Suva City Council has thrown its weight behind key provisions of the proposed Public Health Amendment Bill that would give environmental health officers expanded powers to enter private properties and informal settlements without prior medical officer approval, arguing the change will speed up government responses to local health risks.
Acting Director for Health and Waste Management Services Wally Atalifo told the committee reviewing the bill that one of the bill’s central benefits is the removal of what he described as lengthy approval processes. Under existing law, councils must obtain sign-off from a divisional medical officer before entering private property to carry out remedial public‑health work. The amendment instead empowers environmental health officers — currently referred to as health inspectors or sanitary inspectors — to act without that additional approval.
“At present those legal limitations prevent us from executing our duties,” Atalifo said, explaining councils routinely face challenges gaining timely access to informal settlements and other properties where urgent sanitation and environmental health interventions are needed. He said the proposed amendment would give councils the clear mandate to enter informal settlements and enforce the Public Health Act when required.
National WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Coordinator Toga Vosataki told the committee the change will accelerate enforcement by substituting the divisional medical officer requirement with environmental health practitioners in the Principal Act. “So that only had a medical officer in the Principal Act. So that is currently being substituted with the environmental health practitioner,” Vosataki said, adding the shift would remove an administrative bottleneck that slowed public‑health responses.
The Suva City Council said the changes modernise the legal framework governing local responses to emerging health challenges and strengthen councils’ enforcement capacity. Council representatives argued the amendment is particularly relevant for addressing environmental health concerns in rapidly changing urban areas, where informal settlements can present acute sanitation and disease‑risk issues if not promptly managed.
The council’s support comes amid broader discussions about updating health legislation and improving public‑health infrastructure across Fiji. Proponents of the amendment say clearer, faster enforcement powers for environmental health officers will enable councils to act more nimbly during outbreaks, contamination events or other localised hazards that require immediate remedial work.
The bill is still under consideration by the committee, which is hearing submissions from councils and sector experts. Suva’s endorsement marks a significant municipal-level backing for the proposed changes and signals expected support from local authorities grappling with on-the-ground public‑health enforcement challenges.