Local Government Ministry Permanent Secretary Joshua Wycliffe [middle]

The Local Government Ministry has today stressed that the proposed re-zoning at the Botanical Garden in Suva will not affect the surrounding areas.

This also include the gardens and the carpark.

A number of people have started to sign petitions and spread rumors about the garden being used for the proposed Indian Embassy without seeking any clarification from the Ministry.

In 2014, the government had agreed to allocate the proposed site for the construction of the Indian Embassy.

The Indian Government had also allocated a land valued at $107 million to its Fijian counterpart to also construct an Embassy in Delhi, India.

Local Government Ministry Permanent Secretary Joshua Wycliffe has reiterated that no final decision has been made yet to carry out the actual re-zoning.

“The Suva City Council has called for objections and this process is open for 30 day period effective from the 21st of January, 2019. At the close of the objection period, the Town and Country planning will make a decision on conferring the final approval based on all the paper work received.”

Wycliffe adds the construction of the embassy will not affect the surrounding areas if it’s approved

“From what I know and have observed it will not have any effect there because it is far, it is not sitting in Thurston Garden. The shrubs, the plants and the trees is not where this property is going to be situated.”

Members of the public have until the 25th of this month to raise their objections to the Suva City Council.