Cunningham homes face relocation if high-risk

Residents living near the Energy Fiji Limited (EFL) site at Stage 1 Cunningham in Suva may need to be relocated if the area is confirmed to be high-risk.

Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa said the Government had not received any formal advice from EFL that residents in the area needed to be relocated.

The issue was raised following concerns from members of the public about the safety of residents living close to the EFL site.

Mr Nalumisa said the ministry was currently working with families in other settlements who had already been served eviction notices.

“For coming residents, I have not received anything from the EFL regarding whether there is a need for them to be relocated because I have not been advised that they have been served the eviction notices,” Mr Nalumisa said.

He said any relocation of Cunningham residents would need to be discussed between EFL and the ministry.

“If there is a need, because they are really high-risk areas, then there is a real need to at least relocate those settlements,” he said.

Mr Nalumisa said the Government would also need to determine whether residents had obtained the necessary consent before moving into the area.

He said the Cunningham situation needed to be assessed before any decision was made on relocation.

Questions have been sent to EFL, but the company had not responded at the time of publication.