‘A good newspaper is a nation talking to itself’

There has been so much debate about the Land Use Decree No 36 of 2010 commonly known as the Land Bank.

Because it involves the Management and Development of Land, it has become a hot topic for debate and politics.

The Rabuka coalition Government should not quickly decide on the fate of the Land Use Decree but must look at it from its many broad positives.

The Bainimarama Government budget use to allocate $10,000,000 to the Land Use Unit because they see the potential it has for the Land Owners and economy as a whole, but lately it has been reduced to less than a million.

Why? Firstly, the staff at Land Use Unit have yet to grasp how to effectively implement the decree and deliver in accordance with its broad intent and spirit of the law. Secondly, some of its functions, have been taken up by the private sector and Ministry of Economy.

I believe by now its new Acting Director and staff are more than ready to deliver.

In my opinion a review of the decree to include or change relevant ambiguous stipulations is better than totally abrogating it.

The decree has enormous positives and has vast area to venture into in terms of Land Management and Development.

I wish to highlight some as follows:

Because of a 3rd landlord, it encourages healthy and challenging competition between the two monopolies namely TLTB and Director of Lands who also own all land under the sea.

The iTaukei landowners with the endorsement of the Prime Minister now have the power to decide on the Highest and Best Use of their Land if they are not happy with existing dealings.

Land Use Unit can now complement TLTB in the Survey, Valuation, proper Development and leasing out of iTaukei Land which is an expensive exercise for any Landlord.

Some of the land long tied up through mortgages, piecemeal payments and unproductivity can be released to the Land Bank for new development with the endorsement of the LOU and Prime Minister.

100 per cent premium and rent money goes to the landowner with zero poundage.

The Landowners decide through a deed of Trust how they share lease money unlike TLTB equal share.

Land Under the Sea can be leased out for Tourism, Aquaculture and underwater mining – an untapped potential.

Some of the above may sound legally suspect, but through consultation with relevant stakeholders and agreement, nothing is impossible.

It has been legally done already under the Land Use Decree.

Some thriving multimillion dollar project that were successfully negotiated through the Land Use Unit are:

Bauxite Mining and Jetty.

1,700 acres long unproductive mortgaged cane land in Seaqaqa now back to full cane production.

Long, mortgaged, incomplete Hotel Development now a thriving World renown Kokomo Island Resort in Kadavu and many more. Increased employment, trickling down and value adding effects flow from the above projects.