THE Minister for Lands would no longer be required to approve the granting of new State land leases under recommendations from the Fiji Law Reform Commission’s review of the State Lands Act 1945.
The commission has recommended that the power to approve new leases instead be vested in the Director of Lands, in a move aimed at streamlining a process that can currently take months.
The Fiji Times has obtained a copy of the commission’s report, which recommends a complete review of Section 10 governing the powers to grant leases and licences over State land.
Under the proposed changes, the Director of Lands would approve the granting of leases, while the Assistant Director of Lands could exercise the authority when the director is absent, provided the power has been delegated.
The report states that consultations with Department of Lands staff found all new lease allocations are currently approved by the Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, while the Director of Lands is designated to approve renewals.
The commission identified delays in the application process and the need to streamline approvals to the director as two key issues raised during public consultations.
It found the existing process for a new State land lease takes about 140 days before the separate registration process with the Registrar of Titles.
The commission also recommends allowing the director to delegate authority when on leave or on official overseas travel for more than a day.
It says such provisions are necessary to ensure decision-making and service delivery are not stalled by the absence of senior officials.
The report further recommends legislated timeframes for processing new lease allocations, including reducing the preparation period for advertisements from 30 days to 15 days and requiring Land Allocation Committee meetings and endorsements to be completed within 10 days.
The review followed nationwide consultations across all four divisions involving government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and leaseholders.
A State Lands Bill 2026 is yet to be presented in Parliament.
