The funding will support a phased rehabilitation programme targeting buildings and monuments listed on the Levuka World Heritage Register.
The first phase will focus on 16 priority buildings, including 10 residential and six public buildings, with approximately $465,000 committed towards rehabilitation works.
The Levuka World Heritage Building Rehabilitation Project was officially unveiled by Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts Charan Jeath Singh.
Singh says the initiative is aimed at ensuring that Levuka’s World Heritage status delivers tangible benefits for the people who live in and care for the historic town.
The Ministry says a number of Levuka’s historic buildings and heritage structures were damaged during Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016, while property owners have continued to face challenges in maintaining ageing heritage buildings.
Levuka Historical Port Town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013, recognising its exceptional historical and cultural significance.
The rehabilitation will be carried out in phases, with priorities determined by the condition, damage and level of deterioration of individual properties.
The work is guided by the Levuka World Heritage Progress Report, which was approved by Cabinet in 2024.
Government has allocated a total of $3.3 million for culture-sector capital projects in the 2026–2027 financial year, with $1.2 million specifically allocated for the Levuka Historical Port Town.
The Ministry says a further $300,000 will be invested in rehabilitating the historic Deed of Cession Site at Nasova, following reassessment work undertaken by engineers and architects during the 2024–2025 financial year.
The first phase of works will be carried out in partnership with property owners and through the required planning approval processes involving the Department of Town and Country Planning and the Levuka Town Council.
Singh says the investments are also supported by Fiji’s inaugural World Heritage Act, which was passed in 2024 and provides a national framework for the protection and management of existing and potential World Heritage sites.
He says the first phase is the beginning of a longer-term programme, with a second batch of rehabilitation works expected to progress based on assessed needs and priorities.
He says the Government’s aim is not simply to preserve Levuka as a reminder of the past, but to protect it as a living heritage town where communities can thrive, businesses can operate and heritage conservation can create economic opportunities.
