The Commissioner Central Division, Provincial Administrator, District Officer, Invited Distinguished Guests, Relevant Stakeholders, Media Personnel, Ministry Staff, Ladies and Gentleman.

Ladies & Gentlemen, it’s a pleasure to be here today amongst you all to commission a very important project which means a lot to our life style. Rivers are an integral component of the lifestyle of every Fijian. If we study the how and where villages were established, you will note that we will find a common pattern…that most of them were located alongside Rivers. People choose to live along the river banks for various reason including, availability of fertile land, availability of water for washing, bathing, farming and potable purpose and waterways as a means for transportation etc. For us in Fiji, rivers are part of our way of life, it is an integral component of our customs and culture. 

However, over the last two decades, this very source of our existence is now under threat do to climate change as well as factors caused by us. The river banks are eroding off.

Our rivers are constantly changing their course. While some may say that Riverbank erosion is a natural process, however human activities have had a significant impact on the rate and magnitude of morphological change in our rivers. Given above its either of the two;
a. Either we are living on active flood plains/banks and invading the rivers, or;
b. Rivers are reclaiming what is theirs and are fast encroaching our lands and homes 

Ladies & Gentlemen, many times our actions are such that we disturb the delicate balance of nature through our activities. Many of you would agree with me that activities like works on the banks thus destabilizing the banks, unsustainable farming practices along close proximity of rivers and regulating river flows often have detrimental impacts of which riverbank erosion is a critical one. While we have lived in harmony with our rivers in past, which has provided us a source of livelihood, this very river now, is fast encroaching and are threatening our livelihood and properties. 

Ladies & Gentlemen, Riverbank erosion is becoming prevalent in Fiji, threatening communities living along the river systems. For all of you living here in Nadaro, it’s dire and intervention is necessary to address river bank erosion. Nadaro Village is surrounded by Waisere Creek, with the village boundary fixed to the meandering feature of the creek. As such during the period of peaks flows flood water flows towards the village, causing scouring at the foot of the bank leading to destabilization and eventual erosion of the bank. The eroding of Waisere Creek bank poses an imminent threat to the Nadaro Village.

Ladies & Gentlemen, The shift of the bank towards the village has compromised the safety of a few houses. The Waisere creek is highly sinuous (higher sinuosity index) fluvial system. As such, the natural meandering of the creek makes the banks more unstable contributing to bank erosion. Taking above into consideration the government will assist the Nadaro Village Community through the provision of river bank protection infrastructure. 

Todays work consists of of installation of the gabion box retaining wall and groynes. A 112m long river bank protection works will be constructed by Hot Spring Hire Service at a cost of $431,333.17 VIP and the construction period will be 120 Calendar Days. The installation sequence of gabion boxes comprise the following principal elements: 

i. Mobilization and demobilization work.

ii. Excavation and Compacted soil backfill work.

iii. Supply, transport and proper placing of boulders (350mm ~ 500 mm) as toe protection works.

iv. Supply, transport, and installation of Gabion retaining wall and groynes.

Ladies & Gentlemen, the river bank protection will benefit the Nadaro Village Community as follows:
a. Protection of land, protection against erosion
b. The stabilisation of river banks reduces the loss of land
c. Reduction of excessive sedimentation within watercourses, which silts up gravel beds and destroys spawning and invertebrate habitat
d. Reduction of channel widening which results in shallow flows especially in dry season, which can cause increases in water temperature and reductions in oxygen levels, affecting aquatic organisms

Ladies & Gentlemen, while we are committed to addressing riverbank erosion through different means, we also need to understand that we need to give room to the rivers to flow during peak events. The Ministry of Waterways is committed to advise communities to live with the river. Furthermore, the Ministry is committed to ensuring that our vulnerable communities who face issue around riverbank erosion are protected and are safe. While Ministry has provided hard infrastructure to arrest this issue here, I urge the communities to use ecosystem-based approaches to further increase your resilience to such bank erosion