Large-scale development program to meet housing and equipment needs in Greater Nouméa

Dumbéa-sur-mer and Panda will eventually accommodate over 6,500 housing units (including 50% of social housing), 450 business units, and extensive public facilities. This project takes into account the needs of the future residents and companies by creating public facilities, such as the Médipôle (future territorial hospital center), the Néobus (the territory’s first bus rapid transit system), schools, a community center, playing areas, etc. Special attention is being paid to safeguarding the environment: signing of the “green project site” charter, dedicated spaces for soft modes of transport, sanitation…In addition, in early 2016, the Panda ZAC became the first operation in overseas France to obtain the HEQ Development environmental certification. AFD has been supporting these two operations from the beginning, via long-term loans to the New Caledonia Equipment Company (SECAL), the concessionaire of the ZAC. In 2015, it allocated a new EUR 21m loan with a 9-year maturity to allow SECAL to finance the major expenditure programmed between 2015 and 2016 (creation of a new sector, a wastewater treatment plant, an exchanger…).