Further public consultations remained possible on the proposed Sigatoka Iron Sands Project, even after the consultation process concluded on Saturday.

Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Shivendra Michael, said the Director of Environment retained the authority to call additional consultations if public concerns were not adequately addressed or further information was required before a decision was made.

He said all submissions and minutes from the consultations would be forwarded to a Technical Review Committee for detailed assessment of the proposed development by Magma Mines Pte Limited.

The committee could comprise up to 10 members, with the Director also able to seek additional expertise, including specialists in freshwater resources and mining, to assist with the assessment.

Dr Michael said the committee would examine the submissions in their entirety before calling the project proponent for a question-and-answer session.

The committee would then submit its findings to the Director of Environment, who would use the report to make a decision on the proposed project.

As at 7pm on October 30, the Department had received 306 written submissions, 2,483 paper petition submissions and approximately 7,600 online petition submissions. The Department also recorded 39 people viewing the EIA report at the designated locations.

Dr Michael also acknowledged and apologised for the delay in publicly advertising that the EIA report had been made available on October 2, with the public notice only published on October 13.

He said the Ministry had recognised the importance of timely public communication and would take lessons from the experience.