Nabavatu families still living in tents 5 years after TC YasaBy Pita Toganivalu 24/09/2026
5-years after Tropical Cyclone Yasa, families in Nabavatu are still living in tents, with the prolonged stay in temporary accommodation raising concerns about poverty, deteriorating living conditions and delays in relocating them to permanent homes at Nadoiviri.
The issue was raised by Sami Veleko, a representative of the New Relocation Site, during the Fijian Media Association’s pre-COP31 Climate Change Town Hall at Nukubalavu Village.
Veleko says it has been five years since residents moved into the tents and the prolonged stay has contributed to a high incidence of poverty, while access to basic services and other necessities remains a challenge.
He also questioned the follow-up between the media, Government and communities after journalists visit and report on the challenges faced by people living in temporary accommodation.
Veleko raised concerns about the new relocation site at Nadoiviri, questioning whether the area will remain suitable in the future given the impacts of climate change and rising water levels.
He also called for more tents and assistance to improve the current living conditions, saying the tents were intended to be temporary accommodation.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Mosese Bulitavu says he was hearing the specific concerns about the tents for the first time since taking office.
Bulitavu says Government has been focusing on the relocation, with the first 37 houses expected to be handed over around October or by the end of the year.
He says there have been delays because of the availability of building materials, while some workers employed by contractors from Bangladesh also staged a protest several months ago.
Bulitavu says the roofs are now going up and construction is progressing at the new Nadoiviri site.
He says land negotiations with landowners and a geotechnical survey by the Ministry of Lands and Minerals were also among the factors that contributed to the delays.
Bulitavu says the geotechnical survey was necessary to ensure the ground is suitable to support the structures being built.
On the request for more tents, Bulitavu says Government will look at providing additional tents and other assistance, while some wooden planks in existing tents have already been replaced where possible.
He says Government has to balance improving the conditions for those currently living in tents with completing the permanent homes so they can move into decent accommodation.
Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica says the Public Accounts Committee report showed that 37 homes had been completed for Nabavatu.
Kamikamica says those 37 homes have now been completed and were not completed when the current Government came into office.
He says additional homes have also been requested and are being considered by Government, but further land negotiations and geotechnical surveys are required.
fijivillage News Director and Fijian Media Association Executive Vijay Narayan questioned what Government is doing to ensure people are not left living in tents for years following future relocations.
Narayan says the fact that people have been living in tents for five years after TC Yasa is unacceptable, regardless of which Government is in power.
Bulitavu says the Nabavatu situation provides important lessons for future relocation programmes.
He says Government will meet with officials in Labasa, including the Commissioner Northern Division and Divisional Planning Officers, to assess the current needs of the community.
Bulitavu says the aim is to immediately address some of the issues faced by residents while they remain in the tents before they move into their permanent homes.
He says Government will also look at working with relevant authorities and agencies, including the United Nations, to assist with the required support.
We don’t want to silence our media, keep them talking – RabukaBy Rashika Kumar 24/09/2026
8th Pacific Media Summit currently underway in SavusavuPrime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the People’s Alliance is committed to media freedom and the free flow of information.
Rabuka highlighted this during the PINA Summit in Savusavu while responding to questions from fijivillage News on whether the People’s Alliance will go into the elections with a clear message to guard media independence and freedom.
The Prime Minister says the repeal of the media legislation was not for the Government, but for the people, to restore the free flow of communication between the people, the media and the rest of the world.
Rabuka says while the repeal appeared significant to the media, it was small compared with what happened in 1987.
He says about 10 years later, Her Majesty received him at the palace, but the authors of the media decree have not been able to speak to him face to face about it.
Rabuka says this shows the difference in their attitude towards what they do and what they bring into being.
The Prime Minister further says the Pacific should not silence its media because the free flow of information benefits the public, governments and news organisations.
He says open discussion is part of the Pacific way, adding that they talk and do not stop anybody from talking.
Rabuka says they do not want to silence the media and that the media should keep talking.
Asked about restrictions facing a newspaper in Samoa, Rabuka says Fiji’s experience showed that restricting the media was like operating in a dark house, as such restrictions deny people and governments information that benefits them both.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the People’s Alliance is committed to media freedom and the free flow of information.
Rabuka highlighted this during the PINA Summit in Savusavu while responding to questions from fijivillage News on whether the People’s Alliance will go into the elections with a clear message to guard media independence and freedom.
The Prime Minister says the repeal of the media legislation was not for the Government, but for the people, to restore the free flow of communication between the people, the media and the rest of the world.
Rabuka says while the repeal appeared significant to the media, it was small compared with what happened in 1987.
He says about 10 years later, Her Majesty received him at the palace, but the authors of the media decree have not been able to speak to him face to face about it.
Rabuka says this shows the difference in their attitude towards what they do and what they bring into being.
The Prime Minister further says the Pacific should not silence its media because the free flow of information benefits the public, governments and news organisations.
He says open discussion is part of the Pacific way, adding that they talk and do not stop anybody from talking.
Rabuka says they do not want to silence the media and that the media should keep talking.
Asked about restrictions facing a newspaper in Samoa, Rabuka says Fiji’s experience showed that restricting the media was like operating in a dark house, as such restrictions deny people and governments information that benefits them both.
Women in Macuata seek action on climate threats to food and livelihoodsBy Priya Nand 24/09/2026
Women in Macuata have called on the Government to provide direct and sustained support to women whose gardens, shoreline food sources, fishing areas and small businesses are being affected by soil and coastal erosion, flooding and saltwater intrusion.
This was raised by Jane Naulu, a member of the Soqosoqo ni Vakamarama iTaukei Macuata, during the Fijian Media Association's Pre-COP31 Climate Change Town Hall at Nukubalavu Village in Savusavu.
Naulu raised four key issues concerning women, including food and livelihood security, reliable water and sanitation, women's participation in budget decisions, and the safety, health and dignity of women and girls during climate-related recovery and displacement.
She asked what direct support will be provided to women whose livelihoods are being affected by climate change, and what funded plan will ensure safe water, resilient storage, sanitation and maintenance support for climate-affected coastal and displaced communities.
Naulu also questioned how the Government will guarantee women's equal and meaningful representation in disaster recovery, relocation and climate adaptation, including access to information and oversight of budgets.
She further asked what ongoing services and funding will protect women and girls in displaced and remote communities, including safe shelter design, lighting, healthcare, menstrual hygiene supplies, psychological support and gender-based violence response.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica highlighted the small business and agriculture sectors, giving an example of collaboration with British American Tobacco to build a greenhouse further down the coast in Naqiqi Village in Savusavu.
He says the greenhouse provides vegetable seedlings and, according to British American Tobacco, is the most successful model it has developed.
He says the next step in discussions with British American Tobacco is to help Naqiqi use those seedlings and start producing vegetables for the village and for sale in the marketplace, particularly in Savusavu.
On women's representation, Kamikamica says the Ministry of Women had been a major advocate for women's representation and advocacy in Government, and that this was starting to filter through into the budgeting process.
INSERT: Kamikamica on advocacy 22nd Sept
On water, he says the Ministry of Lands had been drilling boreholes around the country to provide access to clean drinking water.
He says another avenue was the Water Authority of Fiji's plans to continue expanding water reticulation into rural areas.
Meanwhile, Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Mosese Bulitavu stressed that people still did not fully understand what programmes were available after the National Budget was announced.
Bulitavu says the media had an important role to play in highlighting the Budget and making the public aware of where assistance was available, how to access funding and what the requirements were.
He says these programmes are available through the Ministry of Agriculture, with some women already receiving assistance through women in agriculture programmes.
Bulitavu also highlighted programmes addressing saltwater intrusion, including floodgate programmes and assistance with repairs.
He says the Ministry also had programmes complementing the Water Authority of Fiji's work in water sanitation and water reticulation.
He invited the representative of the women from Macuata to meet immediately after the town hall, saying they could link up with the Divisional Planning Officer for the Northern Division, and address the issues.
Vunidogoloa seeks answers over 12-year-old relocation concernsKamikamica says past relocations were carried out in an ad hoc manner
By Temalesi Vono 23/09/2026
Vunidogoloa villagers in Vanua Levu are still waiting for answers on several basic infrastructure and welfare needs, 12 years after the community was relocated from its original coastal site.
Former Vunidogoloa headman Sailosi Ramatu raised the concerns during the Pre-COP31 Climate Change Town Hall Forum at Nukubalavu Village in Savusavu this evening, saying the community has repeatedly sought Government assistance but has received no response on several of the issues.
Vunidogoloa was relocated about 2 kilometres inland from its original site in 2014, with coastal erosion among the factors that contributed to the relocation.
Ramatu says the drainage system at the new site was established during the relocation, but had not been maintained.
He warns that inadequate drainage could lead to further erosion at the new site.
Ramatu also raised concerns about the lack of proper access for elderly residents and people with disabilities, particularly during emergencies.
Insert: Ramatu - We are concerned for the elderly Sept 23
Another concern is the community church, which Ramatu says was supposed to be included in the relocation package.
He says residents had contributed around $260,000 of their own money towards completing the church, despite it having been included in the Government-funded relocation package.
Ramatu adds that the community has no proper ground or playground at the new site, which he describes as important for maintaining traditional practices and providing a safe space for young people.
He says the community had also been waiting for a proper farm road, which is particularly important because many residents now rely on farming for their livelihoods.
Ramatu says the community had been raising the farm road issue with Government for about 12 years but had still not received a response.
He says the community had spent close to $600,000 supporting aspects of the relocation process and is now seeking Government assistance to address the remaining needs.
Ramatu also called for the community hall to be extended so it can serve as an evacuation centre, particularly for elderly residents and people with disabilities.
When reiterated by fijivillage News Director and Fijian Media Association Executive Vijay Narayan that there had been no response after 12 years, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica says previous community relocations had been carried out in an ad hoc manner.
Kamikamica says an Auditor-General's report had highlighted issues with some earlier relocations.
He says Government has since developed a standard operating procedure to improve the way future relocations are carried out.
Kamikamica says relocation was not simply about physically moving people, but also had to consider cultural, spiritual and practical needs.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Mosese Bulitavu says some of the issues raised by Ramatu, including farm roads, churches, playgrounds and accessibility for people with disabilities, had not been adequately considered in the original relocation package.
Bulitavu says the Government has since reviewed its standard operating procedure for the relocation trust fund and incorporated lessons from previous relocation projects.
He says existing Government programmes could potentially support footpaths, footbridges and evacuation facilities.
Bulitavu says that failures from the previous governments will be adressed.
Vunidogoloa villagers in Vanua Levu are still waiting for answers on several basic infrastructure and welfare needs, 12 years after the community was relocated from its original coastal site.
Former Vunidogoloa headman Sailosi Ramatu raised the concerns during the Pre-COP31 Climate Change Town Hall Forum at Nukubalavu Village in Savusavu this evening, saying the community has repeatedly sought Government assistance but has received no response on several of the issues.
Vunidogoloa was relocated about 2 kilometres inland from its original site in 2014, with coastal erosion among the factors that contributed to the relocation.
Ramatu says the drainage system at the new site was established during the relocation, but had not been maintained.
He warns that inadequate drainage could lead to further erosion at the new site.
Ramatu also raised concerns about the lack of proper access for elderly residents and people with disabilities, particularly during emergencies.
Insert: Ramatu - We are concerned for the elderly Sept 23
Another concern is the community church, which Ramatu says was supposed to be included in the relocation package.
He says residents had contributed around $260,000 of their own money towards completing the church, despite it having been included in the Government-funded relocation package.
Ramatu adds that the community has no proper ground or playground at the new site, which he describes as important for maintaining traditional practices and providing a safe space for young people.
He says the community had also been waiting for a proper farm road, which is particularly important because many residents now rely on farming for their livelihoods.
Ramatu says the community had been raising the farm road issue with Government for about 12 years but had still not received a response.
He says the community had spent close to $600,000 supporting aspects of the relocation process and is now seeking Government assistance to address the remaining needs.
Ramatu also called for the community hall to be extended so it can serve as an evacuation centre, particularly for elderly residents and people with disabilities.
When reiterated by fijivillage News Director and Fijian Media Association Executive Vijay Narayan that there had been no response after 12 years, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica says previous community relocations had been carried out in an ad hoc manner.
Kamikamica says an Auditor-General's report had highlighted issues with some earlier relocations.
He says Government has since developed a standard operating procedure to improve the way future relocations are carried out.
Kamikamica says relocation was not simply about physically moving people, but also had to consider cultural, spiritual and practical needs.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Mosese Bulitavu says some of the issues raised by Ramatu, including farm roads, churches, playgrounds and accessibility for people with disabilities, had not been adequately considered in the original relocation package.
Bulitavu says the Government has since reviewed its standard operating procedure for the relocation trust fund and incorporated lessons from previous relocation projects.
He says existing Government programmes could potentially support footpaths, footbridges and evacuation facilities.
Bulitavu says that failures from the previous governments will be adressed.
WATCH: Savusavu residents raise climate concerns directly with Kamikamica at FMA Town HallBy Nilufa Buksh 24/09/2026
Savusavu residents got the chance to put their concerns directly to Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica when he attended the Fijian Media Association Public Town Hall Forum on climate change and environmental issues.
The Pre-COP31 Climate Change Town Hall Forum was held at Nukubalavu Village in Savusavu.
The forum, organised by the FMA, gave residents an opportunity to raise concerns about environmental and climate challenges affecting their communities, question Government action and propose practical solutions.
Kamikamica, joined by Minister for NDRMO Mosese Bulitavu, other Government officials and experts from regional agencies were in Savusavu for the PINA Media Summit.
The discussion was moderated by fijivillage News Director Vijay Narayan and Fiji Television Manager News Stella Taoi.
Residents shared their own experiences, including changes they have observed, challenges affecting their livelihoods and solutions they believe should receive greater attention.
Questions around Government responses and the support needed by communities also formed part of the discussion.
The forum was livestreamed across participating media platforms, including fijivillage.
It was held alongside the 8th Pacific Media Summit, hosted by the Fijian Media Association and the Pacific Islands News Association.
The town hall is aimed at bringing community voices into the regional gathering of Pacific journalists and media leaders, while creating a direct platform for public discussion and accountability on climate and environmental issues.
The event is supported by PACMAS and forms part of the Fijian Media Association’s collaborative town hall initiative involving Fiji’s media organisations.
Savusavu residents got the chance to put their concerns directly to Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica when he attended the Fijian Media Association Public Town Hall Forum on climate change and environmental issues.
The Pre-COP31 Climate Change Town Hall Forum was held at Nukubalavu Village in Savusavu.
The forum, organised by the FMA, gave residents an opportunity to raise concerns about environmental and climate challenges affecting their communities, question Government action and propose practical solutions.
Kamikamica, joined by Minister for NDRMO Mosese Bulitavu, other Government officials and experts from regional agencies were in Savusavu for the PINA Media Summit.
The discussion was moderated by fijivillage News Director Vijay Narayan and Fiji Television Manager News Stella Taoi.
Residents shared their own experiences, including changes they have observed, challenges affecting their livelihoods and solutions they believe should receive greater attention.
Questions around Government responses and the support needed by communities also formed part of the discussion.
The forum was livestreamed across participating media platforms, including fijivillage.
It was held alongside the 8th Pacific Media Summit, hosted by the Fijian Media Association and the Pacific Islands News Association.
The town hall is aimed at bringing community voices into the regional gathering of Pacific journalists and media leaders, while creating a direct platform for public discussion and accountability on climate and environmental issues.
The event is supported by PACMAS and forms part of the Fijian Media Association’s collaborative town hall initiative involving Fiji’s media organisations.
