Landowners from Lauwaki Village in Vuda, Lautoka have formally objected to plans for a $1.4 billion waste-to-energy power plant, saying they were not consulted and demanding government intervention to halt the project. Tokatoka o Wadigi headman Apimeleki Nasalo said villagers only learned the development would use part of their land after plans were advanced, and he has written to the government, with approval from his tokatoka members, seeking action to stop it.
“We were very disappointed when we learned that part of our land would be used for this development,” Nasalo said, adding that neither the developers nor project representatives had consulted the tokatoka. “We are thinking about our children and future generations who will have to be dealing with this.” Nasalo said the letter sent to the government sets out the tokatoka’s opposition and asks ministers to intervene on the community’s behalf.
Another member of Tokatoka o Wadigi, Inoke Tora, said concerns extend to competing land uses. He told reporters that land near the proposed facility has already been leased to a major resort developer and that native landowners had signed paperwork for that tourism project. “It does not look good to have this resort near a waste burning facility,” Tora said, stressing that landowners did not want a waste management factory situated where they hope to attract visitors.
The objections come as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project was released on March 23. Members of the public were given 21 days from that release to submit feedback to the Ministry of Environment — a period that runs until April 13. The EIA release and the formal submission window are likely to concentrate attention on the project’s social, environmental and land-use impacts and may prompt further formal objections from local communities.
Environment Minister Lynda Tabuya addressed one point of contention around access to the EIA report, saying the $5 per page fee charged for a copy of the document is mandated under current environmental legislation. Tabuya also said the ministry is working on amendments to environmental regulations, but did not provide a timeline for the changes. The minister’s clarification responds to complaints from some members of the public who raised affordability and access concerns after the EIA was published.
The landowner objections mark the latest development in an emerging dispute over the proposed plant, which backers say would convert municipal waste into energy. The formal EIA process now underway provides a statutory avenue for communities, interest groups and technical experts to lodge submissions; how the Ministry of Environment and other government agencies respond to the tokatoka’s letter and any public feedback could determine whether the project proceeds, is modified, or is delayed pending further consultation.
For now, Lauwaki landowners are pressing for immediate government action. Nasalo’s appeal frames the issue as one of native land rights and intergenerational stewardship, while the reported proximity of planned tourism development raises questions about compatible land uses around the proposed site in Vuda, Lautoka. The ministry’s handling of submissions and any forthcoming regulatory changes will be closely watched by residents, developers and environmental stakeholders.
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