The Department of Environment declined the Environmental Management Plan application for the beach manholes and trenching of conduits relating to the proposed Natadola Google cable landing development in Malomalo, Nadroga on 5th February last year on the grounds of community concerns and objections, as well as insufficient social survey and public consultation information.
Based on public reactions, the Ministry of Environment clarifies the proposed development forms part of the Pacific Connect initiative, a regional telecommunications programme establishing new subsea cable links between Fiji and destinations including the United States, Australia and French Polynesia.
It says the project comprises three components: the proposed Landing Station Facility, to be constructed and developed by Staghorn Services Pte Limited, the installation of two beach manholes and associated conduits leading to the landing station facility, also by Staghorn Services Pte Limited, and the Marine Subsea Cable Landing, developed and managed by Yellowfin Infrastructure Pte Limited.
Three separate EIA screening applications were lodged with the Department, one for each component.
The Environment Ministry says each was assessed on its own merits, and the components should not be reported as a single approval or a single refusal.
For the beach manholes and trenching of conduits, the Department of Environment advised the proponent that these matters must be satisfactorily addressed before further consideration can be given to the application.
The regulatory status of the other two components is that the Environmental Management Plan has been approved with conditions on 19th July 2024 for the Landing Station Facility (Staghorn Services Pte Limited) and Environmental Management Plan has been approved with conditions on 23rd September 2024 for the Marine Subsea Cable Landing (Yellowfin Infrastructure Pte Limited).
No work has started as yet.
The proposed cable route is located at Natadola Bay between the Yatule Resort and Spa and the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa and extends approximately 1.3 kilometres inland along the access road to Maro Road to the proposed Landing Station Facility site.
As part of the assessment process, a Marine Ecological Resource Assessment was undertaken in 2024 to assess potential impacts on marine habitats, fish communities, birds and water quality.
The assessment found that the marine environment within the project area is characterized by fringing coral reefs, rubble, rock and sandy substrates, with ecological communities typical of Fiji's nearshore coastal environments.
To minimize environmental impacts, the conditions imposed for the marine cable component include restricting works to daylight hours, suspending earthworks during heavy rainfall and adverse weather, protecting seagrass meadows and marine habitats, requiring prompt reporting of spills, and ensuring that cable installation activities avoid adverse impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems.
The Department also required a social survey to assess community views on the proposed development.
That requirement was imposed by the determination letter issued to Staghorn Services Pte Limited on 29th April 2024 and related specifically to the beach manholes and trenching works.
The survey, undertaken on 28th June 2024, covered residents of Sanasana Village and stall operators at Natadola Beach.
Fifty households were visited and 28 were interviewed; the remaining 22 were unwilling to respond.
Four of the households interviewed opposed the proposal, citing adverse impacts on their surroundings, on tourist activity in the area, and on their income from selling to visitors.
The other respondents did not object, provided their businesses were not affected.
The Department subsequently identified concerns regarding the adequacy of the consultation process and requested additional engagement with affected stakeholders, including Vanua Naholo, the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, the iTaukei Land Trust Board and the Nadroga Provincial Office.
This consultation was facilitated through the Nadroga Provincial Office on 6th February 2025.
On that day, the Ministry of Environment made it clear that it will not involve in any compensation discussions between FNPF (that represented Google) and the vanua, as this is beyond their regulatory mandate.
During the consultations, the vanua had indicated that they would be drafting a MOA for FNPF's consideration.
The vanua also requested that the Environmental Management Plan consultant and the proponent provide an information session on the project in its entirety so that they can ask any questions, and this was relayed to the consultant.
During the consultation, further information was requested on the marine coastal assessment and the lease arrangements.
The Department relayed this request to the EMP consultant and the project proponent.
The groundbreaking ceremony went ahead in 2024 for this proposed project although the approval process was under consideration.
Permanent Secretary, Doctor Sivendra Michael had earlier said that if the Environmental Impact Assessment is under consideration for proposed projects, the private sector should not run to the ministers to get things moving and do groundbreaking ceremonies ahead of all the required approvals.
