Sainimili Magimagi 
[Photo: FILE]
The National Trust of Fiji is challenging plans to reduce the mining buffer around Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park from 100 metres to just 30 metres.
It warns that the change could put the protected landscape at risk.
It is demanding verified maps of the mining boundaries, extraction sites, access roads and processing facilities before the project advances.
National Park Ranger Salome Nadredre states mining impacts will not stop at the edge of the excavation site.
“The river, the river mouth, the beach and the dunes are connected. Sand moves from the system, helping to maintain the coastline and the dunes. We are connected and that removing sand, dredging the river and changing the river mouth could interrupt these processes.”
The Trust is also seeking clarification on how the project will comply with the Fiji World Heritage Act 2024, given the dunes are on UNESCO’s tentative list for possible future World Heritage nomination.
Landowner Lanieta Matavesi says those directly affected were not properly informed about the project, nor were they given adequate explanations in their own iTaukei language.
“When you have a meeting, you call any Tom, Dick, and Harry to come. You don’t call the real people that own the land.”
The National Trust of Fiji also raised concerns over the potential impact on tourism, park visitors and neighboring communities, particularly from heavy vehicles, dust, noise and industrial activities.
