FOUR of the five landowning units of the Natadola Resort Development Project are demanding the return of their land.
The members of Yavusa Ketenamasi, Ehiga, Tacini and Nalotawa have delivered their demands to the Native Lands Trust Board so they would be able to search for project financiers.
The landowners, who created the Vanua Nahoqo Trust, insist that Asia Pacific Resort International Limited (APRIL) remain as project managers despite the interim Government dismissing and replacing it with HLK's Jacobs.
During a press conference at Natadola yesterday, landowners' spokesman, Ratu Osea Gavidi said on August 29, they wrote to NLTB requesting they be handed the development lease so they would be able to search for financiers abroad.
Ratu Osea said even though they appreciate the contributions made by the members of the Fiji National Provident Fund, they felt it would be in their best interests if APRIL remained as project managers.
Ratu Osea said the landowners first agreed to hand over their land of 600 acres for the project to APRIL after a thorough review of the master plan.
"We did not sign the lease to FNPF but we gave it to APRIL so as far as we are concerned ARPIL is the company that should be managing our land," he said.
"We wrote to NLTB on August 29 demanding that our land or the development lease be re-issued to Vanua Nahoqo Trust so that we would be able to search for a financier abroad.
"We did not sign over our land to this newly appointed FNPF board so we do not want them managing our land."
Ratu Osea said the letter demanding the return of their land was in response to a letter from NLTB on June 29 that they cooperate with FNPF on the development.
NLTB general manager, Semi Tabakanalagi said he would respond to issues raised by the Ratu Osea and his faction today. Ratu Osea said under the lease agreement signed with APRIL, all landowners were benefitting as they were offered jobs at Yatule Resort to prepare them for the opening of the Intercontinental Resorts in Natadola.
However, he said following the FNPF takeover, their members had lost their jobs with Yatule Resort.
