Waterways and Environment Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy said Opposition MP Lenora Qereqeretabua “does not understand the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process” when she put forward a motion to increase the Implementation and Enforcement of the Enforcement of the Environment Management Act allocation from $30,000 to $2 million.
While speaking on her motion Ms Qereqeretabua said there had been numerous violations of the Fiji Environment Management Act and she believed it was Parliament’s responsibility to approve and increase the allocation to the Environment Department so they had the resources to address issues.
In response, Dr Reddy said the National Federation Party parliamentarian did not understand the EIA process.
“It is not only about more money or more resources,” he said.
“It is about advocacy, awareness of the requirement of EIA that investors needs to comply with.”
Dr Reddy said that was something they were now increasingly undertaking by undertaking EIA clinics in areas where developments were happening like Nadi, Savusavu and Sigatoka.
The motion was defeated.
