Namosi landowners committee express serious reservations

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Navunikabi villagers protest with their banners. Picture: ATU RASEA

THE Tikina Namosi Landowners Committee have spoken out saying they have serious reservations and are concerned with the statements by the iTaukei Land Trust Board and Hydro Fiji.

TNLC chairman Josefa Tauleka said the statements by both parties disregarded the rights of the landowners on the proposed hydro dam.

In a statement released by TLTB, its CEO Tevita Kuruvakadua said there had been a lot misinformation being propagated by certain landowners and on social media platforms about the three hydro dams that were to be built by Hydro Fiji Ltd in Namosi.

Hydro Fiji is working on the construction of the Waivaka, Wainikovu and Wainikoroiluva hydropower plant projects in Namosi. In the statement, Mr Kuruvakadua said claims that the landowners were not consulted in the process of issuing these leases were totally false.

“I can confirm that a series of public consultations were made by our officers since 2015. If we have to count there were about 41 consultation meetings done to 18 villages and respective landowning units in Namosi who will be directly or indirectly affected by the three major leases or projects,” Mr Kuruvakadua said.

He also said majority of the landowners had supported the three projects.

In their response, TNLC said claims of misinformation being propagated by certain landowners was shallow and a disrespect to the vanua and the people of Namosi.

Mr Tauleka said it would be interesting to see who was the one responsible in misinforming the public.

“Landowners are not illiterate to be unaware of the environmental and social impacts of the dam in Namosi and especially to the nearby villagers on the project site,” he said.

“It would be interesting to know as to who really is misinforming the landowners as seen in the dissatisfaction of the people in the EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) consultation previously conducted.”

He said this was just the initial stages of the EIM, however, their statements portrayed how genuine they were towards the landowners concerns.

He claimed the landowners’ stances during the EIA consultations contradicted the statements made by both TLTB and HydroFiji.

“We are yet to hear from the committee formed by NGOs and Government to analyse Hydro Fiji’s EIA report, however, from what we were able to gather in the short time span the EIA is clearly oriented towards Hydro Fiji’s intent of constructing the hydro in Wainikoroiluva.”

Mr Tauleka added the landowners were more than capable of making decisions about their land.

“We will not be swayed by the minorities, manipulation or by the stance taken by our chiefs,” he added.

(Additional reporting was contributed by VILIMAINA NAQELEVUKI)

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