The French Polynesian government has downplayed reports that the US-led project of floating islands will go ahead in the south of Tahiti.
A bird's eye view of the floating island project planned for Tahiti Photo: Supplied
This week an opposition assembly member, Valentina Cross, spoke out against the project of the US-based Seasteading Institute in the lagoon of Atimaono.
Ms Cross said the local mayor Tearii Alpha, who is also a minister, failed to consult anyone about the project.
However, the government spokesman Jean Christophe Bouissou said the government has made no decision and will only formulate once studies have been completed.
A year ago, he signed an agreement with the Seasteading Institute in San Francisco, which is backed by Paypal founder and New Zealand billionaire Peter Thiel.
The deal cleared the way for feasibility studies to create a legal structure for sea zones with a special governing framework.
The Institute said it chose French Polynesia for its venture because it found that its links to France, its autonomy and relatively calm waters, offered a suitable environment to place a floating island.
South side of Tahiti Photo: Google Maps