World Town Planning Day and World Cities Day were marked in Suva last week, with Housing and Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa using the event to highlight Fiji’s critical shortage of qualified town planners.
Speaking at Ratu Sukuna Park in Suva, Mr Nalumisa said the country had fewer than 10 planners serving the entire national system — a shortage that placed heavy pressure on a small group of professionals and reinforced the need for wider involvement in planning.
“Planning must be everyone’s business, from Government to local councils and from developers to communities,” he said.
Mr Nalumisa also announced that the Building Permit Online System was now in its final stages and would be rolled out first to five municipal councils.
The digital platform aims to speed up applications and free planners to focus on long-term development.
He confirmed that the Navua and Nadi Town Planning Schemes were under review to better meet future growth.
