In 1971, landowners in Naitasiri were urged to make sure of their idle land.
On this day, in 1971 The Fiji Times published an article about a Fijian chief urging the people of Naitasiri to allow their land to be subdivided and leased out instead of leaving it unused.
It was the Minister for Fijian Affairs and Local Government, Ratu George Cakobau. Ratu George said the people of Naitasiri had a lot of lands and most of it was lying idle.
“If it was subdivided the landowners would be able to get a return,” he said. Ratu George was speaking to landowners in Lutu on November 1971 while opening a feeder road to the village, which branches off Vunidawa Rd.
The chief opened a new village water supply and a new school building. Ratu George said many Fijians did not have much land and if the Naitaisiri people split up the land those without land would benefit.
He said members of the Indo-Fijian community would benefit too.
The article reported that Ratu George pointed out that some provinces paid land rates.
“If the land was not utilised, how would landowners pay the rates?” he added.
He then urged people to go to the Native Land Trust Board for advice on their land. Ratu George praised the co-operation of the local Indo-Fijian community in the building community in building the Lutu feeder road. He said it was a good example of how Fijians should co-operate.
“The Government wants this to happen,” he said. He said it was good for the future well-being of Fiji. Ratu George said three Indo-Fijian farmers had given land through which the feeder road was built.
“This is unheard of and I must congratulate them,” he said.
The one-mile road was built at a cost of $3000 from the Government funds.
This newspaper reported that the people started the project in 1970 with picks and spades and in June, 1971, PWD earth-moving equipment finished the work.
The district officer, Fred Gibson said initially the cost of the road was estimated at $18,000 and it would have been about three miles long.
The cost was reduced and the distance shortened when the three farmers came to the rescue by giving their approval for the road to be built through their farms.
The road meant opening up farming areas as well as giving access to people in that area.
