Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change, Lynda Tabuya has made it clear that the Ministry will be pursuing the appeal in the Great Han development case on Princes Road based on the same grounds it has consistently maintained - that key environmental and technical requirements set by the Ministry remain unmet.
While responding to questions from fijivillage News, Tabuya says the appeal will proceed in accordance with established legal processes and legal advice.
She says the High Court has granted the Ministry leave to appeal the decision of the Environment Tribunal.
When asked on what is the Ministry’s reading of the court's earlier ruling amid calls by the Tamavua Action Group to appeal, Tabuya says the High Court ruling dealt with procedural matters relating to the stay application and it did not determine that environmental requirements have been satisfied.
The Ministry acknowledges public concerns, including those raised by the Tamavua Action Group.
However, she says the decisions under the Environment Management Act are guided by law, technical assessment, inspections, and evidence, not by advocacy positions.
When asked on what happens to the Great Han proposed Buildings 3 to 6 on the Tamavua Ridge, and what is the status of Buildings 1 and 2, Tabuya stresses that Buildings 3 to 6 remain subject of the stop-work restrictions and cannot proceed.
The Environment Minister says Buildings 1 and 2 were addressed narrowly by the Tribunal decision.
She reveals that from the Ministry’s regulatory perspective, the environmental approval requirements remain outstanding.
Tabuya says compliance continues to be monitored through inspections and inter-agency coordination, and no broader environmental approval has been issued beyond what is expressly stated in the relevant orders.
When asked by fijivillage News on Engineers Fiji raising serious geotechnical concerns and what is being done about this, Tabuya confirms that the concerns raised by Engineers Fiji are consistent with those already identified by the Ministry’s own review engineer and the Technical Review Committee.
She says these geotechnical risks, including slope instability and potential land slips, were key reasons why the submitted Environmental Management Plan was deemed inadequate and declined, and why further technical information and assessments were required.
She adds the Ministry’s position is evidence-based and aligned with professional engineering advice.
When questioned on why was an Environmental Impact Assessment not required, and why was there no public consultations, the Minister says an Environmental Impact Assessment screening was undertaken for the additional third floor.
She says following the screening, the EIA Administrator determined that a Construction and Operational Environmental Management Plan (CEMP/OEMP) was required, rather than a full EIA Report.
Tabuya says because the required instrument was an Environmental Management Plan, public consultation is not automatically required under the law unless the Ministry specifically imposes it as a condition.
She says this determination was made through technical assessment in accordance with the Environment Management Act.
Tabuya says no processes were waived and the Ministry applied the appropriate statutory pathway provided for under the Environment Management Act.
She further says different levels of environmental assessment are required under the law, and the Ministry exercised professional judgement based on risk, scale, and technical evidence.
While speaking on other apartment developments planned on the Tamavua Ridge and how are these being handled given engineering concerns, Tabuya says all proposed developments on the ridge are assessed for geological risks.
She says this includes geotechnical stability, slope risk, and cumulative impacts.
Tabuya says the Ministry works closely with Mineral Resources Department to review these assessments, and its decisions are guided by technical evidence and professional advice.
We have sought comments from Lands Minister, Filimoni Vosarogo on Engineers Fiji’s assessment and concerns. He is yet to respond.
Stay with us for developments on these major environmental and technical issues.
