ANZ Fiji to sponsor rubbish collection services to tackle pollution in Namuka Bay coastal area

To address the pollution affecting the coastal areas and marine environments around Namuka Bay, ANZ Fiji will sponsor rubbish collection services for villages along the coastal areas for the next two years.

ANZ Fiji Country Head Rabih Yazbek says the issue had come to their attention during a recent ANZ staff community volunteering initiative at Namuka Island.

He says discussions with the island’s owners and residents along Togalevu Village revealed that the waste originate from coastal areas around Suva, particularly from villages near Namuka Bay.

He says the rubbish is carried by tides to Namuka island and contributes to severe pollution of coastal shores and mangroves and it affects the marine life which the villagers depend on.

He says this initiative is a crucial step towards sustainable waste management practices and by sponsoring rubbish collection services, they aim to reduce rubbish pollution and protect the ecosystems that are vital to the well-being of communities.

The sponsorship will provide garbage bins to village communities near Namuka Bay, namely Waiqanake, Namakala, Nabaka, Muaivuso, Wainawa and Naikorokoro, allowing residents to dispose off their rubbish properly, and the bins will then be collected and transported to the Naboro landfill.

ANZ Fiji’s sponsorship will cover the cost of the rubbish bins for the initial two-year period after which the communities will resort to self-funding with support from the Ministry of Environment and the Navakavu Blue Growth program.