‘Ticking time bomb’: Cogea relocation support depends on funding
Standing Committee report highlights delays despite $2.7 million being provided for the relocation project
Tuesday 01 September 2026 | 06:30
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change says any Government support for Cogea Village's stalled relocation in Bua will depend on the approval of funding.
Permanent Secretary Sivendra Michael said the ministry's priority remained completing the Nabavatu Village relocation in Dreketi, Macuata.
He was responding to a Standing Committee on Public Accounts report tabled in Parliament this month.
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The report found that only two houses had been completed at Cogea, despite Government providing $2.7 million to a Fiji-based non-governmental organisation in 2020 to relocate the community because of threats from flooding and landslides.
The committee described Cogea as a “ticking time bomb” and said Government should “step in … once and for all”.
“Government has been equally concerned about Cogea,” Mr Michael told this masthead.
“We continued to monitor the completion of Cokonaki Cogea and progress updates from FCOSS (Fiji Council of Social Services).”
“Any Government support will be considered subject to funding, once approved,” he said.
He said the project was being delivered by FCOSS and was originally meant to build 30 houses but had been scaled back to about 16.
Mr Michael said the ministry's priority was “the safety and dignity of all at-risk communities”.
This included delivering on its commitment to Nabavatu, where 37 out of 85 houses are under construction.
He said checklists developed with GIZ and UNICEF were being finalised for relocated communities.
The checklists cover cultural sensitivity, child safety, housing design, gender inclusion and psychosocial support.
Long-term post-relocation support is now a formal requirement under the ministry's Standard Operating Procedures, he said.
The audit found that a 70 per cent advance payment to the Cogea contractor early in the project had restricted cash flow.
Rising construction costs and an unsuitable relocation site had also contributed to the delays.
Women in Cogea had raised concerns about road access, transport and safety during the delays, the report said.
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