LANDOWNER Lanieta Burasia Matavesi criticised the public consultation process for the proposed Sigatoka Iron Sands project during a public consultation on Friday, citing a lack of transparency and proper engagement with indigenous landowners.
Ms Matavesi said the government failed to adequately explain the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the local community.
“The EIA and everything that the government is carrying out, they never even explain in our ballot what is it, what it’s all about, and what it is for,” she said.
“Some of us don’t have a good education, maybe, but no one is trying to help us.”
Ms Matavesi said that official meetings routinely failed to target legitimate landholders.
“When you have a meeting, you call any Tom, Dick and Harry to come. You don’t call the real people that owns the land.”
Ms Matavesi also raised concerns over environmental damage from previous mining operations, stating that operators ignored designated dumping protocols and destroyed ecosystems on Koroua Island.
“Even in my island, Koroua, they damaged all the mangrove swamp, and they dump the debris.”
Ms Matavesi called on organisers to conduct future workshops in the local dialect to ensure real iTaukei participation and respect for indigenous land rights.
