The Samoa Government is to build a new high commission in the New Zealand capital, Wellington.
The Samoan High Commission building in Wellington. Photo: WikiCommons
A release from the Minister of the Prime Minister and Cabinet says the current commission does not meet the more stringent building codes brought in in Wellington following the recent earthquakes in Christchurch and Kaikoura.
It is also over 85 years old and has been occupied by Samoa's high commissioners for 40 years.
The new building will be a four storey structure that will include a car park on the bottom level.
To generate income, two storeys of the building will be leased out, with Solomon Islands and Tuvalu already expressing an interest.
There will also be two apartments in the complex.
Construction work, which is expected to cost just under $US10 million dollars, is expected to take 18 months.
During construction staff will relocate to a house adjacent to the office building.