FIJI’S previous community relocation exercises were carried out in an ad hoc manner, according to Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica.
Mr Kamikamica said the statement was not politically driven but the truth.
He said he had served as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee for about 10 months and had recently been involved in examining an Auditor-General’s report on previous resettlements.
“It was very clear that some of them were done in an ad hoc manner,” he said.
He made the comments at a Pacific Island News Association organised Town Hall session on Wednesday night at Nukubalavu, Savusavu, after noting that issues of basic infrastructure was missing from Vunidogoloa after it relocated in 2014.
He said Government was now working to fix the way relocations were undertaken through a standard operating procedure.
“Relocating a community involved more than moving families from one physical location to another.”
He said the process needed to consider issues that affected people’s daily lives, including access to the sea, marine resources, roads and livelihoods.
“If you are relocating a family from the coast inland, access to seafood and other marine resources no longer exists.”
He said these considerations had not always been adequately addressed during previous relocations. Government was now working to ensure the lessons from those experiences were incorporated into future relocation projects, he added.
Twelve years after being relocated because of the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels, residents of Vunidogoloa are still waiting for several basic facilities at their new settlement.
Former village headman Sailosi Ramatu said the community continued to face a number of outstanding needs, including a proper road, church, playground, farmland and community hall.
“We are in need of a road, church, playground, farmland and a community hall,” he said.
He said the facilities were essential to helping residents rebuild their lives following the village’s relocation in 2014.
Mr Ramatu said proper roads and footpaths were particularly important for elderly residents and people living with disabilities. He said villagers had also contributed about $260,000 from their own pockets towards the construction of a church.
“A playground has also been requested for our young people to play sports and maintain community activities.”
The concerns were acknowledged by the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mosese Bulitavu.
He said the issues raised by the community would be considered under the Government’s relocation programs and the revised relocation approach would allow Government agencies to work directly with communities and village headmen to identify their priority needs.
Mr Bulitavu said the matter would be discussed with the divisional planning officer to determine possible ways of addressing the outstanding needs.
