-Opposition Leader grills new Environment Minister on Mataniko River encroachment
-Warnings from past flash floods ignored
BY NED GAGAHE
Leader of the Opposition Matthew Wale pressed Environment Minister Polycarp Paea in Parliament yesterday over the government’s lack of immediate action to rehabilitate riverbanks and prevent further encroachment along the Mataniko River.
Opposition Leader Wale asked what steps the ministry has taken to address the environmental risks and protect communities vulnerable to flooding.
Minister Paea responded briefly, saying he would provide the information later.
Unsatisfied, Wale pushed further. He questioned the status of the ministry’s efforts to manage wastewater disposal into the river and what environmental standards currently apply.
The minister again deferred, stating that the Ministries of Mines and Environment would address those issues at a later time.
Wale also raised concerns about illegal structures built along the riverbanks, including retainer walls that appear to encroach directly into the river.
“One of the key lessons from the last Mataniko flash floods is clear, when the water hit one bank, it surged to the other side and swept away homes.
“As you move down the river, especially near the commercial area, it’s clear some of these retainer walls are built right into the river. That should be illegal both environmentally and from the Land’s perspective. Yet this is being allowed, even facilitated, through actions like pegging plots inside the river boundary.
“This kind of behaviour reflects a careless attitude. I want to know what steps the ministry is taking to address this. Just from driving over the bridge, I can see at least four structures that have clearly moved further into the river than they were before,” Wale said.
He called for urgent government action to remove illegal developments and prevent further encroachment along the waterway.
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