Fijians
will soon start being fined five times more for littering
after an amendment to the country’s litter laws.
The
Fijian government says the stronger penalties and
enforcement measures against littering will come into effect
in two weeks.
Under the old law, everyday littering
fines were fixed at FJ$40 (NZ$30). But the new law will see
the fines increase to FJ$200 (NZ$150), bringing them closer
to the infringement fines Kiwis pay for littering, depending
on the type and amount of litter.
Fiji’s Climate and
Environment Minister Lynda Tabuya told parliament on Tuesday
that the reason for updating the litter law and increasing
the fines was to change people’s behaviour.
“If you
litter, you pay,” Tabuya said.
She said the fivefold
increase in litter fines was not because the government
wanted people’s money.
“We would rather collect zero
dollars in litter fines, because zero dollars in fines would
mean people are doing the right thing.”
The government
will be strengthening the network of Litter Prevention
Officers, including officers from municipal councils, the
Fiji Police Force and the Land Transport Authority, she
said.
“We will track how many notices are issued,
where offences are occurring and whether behaviour is
changing,” she said.
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Tabuya said they would do this
because the government does not want to simply assume the
law is working.
“We want to prove that [the law] is
working.”
The enforcement of the updated litter law
takes effect on 1 September 2026.
Last month, the
Fijian government approved the National Integrated Waste
Management and Pollution Control Strategy (2026-2035), the
country’s national roadmap for the next
decade.
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