The iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) has directed landowners of Nasealevu to refrain from disrupting operations at the Nasealevu Water Catchment in Labasa.
This, after landowners warned the Government of possible action if their concerns were not addressed.
In a statement, the TLTB said an external consultant had reportedly influenced some landowning unit members, prompting them to question the legitimacy of the lease title and consider disrupting access to the catchment.
“TLTB is working very closely with the landowning unit members to address their concerns in an amicable manner,” the statement read.
Among the landowners’ concerns are the construction and maintenance of an access road, transparency in the lease issuance process and verification of lease approvals.
They also requested a forest inventory by the Forestry Department to assess the value of merchantable timber and sought the construction of 12 fishponds as compensation.
“A study determined that the water overflow from the dam could only sustain three fishponds instead of the 12 initially requested by the landowners.
“This outcome had led to some dissatisfaction.”
During consultations between TLTB, Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) and other stakeholders, several resolutions were made.
The statement stated WAF had agreed to construct and maintain the access road after learning it was a key concern of the landowners.
WAF said it was previously unaware that this was a condition requested by the landowning unit.
The TLTB said they would provide the necessary lease documents to ensure transparency, including a copy of the lease title and financial statements for the four clans of the Nasealevu tribe.
