SCC takes urgent action and stops construction work recommencing at Princes Road this morning

The Suva City Council had to take urgent action today and stopped construction work recommencing at Princes Road this morning.

fijivillage News was alerted about the open defiance of the stop work order issued by SCC to the developer.

Many people took photos and videos and raised the question on why work had restarted and what is SCC doing about it.

We have been told that the workers said they were doing remedial work however SCC has sternly told them no work is allowed under the previously issued stop work order.

Work at the apartment blocks along Princes Road has been suspended.

Members of the Tamavua Action Group who are residents in the Tamavua area continue to gather signatures to protest against the development close to the cliff edge of Princes Road which they say was approved in 2014 without proper public consultations and without an Environmental Impact Assessment.

A link of the petition is being widely circulated, and the petition will be presented to the Minister for Local Government, Maciu Nalumisa and Minister for Lands, Filimoni Vosarogo.

They are objecting to the planned construction of apartment blocks on Lot L-7, DP 5478 CT 21966 Princes Rd, which lies close to the cliff edge west of Princes Road.

The Tamavua Action Group says they understand that the approved plan involves building 6 apartment blocks on the lot - the first two, closest to the road were originally to be two storeys high; the second two, in the middle, three storeys high; and the final two closest to the cliff edge four storeys high.

The concerned group say they further understand that an amendment to the plan has recently been approved to allow the developer to add additional storeys to the apartment blocks.

fijivillage News has established that the developers are building three storeys high apartment blocks for the first two, four storeys high for the middle two and four storeys high for the two closest to the cliff edge.

The Tamavua Action Group says this development was approved in 2014 without a public consultation which is a fundamental requirement in the Town and Country Planning Act.

The Tamavua Action Group says given the scale of this development, and the risks associated with it, they are petitioning the Government to suspend work on this development until a full EIA is undertaken.

They say it is important that the EIA contain a comprehensive geo-technical engineering assessment that is in sufficient detail to assure the public that the geo-hazard risks have been sufficiently analysed and addressed.

We have raised the questions with the Minister for Local Government, Maciu Nalumisa and Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo. They are yet to respond.

Questions have also been sent to the Director of Environment, Sandeep Singh, Suva City Council CEO, Azam Khan, the managers of the project and Investment Fiji.