Land, funding hold up Rakiraki development projects
Major development projects in Rakiraki, including the Waimea Satellite Town, municipal boundary extension and relocation of the town’s dump site, continue to face delays.
Tuesday 29 September 2026 | 10:30
Committee member on Foreign Affairs and Defence Lenora Qereqeretabua
Photo: Parliament of Fiji
Years on, Rakiraki is still waiting for some of its major development projects to move forward.
The Waimea Satellite Town in Ra, municipal boundary extension and relocation of the Rakiraki dump site remain caught up in delays, with land issues, funding constraints and coordination between Government agencies identified as key factors.
The concerns were raised in Parliament yesterday during debate on the Consolidated Review Report of the Rakiraki Town Council.
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Committee member on Foreign Affairs and Defence Lenora Qereqeretabua said several important development projects continued to experience delays.
“Delays were associated with land tenure issues, funding constraints and the need for greater coordination between responsible agencies,” Ms Qereqeretabua said.
In their report, they also raised concerns about the existing Naria dump site in Rakiraki, saying it remained vulnerable to groundwater contamination and fire hazards, while the proposed regional landfill was still at the site-identification stage.
In response, Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa said the Government was working with the Rakiraki Town Council on the proposed Waimea development, which would include a public market and bus station.
However, he said securing land remained an outstanding issue.
“Land could be leased through the iTaukei Land Trust Board and that the Ministry of Lands had been asked to assist,” he said.
On the municipal boundary extension, Mr Nalumisa said the Ministry was working with the council to review the previous boundary and identify outstanding consultation, technical planning, financial, legal and administrative requirements.
The Government is also pursuing a Western Sanitary Landfill Project, which includes Rakiraki.
“The project had been endorsed by Cabinet in 2024, with a multi-agency working group established,” Mr Nalumisa said.
However, he maintained that the issues remained important for infrastructure planning, financial sustainability and Rakiraki’s long-term development.
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