Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, Waterways and Environment Mahendra Reddy commissioned the Namoli Village sea wall yesterday.

Mr Reddy said it was everyone’s responsibility to look after the environment and his ministry needed as much support as possible.

“We want our environment leaders and ministries to understand how important the environment is and that it is a collective responsibility to protect the environment,” said Mr Reddy.

“All of us have to get together so we can deal with the problems.

“Littering, dumping of waste and rubbish affects downstream water ways, this behaviour towards the environment cannot be accepted, as this is threatening our communities, environment and will affect our future generation.

“There is no short term and short-cut solution to development.

“As a Government of a developing country we want to promote growth and development, but not at the expense of our environment and of our future generation.”

He said that the Government’s focus on waterways and environment would increase in the future because of the increasing interest from developers and investors in Fiji.

“We have to make sure that we as regulators, while we want the development to take place, we will have to ensure that the development is done within the confines of the environmental laws of our country,” he said.

Edited by Susana Tuilau

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