Editorial: Just stop the littering, please

Some people may be offended by Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya’s outburst on Thursday against the rubbish and stench from Wailea Creek in Vatuwaqa, Suva.

It is about time someone spoke like that. Tabuya should be commended for telling residents to “organise themselves and clean up their rubbish. What’s next? Government coming into our homes to clean our toilets? Personal responsibility has to start somewhere. Put your rubbish where it belongs. Just stop littering.”

Bullseye!

Fiji cannot continue treating rivers, creeks, drains and our shores as rubbish dumps and expect Government to clean the mess.

Who should be responsible for removing rubbish collected by trash booms? The boom is a Government initiative to protect Fiji’s environment, not an excuse for people to continue throwing rubbish carelessly.

Tabuya’s warning is timely. From next Tuesday, September 1, under the Litter (Amendment) Act 2008, fines will increase from $40 to $200. Those who illegally dump rubbish will be fined on the spot. Good.

Take heed, littering is now against the law.

The Wailea incident exposes a bigger problem — informal settlements. Why do we have them? They are without basic amenities. They are the first and worst affected during disasters because they are near waterways, low and wet areas, do not have proper housing, drainage, water, electricity, sanitation and waste collection.

As Tabuya rightly said: “My message to Wailea is simple: keep your settlement clean. Stop dumping rubbish into the creek. The trash boom did not create this rubbish. You did.” That message should echo across Fiji.

Fiji preparing to host Pre-COP31 cannot afford to have her backyard littered with rubbish, junk and derelict waste.

Our clean-up should begin with enforcement and personal responsibility, starting from home.