In the latest development on the contested TNG Fiji waste management proposal for Vuda and Saweni, the government has acknowledged it lacks legal authority to halt the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, leaving the outcome in the hands of statutory procedures and the developer. Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya told reporters the EIA remains active and can only be stopped if the project proponent withdraws its application.
Public submissions on the EIA are open until April 22, after which the Department of Environment will proceed with organised public consultations and technical review. Tabuya said concerns already raised by communities — through petitions and other feedback — will be recorded and assessed within the social impact and public consultation components of the EIA. “The EIA process includes a social impact component, and the concerns raised from the public are part of that process,” she said, adding that reports would be examined by a technical committee that includes independent experts.
The developer behind the proposal, TNG Fiji, has signalled it could begin construction as early as the fourth quarter of 2024 if the EIA and associated approvals are granted. Tabuya stressed that any decision to reconsider or challenge the project once the EIA is complete would need to be pursued through the Environment Tribunal, underlining the formal legal routes available to opponents and the ministry’s reliance on due process. “The Department has no legal authority to cancel it unless the proponent withdraws its application,” the minister said.
The minister sought to reassure the public that environmental and health safeguards would guide the review. “The Government provides its full assurance that all environmental and health safeguards are assessed. It will conduct necessary studies where required,” Tabuya said, signalling the possibility of further technical work before a final determination. Following the April 22 deadline, she said, public consultation sessions and the convening of technical review committees are scheduled to inform the final decision.
Alongside the TNG Fiji proposal, the government is advancing a separate plan for a Western Waste Management Facility in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). That alternative project remains at the feasibility stage, Tabuya said, and is being pursued concurrently as part of broader efforts to address waste-management needs in the western corridor. The simultaneous push for a state-backed facility may offer communities another pathway should the private-sector proposal falter or be delayed by legal challenges.
The minister’s comments represent a clarification of the government’s limited administrative powers and a reassertion of the procedural safeguards that govern development approvals. With community opposition vocal and timelines tight — construction could begin within months if approvals are secured — the coming weeks of submissions and technical review are likely to be decisive in shaping the future of waste management plans for Vuda and Saweni.
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