[Photo: FILE]
The government has confirmed that residents of the Nanuku informal settlement in Vatuwaqa,Suva will be included in its relocation program after concerns were raised in Parliament over eviction notices issued to families living on private land.
During the committee stage of the 2026–2027 National Budget debate, Independent MP Parveen Bala asked Housing Minister Maciu Nalumisa how the Government intended to fund the relocation of Nanuku residents after they were reportedly given 30 days to vacate the land.
Bala noted that the settlement was not specifically identified in the budget allocation for informal settlement relocations and questioned whether additional funding would be required.
In response, Nalumisa said the Nanuku settlement at Vatuwaqa is located on land owned by the Bindi Brothers and that the Government has been in discussions with the landowners over the relocation process.
“We have been having consultations with Bhindi Brothers. They have also allowed the Ministry of Housing time to relocate them”
Nalumisa thanked the landowners for their cooperation, saying they had agreed to give the Government time to relocate affected residents.
The Minister said the relocation of Nanuku residents would form part of the government’s broader informal settlement relocation programme.
He added that the Ministry was also exploring other options to address informal settlements, including discussions with the iTaukei Affairs Board to assist families willing to return to their home villages.
“We are also having discussions with the iTaukei Affairs Board where those willing to be moved back to the villages, there are a few that have already given us the intention to be resettled”
The government has allocated more than $1.3 million in the 2026–2027 National Budget for the relocation and resettlement of informal settlements across the country.
