4 Mar 2011

Vanuatu land lease overhaul to require clan consent

7:13 pm on 4 March 2011

Vanuatu's new Lands Minister says any new applications for registration of land leases of customary land will require consent from an entire landowner clan, not just certain individuals.

"Ralph Regenvanu has promised thorough reforms in the land lease system which he says has been hampered for years by corrupt and unfair dealings, and alienated many ni-Vanuatu from their customary land ."

As part of the clean-up, the Minister has temporarily halted all registration of land leases while his ministry installs a transparent system that ensures leases comply with land laws and involve all the rightful landowners.

I will require the entire clan to agree and I mean all individuals, including kids. I'm not sure at what legal age we'll set that but that is the point, that everyone in the whole clan has to be briefed, has to agree, has to be fully aware of what is going to happen when they create a title and create a lease