The debate over who owns Fiji’s mineral wealth has moved from policy papers into what Minister for Mineral Resources Filimone Vosarogo called “a constitutional conversation,” after nationwide consultations prompted calls to reconsider long-standing assumptions about ownership, consent and benefit-sharing.
Speaking in Parliament on Friday, Mr Vosarogo said feedback from landowners, communities and stakeholders had been “very extensive, very insightful, and in places, very uncomfortable,” with the single most prominent issue being ownership of minerals beneath customary land. “This is not a technical debate — this is a constitutional conversation. Who owns what lies beneath?” he asked, signalling that the review of mining laws could lead to fundamental legal change rather than incremental policy tweaks.
Three distinct ownership models have emerged from consultations, the minister reported: outright or shared ownership by landowners, a custodial model where the State holds minerals on behalf of custodial owners, and a hybrid in which ownership rests with landowners while the State administers resource use. Each option would have major implications for licensing, revenue distribution and legal rights; the current framework, based on the 1965 Act, assumes Crown — now State — ownership of minerals, a premise some communities are now questioning.
Beyond the ownership question, consultations flagged stronger community rights and environmental protections as priorities. Mr Vosarogo said submissions called for explicit consent — not mere consultation — before any exploration licence is issued, and that some communities were seeking veto powers over developments on their land. There were also demands for more equitable benefit-sharing, higher royalty rates and tougher environmental safeguards. “A stronger environmental safeguard… because days of dig and dump should be declared over at the start of the new law,” he said.
Governance concerns were prominent as well. Stakeholders warned against concentrating decision-making in a single office, with the minister quoting submissions that “too much power in one chair is a lot of risk.” The consultations also raised the prospect of direct State investment in mining operations — an option Mr Vosarogo described as “not radical” and said would be considered in the new Bill.
The government has laid out a clear timetable for turning consultations into law. Public consultations are expected to conclude by mid‑May, after which officials will draft a revised Bill for Cabinet by July 31, 2026. The aim is to introduce new mining legislation to Parliament by October 2026. Mr Vosarogo indicated the changes will reflect the breadth of views received and the constitutional questions they raise.
The announcement builds on earlier government moves to tighten mineral laws and enforcement, including efforts to curb illegal river sand and gravel extraction that exposed weaknesses such as low fines and poor deterrence. By reframing mineral ownership as a constitutional issue, the review raises the prospect of deep legal and fiscal shifts that could redefine landowner rights, state responsibilities and environmental protections in Fiji’s mining sector. The next formal milestone is the mid‑May close of consultations, after which the content of the draft Bill will become the clearest indication of how far the government is willing to go.