Two landowning units of the Village of Vunivaivai in Nausori have yet again closed the entrance of the road leading to one of Goodman Fielder’s farms today .
The landowners are demanding documentation by the iTaukei Land Trust Board to prove just how their reserved land has been leased to the countries largest poultry processors.
Mataqali Vico Spokesman Jiutasa Bilavucu tells us the boundaries of the reserve land are within the area of the Goodman Fielder farm.
“Last year closed the entrance. We raised the issue with the land, which is reserved land. The TLTB and NLC can’t do anything but now we confirmed the exact place and the exact boundaries of our land is reserved. To our surprise Goodman fielder is leasing our reserve land.”
Fiji One News has obtained official correspondence sent to the iTaukei Lands Trust Board by the landowners.
Their lawyers, Rigsby Law argues the lease for Naitalasese No 7 was to expire on the 30th of July in 2009.
Upon expiry, the Mataqalis would be advised accordingly on how they wish to proceed.
The landowners are now arguing no such discussions have since taken place.
Instead, they argue Goodman Fielder in 2003 was able to secure the lease even before the expiry, without any consultation.
“Everything is (with) under our lawyers. The proposal and everything, they are going through the compensation and all that, that’s the next move. They already leasing our land for almost 13 years now and that amount can be for 13 years.”
Last December, TLTB assured the landowners it would verify the exact boundaries which are being disputed.
TLTB used Global Positioning System or GPS to indicate the land’s boundaries, however these landowners feel the maps are telling a different story.
Both landowning units have since lodged an official complaint with the Prime Ministers Office, TLTB and Goodman Fielder.
Detailed queries were sent to the TLTB as well as Goodman Fielder in relation to the land lease in dispute.
They remained unanswered when this story went online.