New district office in Nadarivatu to promote voluntary resettlement

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has proposed a government-supported resettlement programme to help people who left rural and maritime communities for education and employment opportunities in urban areas and now wish to return to their ancestral villages.

Mr Rabuka made the announcement during the commissioning of the refurbished District Office in Nadarivatu yesterday, where an office of the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) was also officially established.

He said bringing government services closer to rural communities would encourage voluntary resettlement and strengthen rural development.

"We know that many developments that have happened, in fact all developments that have happened in Fiji, have been upon native land. It is therefore very appropriate that we have the TLTB office established up here also, with the refurbished district officer's office and facilities in Nadarivatu," Mr Rabuka said.

The Prime Minister said government ministries, agencies, provincial councils and governors should work together to support people wishing to return to their delainiyavu — their ancestral home or village.

"I have issued my thoughts to members of the Cabinet that this should be a programme of resettlement. Resettlement.

"Resettling those that have left the rural areas and maritime provinces to come to the urban areas for education and employment.

"Now they want to go back, that the agencies of government and ministries and provinces should all cooperate and take us back to our home bases, to our delainiyavu."

Mr Rabuka said many people from rural Fiji had benefited from education, employment and other opportunities in urban centres.

However, he said those who had grown older and wished to return home should receive government support.

He said rural and maritime areas also needed greater investment and development to ensure they remained attractive places to live and work, helping reduce migration from villages to towns and cities.

Mr Rabuka said targeted assistance would be required to help those returning successfully resettle.

He said he had raised the proposal with Cabinet members, suggesting it be developed into a formal government programme.

Mr Rabuka also welcomed the establishment of the TLTB office in Nadarivatu, saying effective land administration was essential because much of Fiji’s development had taken place on native land.

His remarks coincided with World Rural Development Day, which he said recognised the important contribution of rural communities to national development.

He emphasised that the proposal would be based on voluntary return rather than compulsory relocation.

The aim is for Government to coordinate support for people choosing to return to their home villages and provinces while continuing to promote economic and social development in rural Fiji.