THE proposed $80million Western Sanitary Landfill Project is facing a major hurdle, with the Government yet to secure suitable land for the regional facility.
Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa told Parliament on Friday that the landfill was being planned between Lautoka and Ba and would require about 50 to 60 hectares.
“Land identification/confirmation remains one of the challenges facing the project,” he said.
Endorsed by Cabinet in 2024, the project, will also include at least four transfer stations between Sigatoka and Rakiraki to move municipal waste to the regional landfill.
Mr Nalumisa said several potential sites had been assessed, but many were privately owned, already committed or unavailable.
The iTaukei Land Trust Board has since identified additional sites for consideration.
Meanwhile, the Government plans to spend about $15m to remediate the Sigatoka Dumpsite, with the work expected to take two years.
“The total estimated project cost that we are looking at is around $80m and for the Sigatoka remediation work, the timeframe is two years, which is estimated to be around $15m,” Mr Nalumisa said.
The existing dump site is expected to operate as a temporary engineered landfill for up to five years before being closed and replaced by transfer stations.
Mr Nalumisa said environmental screening was expected this month, while waste separation initiatives were also being developed.
“Remediation alone will not solve the waste management problem.”
