Seychelles' Landscape and Waste Management Agency (LWMA) has announced that the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) garden in the central district of Roche Caiman will be ready by June.

The IOC adopted the green space opposite the Roche Caiman petrol station as part of celebrations to mark the organisation's 30th anniversary.

Lynn Betsy, the LWMA senior communications and corporate relations officer, told reporters that work was underway to convert the green space into an area for "people to relax and have somewhere quiet to think."

She said that work on the garden began a few months ago with the clearing of overgrown trees and bringing in red soil in preparation for further landscaping work.

Betsy said that by taking a holistic approach to redevelopment it is hoped that the area is turned into "a beloved public space that contributes positively to the urban landscape, with a focus on community engagement, environmental stewardship and social cohesion."

The project is a collaboration between LWMA,  the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, and the Department for Local Government.

She explained that the work carried out on the site has been done in phases without tendering out to a specific contractor and the LWMA and the Department for Local Government have undertaken the work themselves.

However, as there has been heavy rainfall over the last few months, Betsy said "This has delayed the work a bit, but that the project was on track."