Tavua council collects ungazetted waste fees, CEO questions legality

Tavua Town Council has admitted it is collecting increased waste fees that have not yet been gazetted, with its acting chief executive officer acknowledging he did not believe the practice was legal.

The issue was raised before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Social Affairs during the council’s presentation of its 2020 Annual Report on Thursday.

Opposition MP Praveen Bala questioned Tavua Town Council acting chief executive officer Sireli Korovulavula about the increased charges and whether they were already being collected.

Mr Bala pointed out that the increased charges had not yet been gazetted.

“So, is it legal?” Mr Bala asked.

Mr Korovulavula responded: “I don’t think it is legal.”

Mr Bala then questioned why the council continued collecting the charges if it believed the practice was not legal.

“Then why are you doing that?” he asked.

Mr Korovulavula said the practice had existed before the current council came in.

“This has been the practice from that time until now” he said.

The council said its existing waste collection fees had remained unchanged for about 20 years, while the cost of providing the service had increased.

It is proposing an annual fee of $36 for domestic waste collection and $148.80 for commercial operators, although the new charges are still awaiting gazetting.

The council said the increased fees could raise about $22,900 annually.

However, solid waste collection costs the council about $83,000 a year, leaving a shortfall of around $60,500.

Mr Korovulavula said the council had been subsidising the waste service from other projects.

“It’s becoming critical. We are desperate for this,” he said.

The council said the proposed fees had gone through the required processes and were currently with the Solicitor-General’s Office awaiting gazetting.