The Vanua Wailevu yesterday moved to convert years of planning into concrete action for Naiyala in Tailevu, unveiling a pilot growth-centre proposal and reporting accelerated progress after renewed partnership with the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB). At a Bose Vanua meeting in Wailotua No. 1 Village, chiefs and landowning groups also heard details of the new Taukei Development Fund Facility (TDFF) and were told 13 of the area’s 21 mataqali have completed the landowner empowerment process, with seven development projects already underway.
Representatives from five villages and 21 mataqali attended the meeting, which brought TLTB chief executive Solomone Nata to the yavusa to receive updates and discuss next steps. Mata ni Tikina Wailevu and Development Committee representative Mataiasi Dinavuso traced the initiative’s roots to 2004, noting earlier efforts such as the establishment of the Vanua Wailevu Business Arm and the Tikina Wailevu Cooperative. Those earlier initiatives, he said, had made inroads in agricultural production and market engagement but were frequently hampered by a lack of essential infrastructure.
The Naiyala Growth Centre Project Proposal — presented for the first time to the meeting — has been drafted in partnership with TLTB as a pilot to drive sustainable, commercially focused land use within the yavusa. Attendees were told the proposal addresses long-standing infrastructure gaps identified by landowners, including the need for packing sheds, container freezers, reliable electricity and water-storage facilities that would enable larger-scale agricultural production and improved access to markets.
Momentum for the initiative, Dinavuso and Nata said, picked up after TLTB’s engagement in 2024 and the introduction of the TDFF, a lending facility designed to support landowner business ventures. Nata commended the Vanua Wailevu for its sustained efforts and urged a shift to a business-focused mindset while stressing the importance of transparency. He clarified TDFF eligibility and assistance processes and warned that honesty and proper financial accountability will be required from recipients.
Concrete outcomes presented at the meeting included 13 mataqali having completed the formal empowerment process and seven projects already in motion, with the remaining eight mataqali expected to follow the empowerment pathway and access TDFF support. The initiative’s activities include agricultural programmes backed by the Ministry of Agriculture, with food-security measures such as rice farming singled out as priorities. Delegates also discussed infrastructure proposals aimed at overcoming access challenges that have limited past commercialisation efforts.
TLTB reiterated its commitment to support landowners through the TDFF and to ensure applications are carefully reviewed before approval. Nata suggested the Vanua Wailevu approach could serve as a pilot model for other communities across Fiji, provided governance, infrastructure and market linkages are strengthened. The Bose Vanua concluded with a shared vision of using structured, sustainable land development to expand economic opportunities for future generations while safeguarding customary land interests.