Permanent Secretary: No Paperwork On Qamea Reef Project

The Department of Environment will not allow for any projects that will adversely affect the environment.

Permanent Secretary Joshua Wycliffe made the statement when questioned about World Wave Project which aims to ‘sculpt’ almost 2.5 hectares of reef near Taveuni and Qamea in order to create bigger surf for tourism and more money.

It is believed that the project has the backing of big investors.

Mr Wycliffe said at this point there was no application for an Environmental Impact Assessment, however should one be done, it would be independent.

“We will ensure that the process is quite robust and meticulous. We will also make sure that the report we receive is independent and thoroughly done. We will also see that there is no conflict of interest with owners,” he said.

“We will then consult with the experts within the department and external experts before an appropriate decision is made on whether this project should be allowed or not.

“One thing the department is not clear about is that they will now allow for any environmental impact that is adverse to the environment.”

Show the papers

According to media reports from Newsroom, an independent, New Zealand-based news and current affairs site, the New Zealand-linked company behind the project had claimed that it had done its own consultations on the project and sees minimal damage.

However, there has been no applications received by the Department of Environment. There have also been talks of objections.

The word on the ground in Taveuni and Qamea is that the matter is a hot and sensitive issue among the local community because it affects traditional fishing grounds.

Mr Wycliffe said while they have heard of both the consultations and the objectives, nothing concrete has been given to them.

For now, everything has been hearsay.

“With the objections I hear different things from different people and it is all hearsay. I would like to see it on paper and the consultations that have been done,” Mr Wycliffe said.

“The department will be doing its own consultation on this.

“I have heard people say removing 2.5 hectares of reef, I have heard some say they will be sculpting or chiseling the reef, some say they are reshaping it a little bit.

“What is important to me is what is on paper.”

Not another Freesoul

The damage done to the reefs in Malolo is still fresh in the minds of many Fijians.

Mr Wycliffe said Freesoul developers were given 55 stringent conditions to follow and they did not. This he said ended up in the court and the project now stopped.

However, many Fijians also know that the irreplaceable damage to the reefs in Malolo has been done already.

Mr Wycliffe said there will be strict surveillance on this project.

He said there was no way the department was going to allow something that would have an impact on the environment and sustainability of the local community.

The project

Newsroom reported that the project was aimed at creating world class surf waves by excavating two channels through the coral reef situated near Taveuni and Qamea.

The name of the company doing the project has been named the World Wave Project.

The reports said the company did its own consultations in which they said the waves would bring in 200 tourists per day spending $1000 per day across 300 days.

The reports said the company has called the works resculpting the reef, however the reports this task would require the use of a jack-up barge mounted with an excavator to dig two channels through coral reefs.

The reports stated that the proposed areas was equivalent to almost four standard rugby fields and the development is expected to take around six months.

So far no work has started.

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