Luganville is marking 51 years as a municipality with a call to look beyond its achievements and focus on the future development of Vanuatu’s second-largest town.

The Luganville Municipal Council celebrated the town’s 51st anniversary over the weekend, with Mayor John Boe Mavutu using the occasion to reflect on the challenges faced over the years while encouraging residents and leaders to consider what they want Luganville to become in the decades ahead.

Mayor Mavutu said the anniversary should be a time to look forward and consider how the town can continue to develop over the next 10, 20 and 50 years.

“This is not just a time for us to look back, but a time to look forward and ask ourselves what we can do to make Luganville better over the next 10, 20 or 50 years,” he said.

The Mayor described Luganville as more than just a town, saying it has developed into an economic hub, a centre for businesses and a home for families, chiefs and communities from different parts of Vanuatu.

“Luganville is not just a town. It is an economic hub, a place for business, a place for families, a place for chiefs and communities, and a place that many people call home,” he said.

Mayor Mavutu also acknowledged the cooperation between the municipal council and the national government, particularly in relation to recent road upgrades in Luganville.

He said the improved asphalt roads have brought significant changes to the town and thanked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Luganville MP for continuing to work with the government to support development in the country’s second town.

“We can see the upgrades to our roads in Luganville. The asphalt roads have made a big difference to the town, and I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs and our MP for Luganville for continuing to work together and stand strongly with the government to bring these developments to our second town,” he said.

The 51st anniversary celebrations also included the opening of a new children’s playground at Unity Park.

The playground was built and established by the PBG Foundation in partnership with the Luganville Municipal Council.