6 Apr 2006

Indigenous Fiji landowners group calls for land to be returned

11:23 am on 6 April 2006

An indigenous Fiji landowners group says all state land should be returned to its rightful original owners.

The group are threatening to shut down the mineral water company, Fiji Water, if there claims are not addressed.

The group say they are the original owners of the land on which the water company is located.

The land at Yaqara in north western Viti Levu is also the site of the proposed 1-billion dollar Studio City.

A representative for the group, Eseroma Tuibua, says companies are making millions of dollars in profits from the land while the native owners are getting nothing from it.

He says their claims are being put aside again because of the May general election.

"now government is being dissolved - waiting for the election next month for a new government to come - we are asking this government why they have delayed all this process of reverting that to become native land - that's why we are frustrated."

Eseroma Tuibua.