FOR over 30 years, the people of Suvavou village, in Lami have been waiting for government to act on their plea to build a village seawall.
Suvavou village elder Ana Mataki told The Fiji Times that the village has lost 100 square metres of land over the years, washed away as a result of the rise in sea level.
“The four previous Tui Suvas and four previous village headmen had been asking for a seawall, so we can protect the village,” Suvavou village headman Vereti Dumaru said.
“We have taken it up to the bose ni tikina (district meeting), we have taken it up to the bose ni yasana (provincial meeting), yet there has been nothing positive. ”
All we have been told is that it has been taken up, we really do not know where they are taking this up to,” Mr Dumaru said.
He said the people of Suvavou had no plan for relocation because their own customary land is the central business district of Suva – land that their ancestors were moved from by the colonial government in the late 1800s.
“This place is our only hope. There is no other place we can move to and we do not know where else we can move to.
“The village is getting small, there is only very limited space to build a few houses, after that, we can just wait and see.
“We have had so many visits from government officials who come with a lot of explanations, but they go back and we don’t see any results from what they say,” he added.
Suvavou village is home to 991 villagers living in 173 homes.
Minister for Environment Dr Mahendra Reddy said that Coastal Protection Program for 2019 had been earmarked for 25 villages.
In the Central Division, seawall works will be carried out at Bau Island and the villages of Nananu , Qelekuro , Naloto , Vatani , Dromuna , Anitioki, Nasilai, Naisausau, Matamaivere, Dravuni, Soliyaga, Rukua and Nawaisomo.
In 2010 the then Tui Suva, Ratu Epeli Kanakana, sued the government for compensation, saying the land of the people of Suva had been unlawfully taken from them. Justice Sosefo Inoke ruled against the claim, saying that all native title to the land on Suva peninsula had been extinguished.
Questions sent to the Attorney-General, Office of the Prime Minister, permanent secretaries for Environment and iTaukei Affairs via email on Wednesday remained unanswered when this edition went to press last night.
