Archeological remains and the sighting of an endemic tree frog have led to the rejection of an application by Tengy Cements to extract limestone from an area in Tailevu.

The company has filed an appeal against the decision.

The Environmental Tribunal has given the Department of Environment 14 days to file responses after Tengy Cements Pte Limited filed the appeal.

The application was for the extraction of limestone from Wainivimili, Wainivesi and Sawakasa in Tailevu.

Magistrate Ropate Green called the matter yesterday in the Environment Tribunal at Civic House.

The department had rejected the company’s application for limestone extraction after an environmental impact assessment found that there was a presence of an archeological site containing cultural remains of Yavusa Naloto, Rara, Namoa and Matuku being clumped together.

The department noted that the area was significant because it accommodated the historical evidence of the original people who settled in the old village sites of Nakorokau, Matuku, Drautale and Cirikoteri.

Descendants of these villages reside in Navicula Village.

Reservations from the people of Tikina Naloto on the desecration of village sites for the purpose of a quarry was also noted by the department.

An EIA report has noted the sighting of a tree frog (Platymentis vitiensis) which was endemic to Fiji at the site following an archeological assessment of the area by the Fiji Museum in 2009.

The application was rejected in June this year. The Department of Environment has been given until November 10 to file its responses while the case will be called again on December 17 before Magistrate Green.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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