Nadi Flood Project a ‘sitting duck’ - Nadi Chamber President

Calls are mounting for urgent action on the long-delayed Nadi Flood Alleviation Project, with business leaders warning that continued inaction is costing the town millions in losses.

President of the Nadi Chamber of Commerce  Lawrence Kumar has described the Nadi Flood Alleviation Project (NFAP) as a “sitting duck” despite hundreds of millions of dollars in secured funding and years of planning.

Kumar says that although approximately $400 million in funding has been secured from the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), there has been no visible physical progress on the ground.

Kumar argues that businesses in Nadi continue to suffer repeated flood damage, with the most recent flooding bringing significant financial losses to the township.

Kumar believes the impact of the latest floods could have been avoided if the NFAP had been implemented in a timely manner.

He says at the very least, dredging of the Nadi River should have been carried out to improve water flow at the river mouth and reduce flood levels during heavy rainfall and high tide events.

The NFAP, which began on 5 April 2019, was designed to combine structural and non-structural measures to deliver cost-effective flood hazard protection for Nadi Town and the lower Nadi River floodplain.

Proposed works include the construction of drainage facilities, embankments, reservoirs and surrounding dykes to protect the town.

Since the 2018–2019 financial year, the Government has spent approximately $4.2 million on the project.

In the 2021–2022 National Budget, $3 million was allocated, with $1.8 million already utilised for the release of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report.

The Japanese Government had also agreed to support the first phase of the project through a grant of $46.9 million.

This phase includes constructing protective dykes or flood walls around Nadi Town and improving drainage systems.

Despite these commitments, Kumar says there appears to be no strong political will to advance the project.

He claims he has sought updates for more than four years, under both the previous and current administrations, but has received only assurances without tangible progress.

He further highlights that many businesses in Nadi are unable to obtain flood insurance coverage, leaving them exposed to repeated losses during the cyclone season, when the town is particularly vulnerable.

Kumar is now seeking formal updates on the project’s status from the Ministry of Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways, the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Local Government, and the Nadi Town Council.

He says the people of Nadi deserve clarity on when meaningful work will begin to prevent further economic and social losses.

We have sent questions to Minister for Finance, Esrom Immanuel.