Landowners Demand Mining Answers in Fiji

Namosi landowners are pressing for answers regarding the integration of their concerns into Fiji's ongoing mining law reforms. The review process for the Mining Act 1965 and Quarries Act 1939 is moving forward, presenting a significant opportunity to modernize the legislation. The Namosi Landowners Committee (LAMA) highlighted this as a chance to ensure customary landowners' rights and interests are adequately protected. LAMA Chair Sipiriano Nariva stated that landowners want transparency on how their views, expressed during public consultations, have been considered. Nariva urged the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources and the Fiji Law Reform Commission to publish the consultation findings, the recommendations received, and details on which proposals will be included in the new laws. The committee is advocating for enhanced protections for customary landowners. Key demands include the right to provide free, prior, and informed consent before any mining activities commence on their ancestral lands. Furthermore, LAMA is pushing for more robust environmental safeguards, equitable financial returns for affected communities, and improved oversight of mining operations. The committee emphasizes that landowners should be treated as partners in decisions affecting their land as Fiji modernizes its mining laws.

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The Ministry and the Fiji Law Reform Commission should release the findings from the consultations, the recommendations received and details on which proposals will be included in the new legislation.