Government has stopped All Earthworks Company from extracting gravel under the Namosi Development Corporation issued licence from the Navua River with immediate effect after the Prime Minister called together government stakeholders in a meeting on Monday 15th February. Complaints had been raised with the Prime Minister concerning the gravel extraction operations by the company.
The complaints involved the issue of the river becoming shallower upstream rendering it inaccessible with boats that are utilised as a mode of transport by villages and communities in the upper Navua River. The river was also being diverted by the gravel extractor by constructing an access way in order to reach the opposite side to extract more gravel. Villages and communities also reported a depressed ecosystem, which resulted in depleted river food sources, such as fish, eels and mussels, as the extraction operations continued.
The license to extract gravel from the particular area of the Navua River was issued to Namosi Development Cooperation but was being utilised by All Earthworks Company, which is unethical and raises issues of legality.
The Ministry of Lands issues extraction licenses for State land and the iTaukei Lands Trust Board (TLTB) for iTaukei land. The Prime Minister has directed that Ministry of Lands or TLTB will only approve gravel extraction license after appropriate Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) are conducted.
The Prime Minister emphasised the need for Government officials to make timely decisions to ensure that in the future, exploitation of resources and communities in this manner are avoided.
The Fiji Police Force will ensure that the directive to stop the gravel extraction operations is complied with.