FIJI GLOBAL NEWS

Beyond the headline

The Next Generation Holdings Fiji (TNG Fiji) has announced a fresh round of community consultations for its proposed Energy‑from‑Waste (EfW) plant and accompanying private port at Vuda Point, marking the latest stage in the project’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) review. The company said the sessions will present updates from the Environmental Impact Assessment it lodged with the Department of Environment in March and provide a forum for residents to raise questions and register concerns ahead of regulator decisions.

TNG Fiji held an initial series of consultations in January. The new meetings, the company said, respond to the formal submission of the EIA and are intended to ensure local communities and stakeholders can review and comment on the assessment’s findings. “These sessions offer an important opportunity for local communities and stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of the proposed development, ask questions, and share feedback,” the company notice said.

Three consultation events have been scheduled for mid‑April: April 18 at Viseisei Village, April 19 at Naikorokoro on the project site at Vuda Point, and April 20 at Lauwaki Village. TNG Fiji is inviting residents from Vuda, Saweni, Dreketi, Lautoka and surrounding areas, along with other stakeholders, to attend. Interested participants are encouraged to RSVP and engage directly with project representatives, the company added, though it did not publish specific times or RSVP contact details in its public notice.

The EfW proposal includes construction of a waste‑to‑energy facility alongside a private port facility at Vuda Point. TNG Fiji has positioned the project as part of a broader effort to manage waste and provide infrastructure, while the ESIA process is expected to examine potential environmental, social and community impacts and propose mitigation measures. The Department of Environment’s ESIA review will consider community feedback collected through these consultations as part of its assessment.

Local engagement has emerged as a critical element in recent infrastructure and resource projects in Fiji, where communities and municipal authorities have increasingly pressed for transparent consultation and clear mitigation plans for environmental impacts. TNG Fiji emphasised community participation, saying stakeholder input will be “vital to ensure views and concerns are considered as part of the assessment process.”

This announcement is the latest development in the project’s pre‑approval phase. Stakeholders and residents attending the April sessions can anticipate updates on the EIA findings submitted in March and an opportunity to question project technical teams on topics likely to include site selection, waste inputs, emissions controls, local traffic and port operations. The outcome of the ESIA review and the degree of community support or opposition will shape the Department of Environment’s recommendations and any subsequent permitting decisions.

TNG Fiji’s consultations come amid a national conversation about waste management alternatives and reducing reliance on landfills. The company has signalled that the scheduled meetings are intended to broaden community understanding and gather feedback that will be incorporated into the ongoing ESIA review.


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