Permanent secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr Sivendra Michael says they are working closely with stakeholders to locate a site where a litter sorting facility could be established.
Speaking to members of the National Resource Owners Committee in Nadi recently, Dr Michael said sites in Ba and Lautoka had been visited.
“The ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, visited three sites, two between Ba and Lautoka and one in Lautoka,” he said.
“All three sites, except for one, were not suitable for a waste management facility because it either was too close to a river or it was in an area where there was a lot of native trees.
“We even visited Rakiraki, Tavua and Ba. Until today we don’t have a final site. We have a site in between Lautoka and Ba that is potential for a site, but it belongs to the iTaukei Land Trust Board.”
He said the waste management facility would be nothing like the Naboro Landfill.
“It is going to be a state-of-the-art facility, and it is going to be driven by a public private partnership.
“Naboro is on state land, and we are outsourcing it to a private contractor to run it for us. We want to change that mindset so that it is not a landfill but a waste management facility.”
Dr Michael said more discussions would be carried out with members of the council on the proposed new litter fine.
“We have divided the type of fines based on dangerous litter. Dangerous litter means individuals will have a different fine and companies will have a different fine for them.
“Right now, that $40 fine is not working. So, we have increased that fine.”
He said the review of the Litter Act would also look at litter disposed into private properties.
“The biggest issue was that it was close to public spaces, so the rubbish thrown into a private compound or outside of a private compound, we don’t have the authority to fine them. The law currently says, ‘close to public spaces’.”
