New houses for villagers

OVERPLANTED pine trees which were returned to landowners last year were harvested and used to construct new houses in various villages in Bua.

Minister for Forestry Kalaveti Ravu was at Navunievu and Tiliva villages last week to open the newly built houses.

Mr Ravu told villagers that Government’s objective was to help bring back prosperity and raise living standards for Fijians.

“That is the responsibility of Government and to also open pathways of change,” he said.

Ministry officials were working with their counterparts at the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, the minister said, to explore opportunities for collaboration to ensure maximum benefits for resource owners in the fisheries and forestry sectors.

Tiliva Village headman Sitiveni Solei thanked the Government for the Overplant Pine Project as they had been yearning for it for the last 16 years.

“Under this project, we have been able to purchase two vehicles, a boat and a house for our mataqali (clan) that has been opened today,” he said.

At Navunievu Village Poniani Matarai said he was thankful that through the return of the overplanted trees, he was able to construct a three-bedroom house for his family.

“I’m thankful to the Government through the Ministry of Forestry for the return of the overplanted areas back to us. I believe that if it wasn’t for the project, I wouldn’t have been able to build a good house such as this for my family,” he said.

The overplanted trees were returned following an agreement reached between the Fiji Pine Ltd and iTaukei Lands Trust Board.