Developer Proposes Fantasy Island as ‘Public Zone’

Declare Fantasy Island as a ‘Public Zone’ instead of a ‘Gated Community’, says developer Abbas Ali.

His comments come in response to ongoing concerns over Airbnb operators conducting business on the island, a situation that has sparked significant debate among lessees.

He made the appeal during the Association of Fantasy Island Lessee (AFIL) board meeting in Nadi on Tuesday.

The purpose of their board meeting was to address the ongoing issue of Airbnb operators on Fantasy Island, who are running businesses on the island.

Mr Ali said the next agenda item was to have a meeting with the lot owners, with close to 300 members, in the coming days and present the following options to them:

• Declare Fantasy Island as a ‘Public Zone’ instead of a ‘Gated Community’ which means removing fence, security, levy payments, and the dissolution of AFIL and to be included in the Nadi town boundary.
• Partition to the Government to regulate ‘Air BnB’, and Fantasy Island not to be part of the Air BnB zone;
• Services currently provided at Fantasy Island are to be maintained, howeve , all ‘Airbnb operations are to cease and shut down immediately.

The development is dubbed as the multi-phase integrated resort and residential project where over $100 million has been invested in the project ever since 1998.

“We are going to just tell them that it’s very hard to manage this gated development,” Mr Ali said.

“We are doing it for the benefit of the owners. We are trying to see that their investment is not lost or depreciated because of the situation that we are in now. With Airbnb, there will be no control over security, traffic movement, and people and all that.”

Until the matter was resolved, Mr Ali said the company would not proceed with its forecasted multi-million dollar projects.

“It costs us more than $240,000 a year just to provide the services here and we are collecting only about $80,000 in levy from the members. We can’t afford that kind of cost to provide all these services,” he said.

“Let the Government provide the services or let those people who are operating here.”

He added that when the gated community was opened to the public, all the guests would leave.

“They won’t come and stay here because it will be not be safe for them. The safety of their guests becomes my responsibility. Why should I take that responsibility and provide them with security here?” he said.

AFIL chairman Wella Pillay said: “Member’s presence and participation in this important meeting is paramount to decide on the future of the status of Fantasy Island residential development.”

Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo said the lands director was expected to issue a statement in the coming days.

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