Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka last week launched the Lautoka Port Master Plan, a strategic blueprint that sets out how Fiji’s second-largest port will be expanded and upgraded to meet rising trade, passenger and climate resilience needs over the next three decades.
Rabuka told the launch the plan is grounded in detailed traffic projections that show substantial growth across multiple cargo streams. Container throughput, he said, stood at approximately 80,000 TEUs in 2023 and is forecast to grow between 2.34 and 2.93 per cent a year — reaching about 120,000 TEUs by 2045 and between 160,000 and 190,000 TEUs by 2053. Vehicle imports currently average around 2,000 units a year; the government expects steady growth in those numbers with electric vehicles making up 9 to 12 per cent of car imports by 2030.
Bulk commodity volumes handled through Lautoka — led by sugar, molasses, fertiliser, LPG and iron ore — are also expected to rise, from roughly 600,000 tonnes today to between 768,000 and 800,000 tonnes by 2053, at an annual growth rate projected at about 0.85 to 1.0 per cent. Tourism-related port activity is showing recovery, Rabuka said, with cruise calls increasing from about 30 in 2024 to an estimated 40–50 annually by 2053 and the potential to carry up to 250,000 cruise passengers regionally by 2040.
“These are not abstract numbers,” Rabuka said at the launch, warning that the projected volumes represent livelihoods, jobs, businesses and the economic security of the Fijian people, and “they demand that we act.” The master plan, he added, positions Lautoka Port as a resilient, efficient and future-ready maritime gateway aligned with national development priorities and adapted to the realities of climate change.
On the infrastructure side, the master plan identifies specific capacity gaps and upgrade needs. Key priorities include expanding berth capacity to accommodate higher vessel calls and larger ships, increasing yard space to handle more containers and vehicles, and upgrading operational facilities and equipment to improve efficiency and safety as demand rises. The document also flags the importance of climate resilience measures to protect investments and ensure continuity of port operations during extreme weather events.
The launch represents the latest development in a wider national push to modernise Fiji’s port network. Government officials have previously signalled multi-year investments across seaports and ship-repair facilities to cope with changing trade patterns and growing volumes. The Lautoka plan provides a detailed local pathway for investment and operational change that will now need to be converted into funded projects and staged works.
Implementation will be critical: port expansion requires land use planning, environmental assessments, dredging and funding commitments, as well as coordination with shipping lines, terminal operators and local businesses. The master plan sets the strategic priorities; the next phase is expected to focus on financing options, project phasing and timelines to deliver the expanded capacity and resilience measures Rabuka outlined.
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