Riya Bhagwan 
The rising estimated cost of the long-awaited Nadi Flood Alleviation Project is raising fresh concerns over whether the major infrastructure plan
will be delivered after years of planning.
During a stakeholders consultation in Nadi, Ravikash Rajan from the Ministry of Strategic Planning highlighted that the project, which was
estimated to cost around $400 million according to the 2026-27 National Budget, is now expected to cost between $900 million to $1 billion.
Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Lawrence Kumar says repeated changes to the estimated cost and timelines raise questions about how
soon residents and businesses will see meaningful flood protection.
“If we keep talking about it, if we keep in the planning phase, we are still in the planning phase, this project might never even happen.”
The Government had said the project would be implemented over five years, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the
Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific.It allocated $8 million in that budget to begin design and implementation work.
However, the 2026–2027 National Budget allocated a further $3 million for preparatory work, including investigations and studies ahead of major
construction.
Kumar says the repeated delays and changing timelines are raising concerns about when the long-awaited flood protection measures will become a
reality.
