BA Provincial Council chairman Ratu Meli Tora says prospecting licences should have strict conditions and timeframes for mining companies.
He said timeframes given for exploration works should be restricted.
“I remember there was a prospecting licence given to a company here in the Ba Province and they were given 30 days to conduct the exploration works,” Ratu Meli said.
“After the 30 days expired, they requested another 30 days, and it kept on extending.”
Ratu Meli said this needed to be regulated to protect other natural resources within native land.
“My concern is the protection of our environment and the amount of damage these types of work will do to it. So we have to ensure these are protected.”
Ratu Meli also joined other landowners in calling for the ownership of the minerals to be returned to resource owners.
“They were found on native land and so the landowners should be involved in any of the discussions related to these minerals.”
Under the Mining Act 1965 of Fiji, ownership of all minerals is vested in the State (the Crown) regardless of who owns the surface land.
This principle ensures that the government maintains ultimate control over mineral resources to manage their exploration for the national benefit.
