Savusavu businesses want stronger enforcement of $200 litter fines

Prominent Savusavu businessman and long-term resident Aren Nunnink claims there is a lack of enforcement by litter officers in the township.

Mr Nunnink said littering was the worst characteristic of a citizen and supported the recent increase in the littering fine from $40 to $200 per offence.

While the Government had done well with increasing the fine to deter litter bugs from dirtying the streets, he believes strict enforcement is needed.

“I have hardly seen any litterbug in Savusavu being fined, instead authorities are seen joking around and ignoring the litter scene,” he claimed.

If authorities did not wake up from their slumber, he believes Savusavu Town will soon lose its touristic profile of being a green and clean environment.

He acknowledged the relevant authorities in Labasa Town who were able to prosecute a supermarket owner for illegally dumping commercial waste into a public rubbish bin.

Savusavu Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Avikash Pillay said the town’s cleanliness depended on effective enforcement by litter officers.

Mr Pillay shared similar sentiments as Mr Nunnink and is calling on the Ministry of Local Government to investigate the operations of the Savusavu Town Council.

Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya, during the launch of the North’s first trash boom installation at Naseakula River in Labasa several months ago, had called for litter awareness to discourage poor rubbish disposal.

“We need awareness to change daily habits and most importantly we need school waste literacy programs to teach our next generation against littering,” Ms Tabuya said.

Labasa leads by example

Mr Nunnink acknowledged the Labasa Town Council for being proactive compared to Savusavu township in litter prevention.

He commended the council officers for being able to identify and prosecute a litter bug, a supermarket owner in Labasa, and this led to her being fined $200 after the initial $40 fine issued last December.

Council special administrator Samuela Ligairi believes the litter fine increase will discourage littering.

However, he conceded that strict enforcement remains essential to combat the littering issue.

Mr Ligairi confirmed they had a dedicated team of litter enforcement officers tasked to ensure new litter fines were implemented and offenders identified.

A special training session was conducted for litter enforcement officers in Labasa recently.

Apart from council litter officers, some members of the Fiji Police Force and the Department of Environment are authorised to issue litter fines.

“Some police officers who underwent special training was accredited with a litter enforcement card and this allowed them to fine littering perpetrators,” he added.