The Fijian government has rejected a proposal by Australian billionaire Ian Malouf and fashion entrepreneur Rob Cromb to build a waste incinerator near Nadi, following opposition from traditional landowners and tourism operators who labelled it 'waste colonialism'.
The plan involved shipping non-recyclable rubbish from across the region to Fiji and constructing an energy-from-waste plant capable of burning 900,000 tonnes of waste annually. Fiji's environment ministry cited unresolved issues regarding scale, imported waste, hazardous ash management, public health risks, and impacts on tourism and the environment.
Fiji's ambassador to the UN, Filipo Tarakinikini, had earlier stated that the Vuda coast 'must not become the Pacific’s ashtray'. The ministry also noted that the project would raise Fiji's national emissions by 25%, despite claims it could meet 40% of the country's electricity needs.
Ian Malouf, founder of 'Dial a dump', had previously failed to get a similar incinerator approved in Sydney in 2018 due to health risks. The rejection comes after villagers and tourism operators voiced strong opposition to the plan.
