The Department of Environment has issued a stop work order for the Great Han Residential Development located on Princess Road in Suva.
This morning, the Department announced that it became aware on September 5 of a decision by the Suva City Council (SCC) to lift a previous stop work order. Following this, the Department conducted its own investigation and met with relevant parties to ascertain whether this lifting was in compliance with its policies.
The Department determined that the Great Han development failed to adhere to the conditions set by SCC, which stipulated that work could only resume once the Environmental Department’s requirements were satisfied, in accordance with an earlier decline decision.
As a result, the Department executed a stop work order on September 24, citing Section 43 of the Environment Management Act 2005.
Concerns regarding the Great Han Residential Development first emerged in 2015 when a restricted area drew criticism from local residents. Complaints persisted over the years, culminating in a consultation in October of the previous year, where residents expressed their objections in the presence of officials from the Local Government Ministry and developers. A major point of contention was the alleged lack of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
In response, local residents formed the Tamavua Action Group to provide a collective voice on the matter.
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for Great Han Residential Development indicated that they could not respond directly to the stop work order at that time, stating that any input from the directors would be provided through an official statement.