BAUXITE mining remained an unfavourable topic at this week's Wainunu District meeting held at Daria Village in Bua.
In the meeting, Tui Wainunu Ratu Orisi Baleitavea pleaded with his leaders, village headmen and district reps to consider the plight of their future generation.
Tears flowed as traditional leaders pleaded with those at the meeting to put the needs of their children first, who might have to face the consequences of decisions made on bauxite mining.
Ratu Orisi said the district had 13 different streams that needed to be protected for future generations.
Waseroma Tobelili, head of yavusa Maururu from Nadua Village, shared his experience of the first bauxite mine at Dawara in Cakaudrove in the 1970s, how foreignersy came, made money and left without any trace of good fortune for the people of Dawara.
He urged those in the meeting to carefully consider the plight and the needs of of Wainunu's future generations.
Mr Tobelili said Wainunu was rich and blessed with naturural resources and animals that made the jungle their home.
"Au maka ni hauwai ahina a milioni se i lavo levu ena kauta mai a bauxite. A otaou kawa mai muri meto'ou nanumi ira.
"Sireli, o iho a gone i ke, mo tukuna mai vakadodonu a ca ni bauxite balea a omu hawa era na leka mai hina i muri (I don't care about the millions of dollars or the big money from bauxite.
"Our future generations is what we need to think of.
"Sireli, you are from here and you need to tell us issues of bauxite because your future generations will also be affected)."
XINFA employee Isireli Dagaga was also present at the district meeting to inform the traditional heads, district reps and village headmen about the good opportunities bauxite investment brought.