The Fiji Roads Authority is planning to ban the use of river gravel in roadworks from 2020.

FRA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Moore says with river gravel material the consistency of the stone is uncertain, and it also causes irreparable damage to the environment.

Moore says the FRA is intending to move in the direction of managed land‑based extraction rather than river gravel extraction because of environmental and social impacts.

He says the FRA aligns itself to SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation and SDG 11: Make cities and human settlement inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Moore says sustainability remains a serious consideration for the Authority and they would be implementing this change as soon as sufficient hard rock sources are available to meet the demand.

He adds they recognise the limitations that they face in Fiji on resource availability and they take this into account by re‑using materials wherever possible.

He said the sub‑grade materials could be re‑worked, with minimal need for additives, to provide the foundation for a new road surface.

Moore says that a future FRA strategy will be to obtain quarry licenses and then manage the rock extraction and crushing activities under third party operation.

Moore says they have taken the initiative in identifying potential aggregates sites all throughout Fiji adding this process commenced in the Northern division and this strategy will be continued in the Central Eastern and Western Division.

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