TIAN Lun Ltd, the Chinese firm planning to develop a $600 million hotel and tourism project in Nasese, is proposing to construct 11 buildings across the 36-hectare site with some of them being 28 storeys high.
This, according to Dr Paulo Vanualailai, the environmental consultant hired by the company to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment on the project and advise them on the best way forward.
Dr Vanualailai, the head of Envi-Green Pacific Consultants, said he had been involved in the project since 2016.
“Since 2016, we embarked on the initial phase of the project, we were progressing under the condition of closely following and being guided by the Environment Act,” he said.
“As part of conditions, we have to provide a scheme plan, sewer work plan and the civil engineering plan – and also associated conditions that it should go through the Department of Town and Country Planning and the Suva City Council.
“From that time until last month, I was in the loop.
“They had to do a baseline geo-tech study which was done to ascertain whether the ground could hold the ambitious master plan.
“They are looking at about 11 buildings and looking at 28 stories.”
A spokesperson for Tian Lun said if there was anything in their proposed development that could be harmful to the environment, they would not go ahead with it and would always be guided by their environment consultant Dr Vanualailai.
The proposed development is situated on more than 36 hectares of land and mangrove adjacent to Queen Elizabeth Drive and across from the Nasese waters gated community site.
Questions sent to Prime Minister and Minister for Environment Sitiveni Rabuka on the project remained unanswered when this edition went to press.
