The Lands Department has moved to consider a rezoning application for state land in Saweni, Lautoka, leased by Australian businessman Rob Cromb — the parcel proposed as the site for a Fiji waste‑to‑energy project. The announcement, made at a community consultation in Viseisei Village over the weekend, represents the latest development in debate over the project’s approvals and environmental testing.
Department of Lands regional manager for the west, Uraia Rakaria, told the consultation the current lease for the site is classified as a special tourism development lease and would therefore need to be rezoned if the intended industrial use proceeds. “The rezoning process will have to be done to change the current use (of the lease),” Rakaria said, adding that any consent from Lands is contingent on an applicant meeting specified requirements and checklists.
Rakaria stressed the distinction between the Lands Department’s role and other approval processes. “We will consider consenting if the checklist is met and the requirements are in order,” he said, but noted that technical development approvals — such as building and land‑use conditions — fall under town councils and the Department of Town and Country Planning. In short, a rezoning consent from Lands would be only one element of a multi‑agency approval pathway.
The revelation prompted renewed concerns from the Protect the Heritage Coast Committee in Lautoka, which has already questioned aspects of the waste‑to‑energy proposal. Committee chairperson Paul Forrest said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) carried out for the project should not have proceeded without approvals from both the Lands Department and Town and Country Planning, calling into question the validity of the report. Forrest also reiterated the committee’s contention that the lease does not belong to The Next Generation Fiji (TNG), the company linked to the proposed facility.
Responding to those concerns, Environment permanent secretary Dr Sivendra Michael said The Next Generation Fiji Pte Ltd has, so far, met the department’s checklist. His comment indicates the environment ministry considers its minimum procedural requirements satisfied at this stage, but does not amount to final clearance across the other statutory gateways that Rakaria outlined.
The exchange highlights jurisdictional and procedural issues that could affect the project’s timeline. If the Lands Department requires rezoning, the process will likely include its own assessments and public interest considerations before consent is granted; separate technical approvals and any necessary town planning permits would follow. Meanwhile, claims the EIA was undertaken without proper land‑use approvals may prompt calls for a review of that assessment or further community consultations.
For now, the Lands Department has signalled it will only progress with rezoning if the applicant fulfills the prescribed conditions. Community voices in Viseisei and advocacy groups such as the Protect the Heritage Coast Committee have indicated they will continue to scrutinise the approvals process as the matter moves through the multiple agencies required to permit a project of this kind.
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