention to launch the tamtam travel bubble.
He said he was concerned about the lives of the over 6000 people in his village of Mele, the largest in the country.
He also reminded the government that Port Vila was a gateway to Vanuatu with people travelling to and from the other islands every day.
The government had touted the bubble launch for next month but New Caledonian officials have told RNZ Pacific the TamTam initiative is not currently being considered or discussed.