Opposition MP Mitieli Bulanauca told Parliament that there was a need to protect our coastline, rivers, streams and tanks or buffer zones.
He told Parliament that it was important because these were development conditions and the Ministry of Lands and TLTB had these as conditions of leases.
“We must not cut down trees to 20 feet or 6m on the other side of the riverbanks, streams and coastline,” he said.
“Developments going on now, they do not leave the 20 feet buffer zone, as we see in the Vatuwaqa industrial area. Look at Nadonumai, it is all in the law, in the leases.”
He said institutions concerned were not putting their foot down to make sure that what was in the lease conditions were actually applied in the development of these leases.
“The best example is the My Suva Park.
“We must leave the coastline, mangroves are there and also on the river- banks. It is important that we save our rivers from litter, et cetera, by not cutting down all the trees on the riverbanks.
“It is important that we have the laws, have the lease conditions and implement it on the ground.”
