Apenisa Waqairadovu 
[Photo: FILE]
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Lenora Qereqeretabua, has taken a bold stand against the proposed waste-to-energy project in Vuda, declaring she is willing to risk her job to oppose it.
In a social media post, Qereqeretabua said she does not support the Saweni development, even without backing from her own party, the National Federation Party.
She stressed that Fiji must honour its commitments under the Waigani Convention, which prohibits the country from becoming a dumping ground for hazardous waste.
She highlighted that Fiji signed the convention in 1995 and ratified it in 1996, making it legally bound to uphold strict environmental protections long before the treaty came into force in 2001.
According to Qereqeretabua, any large-scale waste processing project must align with both the legal and moral obligations of that agreement.
Her stance makes her the second government MP to publicly oppose the development, joining Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Viliame Gavoka, who has also voiced concerns about the project.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has reiterated government support for the proposal, saying proper consultation processes will be followed before any final decision is made.
The $1.4 billion project, proposed by the TNG Group, is expected to generate electricity and create more than 500 jobs, but continues to face growing public and political opposition.
