Lack of quarry sites

THERE is a shortage of quarry sites that produce quality sealing chips in Fiji, says Fiji Roads Authority chief executive officer Jonathan Moore.

Mr Moore said this was because of the quality of material and specialist equipment needed to produce small chips.

“There are adequate aggregate resources available in Fiji, however, there is a shortage of quarry sites that produce quality sealing chips,” he said.

Mr Moore said there were only a few asphalt plants that have been established in Fiji and there were nine quarry sites capable of producing sealing chips and five asphalt plants.

He said FRA was working closely with all relevant authorities to secure hard rock and river gravel sites to enable a greater supply of sealing chips and high quality aggregate material.

As recommended in the mineral baseline studies that were facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), FRA is intending to move in the direction of landbased extraction rather than river gravel extraction because of environment and social impacts.

Mr Moore said FRA would be implementing this change as soon as sufficient hard rock sources were available to meet the demand.

“The FRA strategy is to obtain quarry licences and then manage the rock extraction and crushing activities under third parties’ operation.

He also highlighted that FRA had taken the initiative in identifying potential aggregate sites all throughout Fiji.

This process, he said, commenced in the Northern Division and would continue in the Central/Eastern and Western divisions.