28 Nov 2006

Vanuatu land summit quells speculation - claim

11:45 am on 28 November 2006

The Director General of Lands in Vanuatu, Russell Nari, says he is very confident that land speculation in Efate and Santo has been arrested by changes made since a summit in September.

The rampant speculation had helped prompt the summit which submitted 21 resolutions to government.

Mr Nari, who is leading a team from the Department of Lands to look at land agencies in New Caledonia, New Zealand and Fiji, says this month's endorsement of the Interim Transitional Strategy by the government will help.

He says this allows for a temporary moratorium on new sub-divisions, and the surrendering of agricultural leases for sub-divisions, while the powers of the minister to intervene in disputes is suspended.

Mr Nari says a full review of all aspects of land management is now underway.

"There is a team that is working now on putting together a new sub-division policy which will take into consideration all those issues and any other person who wants to get into sub-divsion now, has to meet those requirements in order to be accepted."