District advisory councillors have come under fresh scrutiny after a Nadi resident told national budget consultation participants this week that many councillors were inactive during fires, cyclones and other natural disasters — and in some cases do not even live in the communities they are meant to serve.
Speaking at the consultation in Nadi, Vineel Nand said there were “serious concerns” about how advisory councillors are appointed and deployed across districts. Nand urged the Government to investigate districts where councillors are based outside the communities they represent, saying residents were left without local support in times of crisis.
“There are so many disasters that have happened in Fiji, including fire incidents and cyclones,” Nand told the consultation. “But none of the advisory councillors have visited these residents. Even in Ba and Lautoka, I have visited them from Nadi, and their advisory councillors have not even visited them. I’m talking about the advisory councillors not been active. They should be going to the field especially during natural disasters.”
Nand’s remarks spotlight persistent community expectations that advisory councillors act as immediate points of contact during emergencies, providing information, coordination and local aid linkages. His account that some councillors live in neighbouring districts raises questions about whether residency or regular presence should be required as part of the role.
Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel acknowledged the concerns raised by Nand during the consultation, saying advisory councillors are intended to function as government points of contact. Immanuel’s response affirmed the role the public expects of the councillors but did not, at the session, set out a timetable or concrete steps for reform.
The intervention adds a new dimension to ongoing public input gathered through the national budget consultations, where communities are flagging not only funding priorities but also the effectiveness of local governance and disaster preparedness mechanisms. Nand’s example of travelling from Nadi to check on residents in Ba and Lautoka underlines the strain community members may face when they perceive official local representation as absent.
There was no immediate indication from the Finance Ministry of any formal review or audit of advisory councillors’ residency or field activity following the consultation. Officials at the meeting did not provide specific figures on the number of advisory councillors or their current deployment, and have not yet responded with a programme to verify councillors’ community presence.
The issue is likely to resurface as consultations continue and as communities press for clarity on how advisory councillors are appointed, monitored and mobilised during emergencies. For now, Nand’s critique and the minister’s acknowledgement mark the latest development in public scrutiny of grassroots advisory structures, and will test whether the Government moves from recognition to reform.
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