Landowners in Naselai Village, located in Nuku, Tailevu, have voiced significant concerns regarding the terms of their leases, compensation, and environmental impacts associated with land utilized by the Nausori Airport. These issues were directly addressed with Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo, during his visit to the village.
The landowners highlighted discrepancies in lease premium payments, specifically questioning why the 2016 lease premium was below the independent market valuation they had commissioned. Additionally, they linked recent flooding in the area to the diversion of the Qaraniki River caused by past runway extension works and called for an environmental review.
Minister Vosarogo acknowledged these concerns and emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to transparency and constructive dialogue. He stated that his team would collaborate with Airports Fiji Limited (AFL) and the Ministry of Environment to investigate the claims made by the landowners. The Minister revealed that there are six active leases connected to Nausori Airport and its extensions and proposed organizing an interagency meeting aimed at creating a strategic response plan to address these challenges.
In a promising turn, Vosarogo pledged to enhance awareness among landowners regarding their rights and lease terms. During the meeting, he reassured the villagers that the government’s current priority is to rectify longstanding land issues, indicating that this collaborative engagement is a necessary step toward finding resolutions.
This proactive approach mirrors past government efforts to establish open communications with communities, akin to recent engagements with landowners in Labasa concerning water catchment leases. These discussions aimed to improve relations and foster sustainable management of local resources. With the government’s attentiveness to the landowners’ concerns, there is an optimistic outlook for enhancing community relations and ensuring that development processes are conducted fairly and respectfully, thereby benefiting all parties involved.
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