Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry has accused Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka of turning the declaration of Navua as Fiji’s 14th municipality into a campaign stunt.
Chaudhry says the FLP acknowledges that Navua residents have waited a long time for town status, but questions whether the necessary groundwork for municipal governance has been completed.
“The problem is that the Prime Minister has made the announcement while the basic work of a town remains unfinished,” Chaudhry said.
He questioned why the town boundary had not been publicly released, saying residents needed to know the extent of the township, which properties would fall within it and who would be required to pay rates.
Chaudhry also questioned whether a special administrator had been appointed and called for clarity on the town’s budget, planning scheme and services.
“A town cannot function on a declaration alone. It needs an authority in place, a budget, a town planning scheme, and a clear list of services,” he said.
He said Navua’s biggest challenge remained flooding, given its location along the Navua River and its history of repeated inundation.
Chaudhry said drainage, river management and flood protection must be treated as core municipal responsibilities.
He also raised concerns over the timing of the declaration, noting that local government elections had already been deferred until after the general election.
“In that setting, a late declaration without a completed planning scheme, a working administrator and visible services looks more like campaign timing than grounded local government reform,” he said.
The FLP is calling on the Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government to publish Navua’s town boundary, confirm whether a special administrator is in place and outline the services the new municipality will deliver during its first year.
“Navua deserves proper municipal government, not a ceremony,” Chaudhry said.
