fiji: national urban profile

8/13/2019 Fiji: National Urban Profile

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FIJINAIONAL URBAN PROFILE


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Copyright United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), 2012All rights reserved

United Nations Human Settlements Programme publications can be obtained fromUN-Habitat Regional and Information Offices or directly from:P.O. Box 30030, GPO 00100 Nairobi, Kenya.Fax: + (254 20) 762 4266/7E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.unhabitat.org

HS Number: HS/068/13EISBN Number (Series): 978-92-1-132023-7ISBN Number (Volume) 978-92-1-132595-9

DISCLAIMER

Te designation employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory,city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or regarding its economic systemor degree of development. Te analysis, conclusions and recommendations of the report do not necessarily reflect theviews of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Governing Council of UN-Habitat or its

Member States. Tis document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. Te views expressedherein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

Excerpts from this publication may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated.

Photo credits: Bernhard Barth

ACKNOWLEDGEMENS

Tis National Urban Profile was prepared by the Ministry of Local Government, Urban Development, Housing andEnvironment with information collected through interviews with key urban stakeholders in municipalities in Fiji. We wishto thank them for their time, efforts and contributions toward this report. Tis project and report was coordinated by theDepartment of own and Country Planning with the assistance of Strategic Consultants on Planning and Engineering

Pacific Limited with constructive inputs provided by Sarah Mecartney, UN-Habitat Pacific Programme Manager based inSuva, Fiji and Chris Radford, Senior Human Settlements Officer, UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific,Fukuoka, Japan.

Editing: Rowan Fraser

Design and layout: Kenan Mogultay


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6

INTRODUCTION 9

SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND 10

URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES 13

KEY THEMES

URBAN GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE 16

URBAN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT 19

LAND DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION 21


URBAN HOUSING AND SHELTER 27

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 30

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS (SWOT) ANALYSIS

PROJECT PROPOSALS

URBAN GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE 32

URBAN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT 35

LAND DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION 38


URBAN HOUSING AND SHELTER 43

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 46

ACRONYMS AND REFERENCES 49

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME

FIJINAIONAL URBAN PROFILE


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FOREWORD


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According toresearch publishedin UN-Habitatsflagship report, TeState of the WorldsCities 2010-2011,developing regionsincluding Africa,the Caribbean andthe Pacific, will havemore people livingin urban than ruralareas by the year2030. With half the

worlds population

already living inurban areas, the challenges we face in the battle againsturban poverty, our quest for cities without slums, forcities where women feel safer, for inclusive cities withpower, water and sanitation, and affordable transport,for better planned cities, and for cleaner, greener citiesis daunting.

But as this series shows, there are many interestingsolutions and best practices to which we can turn. Afterall, the figures tell us that during the decade 2000-2010, a total of 227 million people in developingcountries moved out of slum conditions. In other

words, governments, cities and partner institutions have

collectively exceeded the slum target of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals twice over, and ten years ahead ofthe agreed 2020 deadline.

Asia and the Pacific stood at the forefront of successfulefforts to reach the slum target, with all governmentsin the region improving the lives of an estimated 172million slum dwellers between 2000-2010.

In sub-Saharan Africa though, the total proportionof the urban population living in slums has decreasedby only 5 per cent (or 17 million people). Ghana,Senegal, Uganda, and Rwanda were the most successfulcountries in the sub-region, reducing the proportions ofslum dwellers by over one-fifth in the last decade.

Some 13 per cent of the progress made towards theglobal slum target occurred in Latin America and theCaribbean, where an estimated 30 million people havemoved out of slum conditions since the year 2000.

Yet, UN-Habitat estimates confirm that the progressmade on the slum target has not been sufficient tocounter the demographic expansion in informalsettlements in the developing world. In this sense,efforts to reduce the numbers of slum dwellers areneither satisfactory nor adequate.

As part of our drive to address this crisis, UN-Habitatis working with the European Commission and theBrussels-based Secretariat of the African, Caribbean

and Pacific Group to support sustainable urbandevelopment. Given the urgent and diverse needs, wefound it necessary to develop a tool for rapid assessmentand strategic planning to guide immediate, mid- andlong-term interventions. And here we have it in theform of this series of publications.

Te Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme isbased on the policy dialogue between UN-Habitat,the African, Caribbean and Pacific Secretariat and theEuropean Commission which dates back to the year2002. When the three parties met at UN-Habitatheadquarters in June 2009, more than 200 delegatesfrom over 50 countries approved a resounding call onthe international community to pay greater attention

to these urbanization matters, and to extend the slumupgrading programme to all countries in the African,Caribbean and Pacific Group.

It is worth recalling here how grateful we are that theEuropean Commissions 9th European DevelopmentFund for African, Caribbean and Pacific countriesprovided EUR 4 million (USD 5.7 million at June 2011rates) to enable UN-Habitat to conduct the programme

which now serves 59 cities in 23 African countries, andmore than 20 cities in six Pacific, and four Caribbeancountries.

Indeed, since its inception in 2008, the slum upgrading

programme has achieved the confidence of partners atcity and country level in Africa, the Caribbean and inthe Pacific. It is making a major contribution aimedat helping in urban poverty reduction efforts, as eachreport in this series shows.

I wish to express my gratitude to the EuropeanCommission and the African, Caribbean and PacificSecretariat for their commitment to this slum upgradingprogramme. I have every confidence that the resultsoutlined in this profile, and others, will serve to guidethe development of responses for capacity building andinvestments in the urban sector.

Further, I would like to thank each Country eam fortheir continued support to this process which is essentialfor the successful implementation of the ParticipatorySlum Upgrading Programme.

Dr. Joan Clos

Executive Director, UN-Habitat

FOREWORD


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

In 2007, for the first time, over half of Fijis population

resided in urban areas. All of its ten towns and twocities were experiencing growth, and with growthcomes challenges. oday, Fijis urban population isgrowing faster than its rural counterpart. Tis is dueto both natural population growth in urban areas, andmigration from rural zones as more and more peoplecome in search of work and education.

Some municipalities are urbanizing more quickly thanothers, but all are confronting challenges related togrowth. Tese include urban poverty and employment,

environmental risk, land administration andinfrastructure provision and maintenance. In order toeffectively engage these challenges, and seek solutions tothem, this national urban profile documents and analyzesix key components of Fijis urban context. Tese keythemes include urban governance and finance, urbanplanning and management, land development andadministration, urban infrastructure and services,urban housing and shelter, and climate change anddisaster risk reduction. Tis is followed by an analysisof the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities

(SWO) presented by these components of the urbansystem.

ogether these different analyses produce an urbanprofile for Fiji. Urban profiling consists of a set ofassessments of urban needs and capacity issues at thecity level. It employs a participatory approach wherepriorities are agreed on through consultative processes.Urban profiling is currently being implemented in over20 countries in Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbeanand the Pacific. Urban profiling in Fiji includes an

overall national urban profile and urban profiles ofthree urban areas, namely the Greater Suva Urban Area,Lautoka City and Nadi own. Each profile will bepublished separately.

BACKGROUND

Fiji is a group of over 330 islands, of which approximately30 per cent are inhabited. Te main island is Viti Levu,

which hosts the main towns and cities of Fiji. Beingmountainous in its interior, these urban areas are

located on the coast. As a result, Fijis towns and citiesare particularly exposed to seaborne natural hazards,such as cyclones (November February), storm surgesand projected sea level risk due to climate change.

Te largest urban area in Fiji is the Greater Suva UrbanArea, which actually includes four municipalities

including Suva City, the national capital. In 2007,when the last census was undertaken, Fijis total urbanpopulation was approximately 420,000 people, of

which some 57 per cent, or about 240,000 people livedin the Greater Suva Urban Area.

URBAN GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE

Fiji governs its 13 municipalities through the use ofmunicipal councils, headed by Special Administratorsappointed by the central government. In this way,the running of municipal government is closely

overseen by central government. In addition to theSpecial Administrator, everyday council operationsare undertaken by a Chief Executive Officer. Bothposts answer to the Ministry of Local Government,Urban Development, Housing and Environment. Teperformance of the Special Administrator is evaluatedoften, and the position has clear objectives such asimproving rates collection and shifting from cash toaccrual accounting in council operations. Nevertheless,overlap between the Chief Executive Officer and theSpecial Administrator posts is leading to confusion

requiring ministry level intervention.Many municipal councils find themselves severelyunder-resourced, usually due to shortages in budget,but also due to limitations in available, qualified staff.Tis is particularly an issue in two core functions of thecouncils: urban finances and urban planning. Shortagesin capacity and technical understanding in matters offinancial management are becoming more obvious asmunicipal councils begin handing increased revenuesfollowing sustained efforts from Special Administrators

to ensure high levels of rate collection.

URBAN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

All municipal councils in Fiji have approved town planningschemes, as required under the own Planning Act. Some ofthese schemes are now in need of revision. own planningschemes are the principle planning document used bythe councils to guide long-term growth. However, onlySuva City Council has been able to secure a town planner.Other municipal councils rely or building, engineering

and health staff to implement and enforce town planningschemes. However, many of these professionals are nottrained in planning and lack required technical knowledgefor full realization of the planning schemes.


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As a result, there is an overt tendency amongst municipalcouncils to focus on development controls, rather than

strategic, long-term physical planning for growth.While the approval of town planning schemes conferspower of determination in development decisionsupon municipal councils, the general limitations ofcouncil technical staff mean that councils routinely relyupon the national Department of own and CouncilPlanning for advice and decision-making.

LAND DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

Tere are three categories of land ownership in Fiji: stateland which is managed by the Department of Lands

and Survey, iaukei (indigenous Fijian) lands managedby the iaukei Lands rust Board, and individually-held private land. Administration and management isframed by relevant national acts including the CrownLands Act and the iaukei Land rust Act.

Land is developed following formal channels andthrough informal means. Much of previous informalland development has occurred following the releaseof land by iaukei landowning units to developers, orto settlers directly. However, a proactive, innovative

stance from national and local bodies on the subject ofland development has successful raising the awarenessand understanding of landowning units on the needfor formal development. As a result, there has been amarked increase in the number of landowning unitspursuing land development projects through formalmechanisms.

Nevertheless, informal settlements occupy a significantamount of land across all urban areas. Administrationof these settlements by municipal councils is difficult.

Tese settlements are often located in peri-urbanareas, or just beyond the municipal boundary, placingthem beyond the jurisdiction of the municipality.Similarly, iaukei villages are except from municipalcouncil regulations as per the Local Government

Act. Tis means that such villages are not permittedto access urban services. In both cases, urban servicesare nonetheless tapped. In informal settlements, basicservices are often essentially stolen pirated water andelectricity connections are common. And in iaukeivillages, pirated connections do occur, but so do

formal arrangements with the council under which, forexample, the council delivers solid waste managementservices to the village in return for a small fee.

URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Te responsibility for the provision of infrastructure

and basic services in urban areas in Fiji is sharedbetween local and central governments. Te latterprovides water supply and sewerage services, roads andelectricity, amongst others. Te municipal councils aretasked with managing drainage systems, solid waste,street lighting, and sports and community facilities.

Water is supplied by the Water Authority of Fiji.According to World Bank data, 100 per cent of the urbanpopulation and 95 per cent of the rural population haveaccess to improved drinking water. Tis rate, especiallyin rural areas, may in fact be lower, and different

agencies provide conflicting data. Whatever the exactpercentage, many urban areas are subject to regularwater shortages and water cuts, even if they technicallyhave access. As a result water sharing programmes arein place and there is growing interest in harvestingrainwater for household use with the added benefit offlood management during heavy downpours.

Sanitation is also provided by the Water Authorityof Fiji. Te World Bank estimates that 94 per centof the urban population and 71 per cent of the rural

population is connected to improved sanitation systemsin 2013. As of 2006, there were 11 public seweragesystems operating in Fiji, most servicing urban

populations. Tere were 8 major sewerage treatmentplants, including one in the cities and major towns. In2005, approximately 40 per cent of the total populationrelied on septic tanks for sanitation, a further 37 percent on direct disposal (either to land or sea) and only23 per cent via reticulated sewerage systems. Overthe intervening years, these numbers are expected tohave shifted, with a far greater percentage now being

connected to the sewerage network. However, septictanks and direct disposal remain an issue.

Solid waste management is the responsibility ofmunicipal councils who contract the provision of thisservice to private companies. Collection take placethrough neighbourhood collection routes with dumptruck. Waste disposal involves either the two landfillsor the many open dumpsites there were 11 of these in2007, seven of which were located in mangroves leadingto pollution of water bodies.

Electricity is provided by the Fiji Electricity Authorityand urban areas are well-serviced. Te authoritycontinues to install substations across urban areas


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CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RISKREDUCTION

owns and cities in Fiji are coastal or riverine. Naturalhazards to which these urban areas are exposed includecyclones, hurricanes, coastal and riverine erosion,landslides, floods and projected mean sea level rise.

Mangrove deforestation and coral reef extraction in orderto accommodate urban development and for reasons ofincome generation are increasing the vulnerability ofurban areas to coastal hazards. Both mangrove forestsand coral reefs provide effective barriers against stormsurges and cyclones. Of particularly critical concern arethe residents of informal settlements in towns and citiesas many such settlements are located in highly vulnerableareas, such as riverbanks and pockets of coastal land.Lami own Council has begun incorporating climatechange adaptation initiatives into its developmentoperations. Such initiatives include a mangrove nurseryand mangrove replanting schemes in order to reforestthe coast.

However, town planning schemes elaborated by themunicipalities contain very limited considerationof climate change or disaster risk management.Rehabilitation and rebuilding following disasters havebeen very costly to the central government. Similarly,disasters have caused substantial damage and losses tomunicipal, iaukei and private property, and negativelyimpacted on local economies. Due to projected increasesin climate-related hazards and extreme events, as wellincreased size and density of urban areas, such costs arelikely to increase unless municipalities being to considerclimate change and disaster risk as a component of theirurban planning and development operations.

in order to growing demand. Many of these newsubstations draw from recently established smallhydropower stations. In addition, the authority ispursuing rural electrification projects and alternativeenergy sources, such as wind farm projects.

Te Fiji Roads Authority was established in 2012. Itcombined the functions of the previous Departmentof Roads, which was tasked with the managementof national arterial roads, and the functions of themunicipalities who were previously assigned to operateall roads within municipal boundaries (except thearterial roads). Te Fiji Roads Authority thus centralizesthe management of all roads in the country. Upon itsformation, the state of many municipal roads was verypoor and the upgrading of these roads has involvedmajor work.

URBAN HOUSING AND SHELTER

Housing in Fiji varies widely in terms of type, structureand standard, ranging from detached houses to multi-unit apartment buildings and lodges. Permittedtypologies for a given area are usually defined by theresidential zonings in place in the town planningscheme. Tere is a high demand for housing in mosttowns and cities, but housing provision is impeded byshortages of available land. Tis is leading to the overalldensification of urban areas, especially in inner cities.

For example, tall apartment buildings are increasinglycommon in Suva City, as are multi-unit rental flats.Similarly, many residences are undertaking extensions.

Tere has been a noted increased in the number anddensity of informal settlements in many cities. Forexample, the 2006 Greater Urban Management Planrecords 50 informal settlements in the Greater SuvaUrban Area. Tis number had risen to over 100 by 2011.Various schemes and initiatives are in place to attemptto deal with rising levels of urban poverty, informality

and homelessness. Tese include resettlement andlivelihoods programmes, in-situ upgrading initiatives,and greatly expanded commitment to the deliveryof affordable housing. In this regard, the NationalHousing Policy of 2011 coupled with the Housing

Authoritys campaign for affordable housing for all by2020 have had a profound impact on the provision ofhousing for the urban poor in Fiji.


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INTRODUCTION

Rapid Urban Sector Profiling for Sustainability isan action-oriented assessment of urban conditions

which focuses on priorities, capacity gaps, and existinginstitutional responses to key themes at the local andnational levels. Te purpose of the assessment is todevelop urban poverty reduction policies at local,national and regional levels through an assessment ofneeds and response mechanisms, and as a contributionto the wider-ranging implementation of theMillennium Development Goals.

Te study is based on an analysis of existing dataand a series of interviews with relevant stakeholders,including local communities and institutions, civil

societies, the private sector, development partnersand academics. Tis consultation typically results incollective agreement on priorities and their integrationinto urban poverty reduction projects, includingproposed capacity building projects.

Urban profiling is being implemented in over 30African and Arab countries, offering an opportunityfor comparative regional analysis. Once completed,this series of studies will provide a blueprint forcentral and local authorities and urban actors, as wellas donors and external support agencies.

METHODOLOGY

Urban profiling consists of three phases:

Phase One involves a rapid participatory urbanprofiling at national and local levels, focusing onland and land administration, governance, informalsettlements, urban health, infrastructure andservices, gender, environment, disaster management,economy, urban-rural linkages and proposed

interventions. Phase wo identifies priorities through a pre-

feasibility study to develop detailed priorityproposals, capacity building and capital investmentprojects.

Phase Tree implements the projects with emphasison skills development, institutional strengtheningand adaptation.

STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT

Tis report consists of three main sections:

Section 1: Background - A general overview of Fijiscities and towns is provided within this section andis based on municipal council reports, strategicplans, desk reviews of past reports, and interviewsthrough survey questionnaires conducted as partof the profile exercise. Te background includesdata on administration, urban planning, economy,the informal and private sectors, urban poverty,infrastructure and basic urban services, publictransport, energy, social services, linkages betweenurban and rural areas, linkages between townand traditional urban villages, land tenure andadministration, health and education.

Section 2: Key themes - Te second section isa synthetic assessment structured around anassessment of the six key themes: urban governanceand finance; urban planning and management;land development and administration; urbaninfrastructure and services; housing and shelter;climate change and disaster risk management. Tissection also provides an overview of the existinginstitutional set-up, the regulatory framework, as

well as resource mobilization and performance. Tissection also highlights agreed priorities and includesa list of identified projects.

Section 3: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities andTreats (SWO) analysis - A basic SWO analysisand an outline of priority project proposals foreach of the six key themes are provided in the thirdsection. Te project proposals include beneficiaries,partners, estimated costs, objectives and activities.

Downtown in Suva City

SCOPE


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Tis general background is designed to introduce andcontextualize Fijis urban growth and development. It iscompiled from a variety of sources, including municipalreports and assessments, central government reports,international reports and data, and questionnaires andinterviews with stakeholders of urban development.

GEOGRAPHY

Fiji is an island group in the South Pacific Ocean atthe geographic coordinates 18 00 S, 174 00 E. Teislands collectively cover an areas of over 18,300 squarekilometres. Fiji is an island archipelago of over 330islands, of which about 30 per cent are permanentlyinhabited. Te main islands of the group are Viti Levu

and Vanua Levu. Te capital city, Suva City, is located,like most towns and cities on the islands, along thecoast. Te concentration of the population along thecoasts of the islands is largely due to the mountainousterrain of the islands interiors. In addition to Suva City,the other main settlements include Lautoka City andNadi own.

Fijis climate is classified at tropical marine, with onlyslight year-round variation. Extreme climate events,however, do regularly occur, largely in the form ofcyclonic activity which usually takes place over the

period November-February. While temperature varieslittle, there is considerable variation in rainfall, withthe south-eastern parts of the islands receiving muchhigh rainfall than elsewhere. Heavy rains have led to

floods, in particular, in a number of settlements. Nadiand Ba owns, for example, in 2009 experienced verydamaging floods estimated to have reached FJD 330million in damage and losses. Of this, the largest losses

were related to damaged assets. Similarly, floods in Nadiown and Lautoka City were severe in January of 2012and 2013, both causing extensive damage and losses.

Te Greater Suva Urban Area is a harbour city locatedon a peninsula. Greater Suva sits amid the urbanconurbation which stretches from the western Lamiown, through Suva City and Nasinu own, to Nausoriown on the east. Tis urban area, while simply calledSuva by the local population, in fact contains fourmunicipal councils.

POPULATION

Te last census was undertaken in 2007. Te totalnational population in that year was 837,271 persons.

At 2013, this population is projected to have reached896,758. Te major ethnic groups are Fijian (57 percent of the population) and Indian (37 per cent). Asof 2007, Fijis population became urban, meaning thatmore that 50 per cent resided in urban areas. Since thatyear, this rate has increased and is expected to reach 61per cent of the total population by 2030. An estimated

57 per cent of this population (i.e. 244,000 people) livein the Greater Suva Urban Area. Urban populations aregrowing more quickly than their rural counterparts, at1.5 and 0.7 per cent per year respectively.

SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND

Source: DTCP

MAP 1: Greater Suva Urban Area


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An urbanizing population brings many benefits in termsof labour markets, specialization and productivity, butit also brings challenges. Some municipal councilscannot keep up with the rate of urban growth, andmany urban residents live in informal settlements, orpoorly serviced urban areas as a result. Te quality ofurban infrastructure is deteriorating, and this impedeseconomic development in the towns and cities andreduces the quality of life.

GOVERNANCE

In terms of administration, Fiji is divided into fourdivisions and 14 provinces. Each division is headedby a Commissioner who is nominated by the centralgovernment. Within these, there are 13 municipalities(towns or cities) and 1,175 villages. Each municipal

council is headed by a Special Administrator (SA), alsonominated by the central government as per the LocalGovernment Reform of 2009. Municipal councils aremandated under the Local Government Act (Cap. 125)to observe, deliver and enforce the laws relating to urbanmanagement, maintenance of basic urban servicesincluding public health, garbage collection, recreationalareas, drainage systems and urban management.

However, while municipal councils come underthe ambit of the Local Government Act, iaukei

(indigenous Fijian) villages are separate even if locatedin municipal areas. Tese villages are governed underthe Fijian Affairs Act (Cap. 120) which relates to alliaukei matters.

Tere are approximately 32 laws spread across differentfields which frame the work of local governments inFiji. Tese include the Local Government Act, the ownPlanning Act, the iaukei Affairs Act, the Subdivisionof Land Act, the Environmental Management Act andthe Public Enterprise Act.

While local governments have a degree of autonomyin some matters, they are largely managed by nationalgovernment. In part this is the result of the 2009 LocalGovernment Reform which saw the creation of Special

Administrators (SA) appointed by government of runmunicipal councils. Additionally, national statutoryauthorities are increasingly taking on responsibilityfor the provision of basic urban services, which furthererodes the role of the municipality.

Te reform also called for improved financialmanagement in municipal councils and proposed

information and resource sharing. Since the reform,the SAs have been pursuing rates collection with vigorresulting in greatly increased revenues for municipalcouncils.

With municipal councils mandated to manage theirmunicipal areas, peri-urban zones and lands beyondthe municipal boundary fall into the managementof different bodies. Peri-urban areas are governed byCentral Board of Health, and iaukei villages beyondthe municipal boundary, as within it, are governedunder the iaukei Affairs Act.

ECONOMY

Fiji is one of the most developed of Pacific countries.It is well provided in terms of forests, minerals andfish. Te agriculture sector employs some 70 per centof the national labour force, even if it accounts foronly 18 per cent of the gross domestic product ofFiji. Sugar production has long been an establishedsector, producing good revenue for the country, even

if there are strong concerns over the industrys waningproductivity, and long-term structural decline. Tecentral government predicts the industry to improveover 2013-2014. Similarly, coconuts, ginger and copraare important products. Consumption and investmenthave both improved over recent years, leading to anestimated national economic growth rate of 3 percent for 2013. In the run-up to the 2014 elections,confidence is growing and this is further stimulatinginvestment.

Increasingly the tourism industry is driving Fijisnational economy. ourist arrivals in the first quarterof 2013 were down by 2.8 per cent, largely due to theimpacts of Cyclone Evan. ourists from Australia, whichprovides over 50 per cent of the total tourist arrivalsto Fiji, increased. Nadi own is considered to be thehub of Fijis tourism industry, with a large number oftourist activities and services located in or around thetown. Suva City, on the other hand, is home to thecountrys main banking, financial and administrativeinstitutions. Urban areas in general are driving trade,commerce and education services. Lautoka City is

known as an industrial hub, with the port and the sugarcane processing industries. Lautoka provides goodeducational facilities which boost the local economy.

Te informal sector also participates in the national andlocal economies. Studies estimate that approximately 20per cent of Fijis national economy is generated throughthe informal sector. Tis sector include subsistenceagriculture, informal manufacturing and servicesand owner-occupied dwellings. Further, the sector isestimated to employ approximately 40 per cent of the

countrys work force. Tis is especially the case in urbanareas, where informal settlements are high, though ruralinformal sectors are also robust. More women work inthe informal settlement than man though this is also


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the case in the formal labour market of Fiji. Informalsettlements provide essential small-scale produce, productsand services to urban residents.

Te important role of the informal sector has beenrecognized by municipal councils, a number of whomhave proposed schemes and initiatives to accommodate

informal sector economic activity within formal municipalspaces. Such schemes include Ba owns multi-purpose halland vendors accommodation facility, and Rakiraki ownssimilar facility. Other municipalities are making provisionfor informal activities in their strategic plans, by providingspace for trade and micro-enterprise. Some subdivisionsin peri-urban areas similarly accommodate small-scaleenterprise and trade within their developments.


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INFRASTRUCTUREAND

SERVICES

Under the Local Government Act, one of the corefunctions of municipal councils is to provide certain

basic services to urban residents. In practice, councilsare expected to undertake the less capital-intensive tasks,much of which is effectively maintenance of the cityscape- solid waste management, drainage maintenance etc.

Te quality of delivery of urban services varies frommunicipality to municipality, with national levelstatutory bodies playing an increasingly important role.For example, as of January 2013 the national Fiji Roads

Authority assumed responsibility for all roads, bothmunicipal and arterial, across the country. In part,this was due to the previously poor condition of many

municipal level roads. Other statutory authoritiesinclude the Water Authority of Fiji, tasked with watersupply and sanitation in towns and cities, and theHousing Authority which provides affordable housing.

WATER

According to World Bank data, 100 per cent of the urbanpopulation and 95 per cent of the rural population haveaccess to improved drinking water. Tis rate, especially

in rural areas, may in fact be lower.100 per cent access in urban areas masks issues of watercuts and shortages in many towns and cities. Tis ispartly due to high rates of population growth in urbanareas placing increasing pressure on existing watersupply systems and leading to the Water Authorityof Fiji, the national statutory body for water supplyand sanitation, undertaking a range of schemes andprogrammes to boost water supply across the country.Tese include extending and upgrading the reticulated

water supply systems in many towns, and especially

Suva City, undertaking studies to identify additionalwater sources and examining possible additional watertreatment facilities.

Te Water Authority of Fiji undertakes much of its workwithin the framework of the Suva-Nausori Water andSewerage Master Plan, elaborated in 1999. In responseto the sizable expansion of the urban population, as

well as shifts in municipal boundaries since the plansformulation, the plan is now scheduled for revision.Under the plan, the authority is engaged in a numberof activities including replacing pipes and ensuring thatadequate maintenance programmes are in place. Watertheft and illegal connections in informal settlements to

water supply continue to impede the authoritys progress.

Tere is also growing interest in the widespreadinstallation of household rainwater tanks in urban areas.

Tis is partly in order to harvest and use rainwater forhousehold activities, and partly as a flood managementmechanism. Some towns and cities receive up to 3,000millilitres of rainfall per year, with downpours reaching50 milliletres per hour.

SANITATION AND SOLIDWASTE MANAGEMENT

Te World Bank estimates that 94 per cent of the urbanpopulation and 71 per cent of the rural population isconnected to improved sanitation systems in 2013. As of2006, there were 11 public sewerage systems operatingin Fiji, most servicing urban populations. Tere were8 major sewerage treatment plants, including one in thecities and major towns, namely Suva, Nausori, Lautoka,Nadi, Ba, Sigatoka and Labasa. Te Water Authority ofFiji oversees sewerage operations. Te National Liquid

Waste Management Action Plan and Strategy (2006)provides the legislative framework for sanitation in Fiji.

In 2006, the central government launched a series of plans

designed to extend sewerage connections to a further116,000 people nationally. Te Suva-Nausori Waterand Sewerage Master Project would bring sewerage to afurther 90,000 people, the Labasa Sewerage Scheme to6,000 and the Nadi Regional Sewerage Scheme to 20,000.Tese plans have successfully brought connections to asignificant portion of the urban population. Te costrecovery of sewerage services, funded by the centralgovernment, is only 30 per cent, a major concern and animpediment to further development of the system.

In addition to reticulated sewerage systems, other forms

of sanitation are in use in Fiji. In 2005, approximately40 per cent of the total population relied on septictanks for sanitation, a further 37 per cent on directdisposal (either to land or sea) and only 23 per centvia reticulated sewerage systems. Over the interveningyears, these numbers are expected to have shifted, witha far greater percentage now being connected to thesewerage network. However, septic tanks and directdisposal remain an issue. In urban areas especially,reticulated sewerage systems permit densification andgrowth. In this, informal settlements pose a significant

challenge as they fall outside of formal managementprocesses. Many informal settlements rely on septictanks for sanitation, however numerous problems existconstituting serious threats to public health.



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4

Tere is much room for improvement in solid wastecollection and disposal in Fiji. As of 2007, seven out of thetotal 11 solid waste disposal sites are located in mangroves,

which contribute to the pollution of water bodies. Untilthe rehabilitation of the Naboro Landfill in 2012, there

were no disposal sites which were environmentally safe andsocially acceptable. Part of the problem is a general lackof policy, which the National Solid Waste Management

Action Plan and Strategy (2005) sought to address.

In Suva and Lautoka Cities, waste collection is contractedby the municipal council to private companies. Inmost parts of Suva, for example, there are three rubbishcollections per week. Te Naboro Landfill, establishedin 2005, is the countrys first landfill and its largest andbest managed site for solid waste disposal. It is run bya private firm, HG Leach (Fiji), on contract from thecentral government (Department of Environment).

Te site was founded by the European Union and thenational government. In addition to the Naboro site,

which above all services the Greater Suva Urban Area,the municipalities in the conurbation all maintainopen dumpsites, some of which are very old and poorlymanaged.

Te Lautoka dump services both Nadi own and LautokaCity. Currently, the Central Board of Health, theDepartment of Environment and the Department of ownand Country Planning (DCP) are jointly examiningoptions for the establishment of a second landfill site in the

north of the Viti Levu. Such a site would allow secure solidwaste disposal to northern residents and businesses withoutincurring the high transport costs of using the Naboro site.

ELECTRICITY

Te Fiji Electricity Authority one of the bestperforming electricity utilities in the Pacific hassuccessfully provided power to all urban areas inFiji. Te authority has improved efficiency, reduced

production costs and system losses, improved labourproductivity and become financially self-sufficient. Asa result urban areas in Fiji are well-serviced in terms ofelectricity. Te authority continues to install substationsacross urban areas in order to growing demand. Manyof these new substations draw from recently establishedsmall hydropower stations. In addition, the authorityis pursuing rural electrification projects and alternativeenergy sources, such as wind farm projects.

At municipal level, there is strong encouragement fromcentral government to pursue energy efficiency. Some

municipal councils have adopted the use of bio-fuelvehicles and energy efficient street lights. Nausori ownis examining waste-to-energy options, for example.

ROAD

Te Fiji Roads Authority was established in 2012. Itcombined the functions of the previous Departmentof Roads, which was tasked with the managementof national arterial roads, and the functions of themunicipalities who were previously assigned to operate

all roads within municipal boundaries (except thearterial roads). Te Fiji Roads Authority thus centralizesthe management of all roads in the country. Upon itsformation, the state of many municipal roads was verypoor and the upgrading of these roads has involvedmajor work.

With more and more drivers and vehicles, trafficcongestion is a lingering problem, particularly inthe Greater Suva Urban Area. Main roads across theconurbation have been widened, including Kings Roadleading to Nausori, and Queens Road leading to Nadi.Bypass roads have been repeatedly proposed in order torelieve pressure on the main roads.

Inadequate land administration and strategic planningfor growth also contribute to the issue. Land acquisition,for example, accounts for approximately 50 per cent ofthe cost of providing roads. Yet there is little effort bygovernment to strategically plan for future road networkneeds through the advance reservation of land.

EDUCATION AND HEALTH

Te vast majority of Fijis educational and health facilitiesare located in urban areas. Educational facilities includeprimary, secondary and vocational schools and schoolstailored to the language requirements of especially Asianstudents of English. Suva City hosts the Universityof the South Pacific, and Nasinu own hosts the FijiNational University.

Tere have been major improvements to healthfacilities in the Greater Suva Urban Area, which now

maintain better health care equipment and humanand technological resources for care. Tis makes SuvaCitys health facilities the best in the country, as well asattractive to the broader Pacific community. Tere isa notable increase in private hospitals and specializedfacilities and services.

Some informal settlements receive health care throughdesignated programmes, many of which focus ontreating cholera and dengue outbreaks which arecommon. Te Wellness Programme of the Ministry

of Health has been very successful since its launch in2012 in addressing public and environmental healthissues, non-communicable diseases, HIV (Aids), andsocial and spiritual health and wellness. Te programme


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advocates a holistic approach to health and focuseson community groups, including iaukei villagesand informal settlements. In the event of disaster, theMinistry of Health together with the relevant DivisionalCommissioner are tasked with managing health issuesin informal settlements typhoid and other healthissues frequently arise in informal settlements followingdisasters, especially flood.

Poor drainage systems in Lautoka

SCOPE


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URBAN GOVERNANCEAND FINANCE

Fijis urban areas are governed by 14 municipal councilsformed under section 5 of the Local Government Act(Cap. 125). Each councils area of jurisdiction is definedby its municipal boundaries. In 2008, following theestablishment of the Urban Policy Action Plan of 2007,the Ministry of Local Government, Urban Development,Housing and Environment (MLGUDHE) undertookthe Local Government Review and Reform. Te reformaimed at facilitating more efficient and effective deliveryof municipal services and encouraging the practice ofgood governance. o date at least 90 per cent of thereforms recommendations have been implemented.Tese have brought about both improvements andchallenges to the administration and management ofmunicipalities. Te main challenge is ensuring thatinitiatives begun under the reform are sustainable.

All municipal councils have strategic plans for the 2010-2014 period and these are approved by the MLGUDHE.Strategic plans are complimented by annual corporateplans and budgets as required by MLGUDHE and in

accordance with the Local Government Act.

At the head of the municipal councils is the SA, whois appointed by central government. Tis position isgoverned by terms of reference which require that SAsimprove communication with residents and ratepayerson matters related to the activities of the council, a task

with which the media has been particularly helpful. Asof the end of 2011, all councils maintain regular (oftenquarterly) publications on the subject of council matters,as well as consultative meetings with communities andbusinesses. As a result, ratepayers and residents have

been able to contribute to council decision-making.Tis reform initiative also seeks greater transparencyand accountability of councils to their constituents.

A significant source of council revenue is generated fromrates. Municipal playgrounds, parks and markets, as wellas taxi stands and bus stations, all produce council revenuethrough rates. Lautoka Citys Churchill Park, for example,is a major revenue-generating asset for that city. Te termsof reference of the SA stipulate that councils must collect aminimum of 50 per cent of the rates owed by residents and

businesses. Te councils of the Greater Suva Urban Area(except Nasinu own), as well as those of Lautoka and Nadi,have all greatly improved their rate collection capacity, suchthat they now exceed this minimum requirement.

SECTION TWO: KEY THEMES

Since the reform, urban management proceduresfollowed by municipal councils have undergonemodification. Te following issues all contribute toongoing challenges implementing the reforms goals:

Ambiguities at executive level While the SA is thenominated head of the municipal council, the taskof running day-to-day council operations is overseen

by the councils Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Teroles and responsibilities of these two executive levelpositions are not sufficiently defined. Tis has ledto high levels of staff turnover in these positions,especially in Suva City, Lautoka City and Nasinuown, all of which have their own SAs.

Ambiguities in decision-making Te councilsof smaller towns are often governed collectively,such that a single SA may be appointed for severalmunicipal councils. In addition, the performance ofcouncils is closely monitored by the MLGUDHE

and the ministry is ready to and does intervene inmatters of finance and governance when it believessuch intervention necessary. As a result, decision-making processes required by the Local Government

Act can be negatively affected.

Increasing demands for financial managementImproved rate collection strengthens the financialposition of the council. However, many councils arefinding it difficult to properly manage the increasedrevenue which improved rate collection generates.

Movement towards to accrual accounting One of

the specific objectives of the reform was to shiftcouncils from cash accounting systems to accrualaccounting. rainings undertaken by councilsover the past three years have greatly helped to

Total Rates as of

31/12/2011

Total Rates as of

1/7/2012

TOTALRATESCOLLECTED

($)

MUNICIPALITIES

16 000 000

8 000 000

12 000 000

4 000 000

0

NAUSORI NASINU SUVA LAMI

GSUA rate collection as at 1 July 2012 (in Fijian dollars).

Source: DTCP

able 2: GSUA rate collection 2011-2012


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implement this objective. Approximately, half ofFijis municipalities now follow accrual accountingpractices, and the remaining half are transitioningtowards accrual accounting.

Insufficient human resources Te capacity ofcouncils to implement reform objectives and general

urban management operations, including thestrategic plans, is closely tied to the quality of itshuman resources. Both Suva City and Lautoka Citycouncils have a range of technical and managerialdepartments, but the smaller councils are limited tothe core functions of finance, services, health andbuilding. Efforts by councils to recruit personnel asapplicants often do not meet minimum qualificationrequirements. Only Suva City, for example, retainsa town planner.

Poor consideration for staff development Councils

make little effort to develop their human resourcesin-house or undertake institutional strengtheningexercises. Currently, the MLGUDHE, throughits Department of Local Government, undertakestrainings in urban finance and management,including accounting practice, ethics andbenchmarking. Further to this, technical trainingis provided by the DCP. In this way, the ministryprovides training to councils, but the councilsthemselves lack in-house staff developmentprogrammes.

High dependency of MLGUDHE Councils showlittle commitment to recruiting qualified technicalstaff and as s result rely heavily on the MLGUDHEin matters of town planning. Te MLGUDHE isexpected by councils to provide technical guidance andadvice. An initiative of the reform was the inclusionof the Divisional Commissioner in the municipalcouncils of the division. Tis has resulted in a moreintegrated approach to planning and growth, as theCommissioner coordinates matters and projects ofnational importance within the municipality.

THE INSTITUTIONAL SET UP

Municipalities in Fiji are established under Section5 of the Local Government Act (Cap.125). Eachcouncil is responsible for the administration andmanagement of its prescribed urban area and isresponsible to the MLGUDHE in this regard.

Te SA is the head of the municipal council as perthe Local Government Review and Reform of 2008.Te SA assumes the powers of the council as set

forth in the Local Government Act (Cap. 125). Inaddition, the SA can receive powers delegated fromthe MLGUDHE.

Te central government, via the MLGUDHE,appoints the SA and also determines the SAsoperational parameters via the positions termsof reference. As a result, central governmentreaches into local government affairs and can causeinterference.

While councils are encouraged to pursue revenuecollection through rates and other taxes, there ispotential for public-private partnership or jointventures between councils and other parties.

Non-government organizations, civil society andother interests groups representing women oryouth, for example are under-represented incouncil affairs. Most such organizations operate atcommunity level within the urban area, and are notadequately engaged by council. Greater coordinationand collaboration between these organizations and

councils should be pursued.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Municipal councils are monitored by theDepartment of Local Government, MLGUDHE,in accordance with the Local Government Act.Monitoring and evaluation of the performanceof SAs by the Department of Local Governmentbegan in 2012.

In addition to the Local Government Act, council

operations are mandated and regulated under theBusiness License Act and municipal bylaws (when inplace). Te own Planning Act, the EnvironmentalManagement Act and the Public Health Act accordresponsibility for planning and implementation tocouncils. However, within most councils emphasisis placed on development control rather than onstrategic physical planning.

Councils are actively pursuing the implementationof their town planning schemes and strategic plans.Tere is a need to revise these, especially with many

municipalities seeking extensions to their municipalboundaries.

Strategic plans provide a vision, policies andplanning proposals for the main town or city centre.Tere is growing recognition to incorporate climatechange adaptation and disaster risk reduction policyinto these planning documents.

PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Te SA is appointed by the central government, viathe MLGUDHE and is therefore accountable tothe MLGUDHE. Te CEO and council staff areaccountable to the SA and to the public.


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Monitoring is the core function of the Departmentof Local Government as per the Local Government

Act. Similarly, the Strategic Framework for ChangeCoordinating Office, an independent governmentmonitoring agency, monitors the performance oflocal governments.

Community consultations undertaken by thecouncil allow the council to disseminate informationon council services and activities. Tese also providespace to residents and communities to provide inputinto council plans and programmes. Similarly,many councils release quarterly publications totheir constituents in the interests of informationsharing. A complains register has been establishedthrough which the public can lodge grievances.Te Department of Local Government also receivescomplaints though few are lodged via this channel.Communication from council needs to focus oniaukei (indigenous Fijians) landowners and shouldprovide information on formal land developmentprocesses.

AGREED PRIORITIES

Regular monitoring and review ofmunicipal strategic plans, annualcorporate plans and development plans

with space for stakeholder input.

Establishment of accrual accountingwithin municipal councils anddiscontinuation of cash accounting.

Establishment of capacity developmentprogramme for council staff, coverall keysectors of council operations, includingmanagement and human resources.

Strong community engagement withmatters of municipal governance.

Improved revenue collection by councilthrough the amelioration of the capacityand number of rates collectors, as wellas improved capacity to deal with absentlandowners.

Improved participation of non-government organizations and civilsociety in urban development andmanagement decisions led by council.

PROJECT PROPOSALS

PROJECT 1Urban Governanceand Finance

Formulate strategic workforcetraining and development plansfor councils


Build the capacity of municipalcouncils in accrual accountingpractices and good financialmanagement.


Formulate and clearlydifferentiate the powers of SAsand CEOs in the administrationand management of the council.

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

Expenditure has not been cost-effective in that ithas not given the best return to the community.Te formulated strategic plans and corporate plans

whilst linked to urban, environmental and socialplanning lacks implementation plans and strategies

as well as the capacity to deliver.

Te efficacy and comprehensiveness of councilrevenue collection could be improved. Teestablishment of a database to act as an electronicvaluation roll could help in this regard.

Tere is potential for broad-based stakeholderpartnerships or group investment opportunities butthis is not adequately exploited.

Currently, iaukei villages are not usually subject tostandard municipal regulations and do not receive

municipal services. However, the Local GovernmentAct includes provisions for the formal incorporationof iaukei villages into the municipality. Tis wouldfacilitate the implementation of the Urban VillagePlanning programme, under the DCP.


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GEMENT

Section 8 of the own Planning Act requires thatmunicipalities have approved and up-to-date town planningschemes. In general, revisions to town planning schemes are

less frequent than required. Te town planning scheme is theprimary planning document and plan utilized by municipalcouncils to regulate and control development. It is also usedas a matter of consideration when determining subdivisionof land applications within the municipal boundary. Withthe exception of Suva City and Lautoka City, none of themunicipal councils have established approved subdivisionbylaws. However, as of 2013, Nausori, Nasinu and Nadiowns were preparing subdivision bylaws. Both the townplanning scheme and the subdivision bylaws affect thetypes of powers which the council is delegated. Te townplanning scheme allows councils to determine development

applications, and the subdivision bylaws allows the councilto determine subdivision applications. In the absence ofsubdivision bylaws the council must consult with the DCP

when determining these applications.

Across Fiji, municipal councils suffer from weakimplementation and enforcement of town planningschemes. Tis is in part due to insufficient humanresources and inadequate capacity in urbanmanagement. Policy directions given in the schemestatement of the town planning scheme are often notfollowed or implemented by councils due to a limited

understanding.

As a result, many municipal councils are reliant on theDCP for decision making on development applications.Some councils, due to pressure from developers, prefer thatthe DCP take decisions on development applications.In addition, the public lacks adequate awareness andunderstanding of formal development processes. Tissituation increases non-compliance with town planningschemes and is leading to cases where municipal councilsare relaxing their town planning standards in order toaccommodate non-compliance.

Suva City, which of all the municipal councils has themost resources, is facing the greatest challenges in thisregard. Te city has engaged a town planner which ishelping with implementation and enforcement of thetown planning scheme, but cases of non-complianceare still high. Te smaller councils, on the other hand,are committed to enforcement of their planningschemes without the help of town planners. In thesecouncils, implementation of schemes is carried out bythe municipal engineer, if available, or the municipal

building and health inspectors. In this way, the effortsof the smaller councils is commendable given theirresources.

URBAN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

As a result of limited understanding of town planningschemes by municipal councils, many schemes are

effectively not used.Tere is also a notable lack of understanding andacknowledgement of planning documents andregulations (listed below) additional to the townplanning scheme.

While the town planning scheme and subdivisionbylaws are applicable to areas within the municipalboundary, areas on the periphery of municipalities alsorequire development control and management. Forthese areas, the following documents aid councils in

exercising regulatory measures: the Greater Suva UrbanGrowth Management Plan, the Suva Foreshore MasterPlan, the Public Health and Building Regulations, theNational Building Code and the Environment Impact

Assessment (EIA) Regulations.

MLGUDHE is exploring a number of options inresponse to this situation. Tese include:

engaging local town planners to provide technicalsupport to municipal councils the costs of suchservices are shared amongst the receiving councils;

engaging technical planning support viainternational agencies facilitated by the Ministry ofForeign Affairs and International Cooperation;

attaching council technical staff to the DCP forcapacity building purposes of the council staff;

enrolling council technical staff in training andcourses in urban and regional planning at the FijiNational University.


Municipal councils with approved town planningschemes under section 18 of the own Planning

Act (Cap. 139) receive powers of determinationin matters of land and building development asdelegated from the DCP.

Evaluation of land and building developmentapplications, as well as general urban planning andmanagement operations, are functions undertaken

jointly between the councils units of building,health and environment and engineering. Decisions

are usually made in consultation with the DCP.


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Municipalities are under the supervision of theDepartment of Local Government, MLGUDHE.

Tere is a national Building Code in place which isenforced through formal construction projects.

Te own Planning Act (Cap.139) gives themunicipal council responsibility in planning matters.However, most councils focus more on developmentcontrol than on strategic physical planning.

Review of town planning schemes is overdue formany municipal councils. However, such reviewsare time intensive and often delayed in favourof more pressing matters of council business.For municipalities pursuing extensions to theirmunicipal boundaries, such review will be especiallynecessary in order to incorporate newly acquiredareas into the town planning scheme.

Te DCP reviews strategic plans and townplanning schemes prepared by municipal councils(with assistance from DCP) and approves plans

when satisfied.


Many councils take a proactive approach toinformation dissemination to residents andstakeholders. All councils have quarterly publications

which convey information to the public, especiallyrelating to rates and revenues.

Most councils are able to carry out some urbanplanning and management functions. Due toincreased understanding of the way that good urbanplanning facilitates urban management, many ofthe smaller councils are shifting towards a greateremphasis on planning. Some councils, such hasLami own which has begun to address climatechange adaptation, are also tackling more technicalthemes through their planning operations.


Te effectiveness of municipal councils inimplementing their town planning schemes isdependent of the quality of its technical staff,specifically the town planning unit. Teseunits often have limited capacity due to budget

constraints. Increasing budget to these units, sothat they can recruit or at least receive the technicalsupport of a town planner would greatly enhanceimplementation of town planning schemes.

Councils could also be strengthened through theestablishment of a GIS section, in support of thetown planning unit. Such an operation is likewisedependent on budget.

AGREED PRIORITIES

Stronger and improved town planningcapacity in councils, with GIS support

where possible in the town planning units.

Up-to-date town planning schemesthrough timely revision.

Increased awareness and understanding,especially at community level, of urban

planning and management and the role ofcouncil.

PROJECT PROPOSALS

PROJECT 1Urban Planningand Management

Ensure that every municipalityhas a functioning, staffed townplanning unit with GIS capacity.Undertake related training withsupport from the DTCP if needed.

PROJECT 2

Urban Planning

and Management

Create standard operatingprocedures for all activitiesrelating to urban planning andmanagement and formulate

a town planning manual toguide councils in their planningoperations.

PROJECT 3

Urban Planningand Management

Establish a Local GovernmentService Body tasked withproviding technical servicesand support (town planning,engineering services etc.) tomunicipal councils. The bodywould be jointly funded by thecouncils.

PROJECT 4

Urban Planningand Management

Revise town planning schemes, orparts of town planning schemesconsidered critical to projectedgrowth areas of municipalities.


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Tere are three types of land tenure in Fiji. State landis managed by the Department of Lands and Surveys

under the Crown Lands Act . Iaukei land is managedby the iaukei Lands rust Board (LB) under theiaukei Land rust Act. Freehold land is managed bythe private property owner.

In iaukei villages, iaukei landowning units, inconsultation with the LB, play a mayor rolein determining how iaukei lands are managedand developed. Central government, through theMMLGUDHE, encourages that landowning unitsengage in land development and economic ventures.Tis is also supported by the Urban Policy Action Plan

which seeks to address and restrict the informal releaseof iaukei land.

Te pattern of urban developments and urban growthin urban Fiji is influenced by a number of correlatedfactors including topography, infrastructure provisionand transportation. Te dominance of the sugar industryin the western and northern divisions is a challengeto urban expansion given the significance of sugarproduction to the national economy. As urban areasexpand they place increasing pressure on surroundingagricultural land, and considerable amounts of primearable land has been converted to non-agricultural use,such as tourism, industry and commerce. Additionally,urban areas are expanding into hazard-prone zones.

Tere has been a notable increase in landowning unitspursuing formal land developments and subdivisions.In particular, landowning units in the westerndivision have been successful in this regard. Similarly,landowning units in the central and northern divisionsare increasingly seeking to develop land in the interestsof economic and social development. Landowning units

in the central division have been adept in responding toland-related needed as a result of the runway extensionof Nausori Airport.

As a result of growing pressure on land within themunicipal boundaries, both landowning units andcouncils have begun to investigate options for landdevelopment along municipal boundaries. A notableamount of iaukei land on the periphery of townsand cities is being used for informal settlement, aslandowning units are releasing land in support ofaffordable housing for poorer households. However,

infrastructure provision to these lands is limited andowing to the fact that they are located outside themunicipal boundaries such provision is considered the

responsibility of informal settlers themselves. Withinthese informal development processes, there is an

element of misunderstanding of the legal rights oflandowning units, compounded by a general lack ofunderstanding of formal land development processesand laws. As a result, these landowning units, as wellas tenants or settlers in these lands, bypass formalprocesses.

On the other hand, the majority of iaukei landdeveloped through formal channels is done so with thesupport of the LB of the Housing Authority of Fiji.Such development is especially prominent along theSuva Corridor.

However, from 2011 onwards, there has been anincrease in the direct formal development of iaukeiland by landowning units themselves contrary toearlier practices which saw the LB awarding grantsor development permits to private developers for thedevelopment of iaukei land. Tis increased engagementof landowning units in formal land development comesas a result of awareness generated by the NationalHousing Policy whose main stakeholders advocateformal land development. Such projects are especiallyevident along the Suva-Nausori Corridor and in theNausori Flats. In part, this is the result of the extensionof the Nausori Airport which is stimulating land values.

Tis change is also due to local, village and district levelawareness raising by the DCP over the 2010-2013period. Such initiatives have focused on demonstratingthe value for pursing formal land development.Similarly, the urban village planning programme,begun in 2012 in partnership with landowning units,has greatly increased the understanding of units andthe public generally on the urban management, town

planning and land development and administration.Te Department of Housing engages in in-situupgrading programmes in informal settlements, whichcan involve formalization of land tenure. Tis indirectlyprovides benefits councils allowing them to generaterevenue from rates placed on what was previously landgiven over to squatter settlements. Te Department ofHousing is exploring formal lease options.

Te degree of technical capacity of land developmentagencies, such as the LB or the Housing Authority

of Fiji, impacts the way in which land is developed.However, in municipal areas where town planningschemes are in place, the schemes manage to mitigatemost capacity limitations of the land development

LAND DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION


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agencies. However, in peri-urban areas and along themunicipal boundaries, where town planning schemesdo not regulate development, informal or irregulardevelopment is more common. Land developmentagencies do not adequately value the need for technicallycompetent and qualified personnel. Similarly, thereis little emphasis on or investment by these agenciesin up-skilling, capacity building or institutionalstrengthening.


Land administration and development areimplemented according to the Crown Lands Act,the Lands ransfer Act, the Subdivision of Land Actand the Native Lands rust Act.

Land development is demand driven. For state land,the process begins by the lodging of a land leaseapplication to the Department of Lands and Surveys.Development of iaukei land is pursued via leasingarrangements made with the LB. Land leases aregranted by either office and must be in accordance

with the Subdivision of Land Act, administeredby the DCP. All physical development on anycategory of land (state, iaukei or freehold) must becompliant with the own Planning Act (Cap. 139).

Evaluation of land and building developmentapplications, as well as general urban planning andmanagement operations, are functions undertaken

jointly between the councils units of building,health and environment and engineering. Decisionsare usually made in consultation with the DCP.


Te development of land is regulated by a number ofdocuments. Tese include the own Planning Act(Cap. 139), the Subdivision of Land Act (Cap .140),

local town planning schemes, the Lami-NausoriLand Use LB Master Plan (2007), the GreaterSuva Urban Growth Management Plan (2006), theSuva City Subdivision Bylaws, the Public Health Act,the Building Code, the Environment Management

Act (2005) and Environment Impact Assessment(EIA) Regulations (2008), the Native Lands rust

Act and Crown Lands Act.

Te administration of land depends on the categoryof land. Freehold land is administered by theprivate property owner, state land is managed by the

Department of Lands and Surveys, and iaukei landis managed by the LB.

All land scheduled for development must be surveyedprior to construction. Similarly, development

is only permitted on secured and serviced land.Development of unsurveyed land is an issue and theresult of the limited knowledge of some landowningunits.


All land developments are recorded and any landdevelopment likely to have a considerable impacton the natural environment must undertake anenvironmental impact assessment. Te assessmentprocess involves considerable stakeholderconsultation, including residents and neighbours ofthe proposed land development site.

Land reclamation projects must undertake and secureapproval of an environmental impact assessment.


Given the limited establishment of municipality-specific subdivision bylaws, land is administeredby the relevant agency, either the LB or theDepartment of Lands and Surveys. Te efficiencyof these agencies can be improved through theestablishment of databases linking the land registersof municipal councils.

Te LB and the Department of Lands and Surveyshave budget provision for the purposes of awarenessraising on land development processes. In addition,

the own Planning Week is celebrated annuallyand allows councils scope for active participation inawareness raising on this topic at municipal level.Councils can also participate in this through eitherthe western or northern divisional offices.

AGREED PRIORITIES

Increased awareness of land administrationand land development processes.

Improved information systems for landadministration available in iaukei, Englishand Hindi.

Improved environmental managementthrough the establishment ofenvironmental management units in theLB and the Department of Lands andSurveys.


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PROJECT PROPOSALS

PROJECT 1LAND DEVELOPMENTAND ADMINISTRATION

Undertake awareness raisingusing a variety of media andplatforms including workshopsand seminars on the topic ofland development processes.

Such awareness raising shouldbe implemented at thecommunity level, in iTaukeivillages and in peri-urbanareas and can be incorporatedinto the urban villageplanning programme.


Improve land informationsystems by digitizing landregisters using GIS.


Establish environmentalmanagement units in theTLTB, Department of Landsand Surveys and municipalcouncils.

Rural to urban linkages in Nadi Town

SCOPE


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Provision of infrastructure and delivery of urban servicesconstitute the main challenges faced by municipalcouncils. In many urban areas, both infrastructure andservices are inadequate. An estimated 60 per cent ofFijis national economy is generated in towns and cities,and the central government is accordingly shifting thefocus of its capital investment programming to urbanareas.

Increasingly infrastructure in Fiji is provided via centralgovernment corporate bodies, such as the Water

Authority of Fiji or the Fiji Roads Authority. Te UrbanPolicy Action Plan, formulated in 2007, encourages theestablishment of an urban management board to address

urban management issues. In particular, such a boardcould also seek to overcome challenges in coordinationand efficiency associated with the fact that currentlyboth local and central governments have urban servicesdelivery obligations.

Te Fiji Roads Authority is the main body responsible forthe provision and maintenance of all public roads in Fiji.Te Water Authority of Fiji provides water and sanitationservices. Te maintenance of non-capital services such asdrainage, solid waste management, street lighting, sportsand community facilities, and so forth, is the responsibility

of the municipal councils as per the Local GovernmentAct. theory, only residents of formal housing developmentshave access to these services. However, in practice, manyinformal settlements continue to make use of municipalservices and some do so via formal arrangements withcouncil. One growing challenge related to infrastructurein towns and cities is the rising incidence of floods. Tisis both a issue of infrastructure provision (the provision ofdrainage, channels, water management facilities etc.) andmaintenance of drainage systems. Heavy rains have beenleading to floods in Suva City, as well as Nadi and Nasinu

owns.

WATER

Nationally, 60 per cent of Fijis population has directaccess to potable water through water reticulatedsystems under the control of the Water Authority ofFiji. Under this authority, the central governmenthas been slowly but steadily upgrading water supplysystems across the Suva-Nausori corridor, based on the

Suva-Nausori Water Supply and Sewerage Master Plansformulated in 1999. Tis involves both upgrades toexisting pipelines as well as the establishment of newreservoirs to meet increasing demand. Te last five years

have witnessed regular water cuts and water shortages,both of which are the result of a rising urban population

and insufficient water infrastructure and facilities.Usually development takes place along existing trunklines roads, water systems and sewerage lines in particular.However, with increasing development and a growingusage and demand of infrastructure, many utilities arestretched beyond capacity.Tis is especially the case inperi-urban areas. Tere are five major integrated resortdevelopments, for example, under construction in the

western division. Similarly, the establishment of WailaCity, also under development, will add a projected25,000 people to the load. Tese developments generate

infrastructure demands which go well beyond the capacityof current systems. In addition to growing demandfor water, the supply side is undermined by a host offactors including low water pressure, leaking pipes, andpirated water connections. As a consequence, the Water

Authority of Fiji is exploring potential new water sourcesto grow its current supply. Recent upgrading and theestablishment of new reservoirs will also help.

SANITATION, SEWERAGE AND

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Tere is a direct correlation between the urbanpopulation and the quantity of waste generated.Since the 1990s, there have been consistent efforts toimprove waste management practices in urban areas.For example, new subdivisions are required to beconnected to reticulated water and sewerage systemsunder the Water Authority of Fiji. Older subdivisions,and some informal settlements, if not connectedto the reticulated water and sanitation system, use

septic tanks. Te implementation of the Suva-NausoriWater Supply and Sewerage Master Plan is extendingthe reticulated system into many new, previouslyunsewered zones in and around the Greater SuvaUrban Area.

Tere are areas, such as Sakoca Heights and acirua,which are prime urban real estate but remainundeveloped because they are not connected to thereticulated sewerage system. In other such cases,controls are put in place which limit development (i.e.decrease density of development) rather than denying

it altogether.

Te Central Board of Health has approved a series ofalternative systems for waste management which allow


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higher density urban development. Te slow upgradingof water and sanitation systems in the central divisioncoupled with the high demand for urban developmentin general means many major developments areopting for these alternative systems in a bid to increasepermitted density.

Some more remote urban areas have no seweragetreatment system, which limits growth opportunities.Part of the obstacle is linked to limited budget andtechnical capacity. Tere is also a perceived stigmaassociated with sanitation and sewerage, and thisimpedes the release of land for sewerage treatmentfacilities, especially by iaukei landowners. Tis was thecase in Savusavu.

Te Naboro Landfill began operations in 2005. In2012, the site was rehabilitated with financial supportfrom the European Union. Tis greatly reduced thevisual and olfactory inconvenience of the landfill forlocal residents. In addition, the Central Board ofHealth and the Divisional Commission are examiningsite options for the establishment of a second landfill.Tis is in part a cost-benefit exercise: parties are alsoexamining other forms of waste reduction which maybe less expensive than landfill in the long-term. Inpart the high costs of transporting solid waste to theNaboro Landfill is fuelling the search for alternativesites, and the potential establishment of waste transfersites by councils (i.e. in Nasinu and Nausori owns).

Other options being pursued include recycling centresthough this is limited to paper and bottles. Tere havebeen talks to explore waste-to-energy initiatives at alarger scale like the iVII waste-to-energy facilityproposed in Sigatoka. Te feasibility of the facility hasyet to be determined.

A project of the Department of Environment,MLGUDHE, funded by the Japan InternationalCooperation Agency seeks to promote the uptakeof the 3Rs reduce, reuse and recycle as a waste

reduction strategy. In Lautoka City this is provingespecially successful. In addition, many councils havelitter decrees and cleanup campaigns in place for solid

waste reduction.

ENERGY, POWER USE ANDTELECOMMUNICATIONS

Te entire Greater Suva Urban Area has access toelectricity provided by the Fiji Electricity Authority. Tecity area is also served by a suite of telecommunicationsproviders which include mobile communicationsservices.

Councils and the central government express limitedinterest in pursuing alternative sources of energy. Evensolar energy which is relatively abundant in Fiji is notseriously considered. However, councils are encouragedto pursue energy savings initiatives, in line with theUrban Policy Action Plan. So far, Suva City and Lamiown have adopted energy-saving initiatives such aslow-energy street lighting and bio-fuel vehicles forcouncil staff.

ROADS, TRANSPORTATIONAND DRAINAGE

In 2012, the Fiji Roads Authority was established,prior to which roads within municipal boundaries

were largely maintained by municipal councils, withthe central government building and maintaining

highways and other arterial roads. As a result, themajority of municipal roads were in disrepair. Sincethe establishment of the Fiji Roads Authority, which isnow responsible for all roads in the country, the qualityof roads in Fijian towns and cities has improved. Insubdivisions, internal roads must be provided by thedeveloper and must connect subdivision sites to theestablished road network. Te main forms of publictransport are buses, taxis and mini-vans.

In terms of drainage, there is growing recognition that

current capacity needs to be improved. In part this isan issue of maintenance: too many drains are blockedor partial restricted leading to floods following heavyrains. Rain for 1-2 days, for example, in Lautoka City

will result in drastic floods in the main centre of thecity. In addition to maintenance, some drains are justtoo small and must be expanded in size (radius) in orderto accommodate increased volume. Over the last fiveyears, Nadi own has been subject to extreme floodsand these have damaged the local economy (includingthe local tourism industry) and prompted the centralgovernment to establish the Nadi Basin DrainageCatchment Committee.


Water and sanitation is provided by the WaterAuthority of Fiji.

Energy and telecommunication is provided by firms.

Te Fiji Roads Authority is tasked with providingand maintaining all roads in Fiji, including those

within municipalities.

Solid waste management is the responsibility of

municipal councils as per the Local Government Act.


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Municipal councils are required to providemunicipal services under the Local Government Act(Cap. 125).

Provision of urban services (such as solid wastemanagement) in the municipality takes place inaccordance with the town planning scheme. Inperi-urban areas, or areas beyond the municipalboundary, the Public Health Act and the CentralBoard of Health oversee solid waste managementservices.


Te performance of municipal councils in the deliveryof municipal services is subject to monitoring by theDepartment of Local Government, the Office of the

Auditor General and the ratepayers themselves.


Water and sanitation infrastructure is providedby the Waster Authority of Fiji. In areas withoutreticulated connections, developments rely upon theuse of septic tanks. Tis is also the case in informalsettlements. Some informal settlements do receive

solid waste management services from councils inreturn for a fee.

AGREED PRIORITIES

Improved information management forinfrastructure and urban services withinmunicipal boundaries, including roads,drainage, sewerage, and electricity.

Revision of urban growth managementplans in order to accommodate provisionsfor Water Authority of Fijis Master Plan

for Sewerage Reticulation.

Strengthen proposed GIS sections inmunicipal councils town planning unitsby integrating infrastructure informationinto the information systems used.

PROJECT PROPOSALS

PROJECT 1Urban Infrastruc-ture and Services

Establish a database ofinfrastructure and urbanservices.

PROJECT 2

Urban Infrastruc-ture and Services

Revise the Greater SuvaUrban Growth ManagementPlan and bring it in-line withthe Greater Western UrbanManagement Plan and theNorthern Corridor UrbanGrowth Management Plan.


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RESPONSE MEASURES BY SECTOR IN CITIES

Housing in Fiji varies widely in terms of type, structure

and standard, ranging from detached houses to multi-unitapartment buildings and lodges. Permitted typologies fora given area are usually defined by the residential zoningsin place in the town planning scheme. Tere is a highdemand for housing in most towns and cities, but housingprovision is impeded by shortages of available land. Tisis leading to the overall densification of urban areas,especially in inner cities. For example, tall apartmentbuildings are increasingly common in Suva City, as aremulti-unit rental flats. Similarly, many residences areundertaking extensions. In Lautoka City, multi-unit

apartment complexes have been approved, but in Nadiown such housing types are restricted by stricter buildingheight r

fiji: national urban profile

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