Driving Delivery Forward: 4th Na Vualiku Project Steering Committee Meeting

The Na Vualiku Project convened its 4th Steering Committee Meeting yesterday at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, bringing together members representing key government agencies and partners to review progress, address implementation challenges, and align on priorities for the next phase of delivery.

Work on the ground is picking up pace.

Since the previous meeting, the Project has continued to scale-up across multiple fronts, supported by strengthened capacity within the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU) and an expanding portfolio of activities.

Across the Project:

• 42 contracts have been signed to date, valued at USD 18.8 million
• 10 contracts are currently under implementation, valued at USD 14.1 million

These investments span infrastructure, planning, and community-focused initiatives, reflecting a coordinated approach to unlocking tourism potential while ensuring sustainability and resilience. 

What this means for you:

More projects are moving from planning into implementation and works. This means services and improvements you can start to see soon and benefit from.

Progress Across Priority Areas – Here’s what is moving forward and why it matters:

The meeting highlighted steady progress across key sectors that underpin tourism development in Vanua Levu and Taveuni:

Aviation and Connectivity

Runway strengthening works at Labasa Airport have been completed, improving operational reliability.

Photos: Operational Labasa Airport

More planning is underway for future improvements, including feasibility studies for future aviation needs, such as a potential new airport and runway extensions to inform decisions, and a remote tower Automatic Flight Information Service (AFIS), are advancing, with key milestones expected in April–June 2026.

What this means for you:

Safer, more reliable flights, better connections, and easier travel for families, businesses, and visitors.

Resilient Infrastructure

The Labasa–Savusavu Cross-Island Road and scenic lookouts activity is scheduled for implementation in FY 2026–2027. Once underway, these upgrades will improve safety, enhance climate resilience, and create new opportunities for communities along the corridor, with four scenic lookouts in the pipeline.

Photos: The Labasa–Savusavu Cross-Island Road

Essential Services and Environmental Management

Work is underway to improve how waste is managed and how basic services are delivered.

Solid waste management planning is progressing, with stakeholder engagement at its forefront, focusing on both immediate improvements and long-term infrastructure solutions, with initial upgrade works expected to commence in late 2026. Sanitation planning and solar feasibility studies for public buildings in Labasa and Savusavu are also advancing, with feasibility work targeted for completion by mid-2026, supporting more efficient and sustainable service delivery.

What this means for you:

Cleaner communities, better public services, and lower energy costs over time.

Strategic Planning for Long-Term Growth

A long-term tourism plan is being developed to guide growth over the next 25 years, with completion expected by January 2027.

An environmental and social assessment will be finalised by April 2026 to make sure development protects land, culture, and communities.

What this means for you:

Tourism growth will be properly planned, avoid harm to the environment and communities, and bring real benefits to local people.

Expanding Opportunities for Communities

Ensuring that tourism growth translates into tangible local benefits remains central to the Project.

The MSME and Community-Based Tourism (CBT) support programs have generated strong interest, with over 300 applications received for grants and capacity building initiatives. These programs are designed to strengthen local enterprises, including women-led businesses, and enable greater participation in the tourism economy.

Next steps include finalising beneficiary selection, mobilising delivery partners, and commencing rollout in May–June 2026.

Strengthening the Evidence Base

Work is underway to strengthen the data and evidence that underpin Project delivery. The Baseline Study will establish key indicators across infrastructure, services, employment, and MSMEs, with completion expected by June 2026, while improvements to the International Visitor Survey will enhance insights into visitor expenditure, experience, and behaviour.

These efforts will support more informed decision-making and ensure that progress can be measured over time.

Coordinated Delivery and Key Challenges

The Steering Committee continues to play a critical role in ensuring alignment, oversight, and timely decision-making across agencies and partners.

Looking Ahead

Work will continue to accelerate over the coming months, with more projects moving into delivery.

The focus remains simple:better infrastructure, stronger local businesses, and protecting what makes Vanua Levu and Taveuni special.

Tourism that lifts everyone, benefits all.

Future Planning: New Airport Feasibility Study

An international aviation consultancy, AirBiz, specialising in airport planning and development, is currently undertaking a feasibility study to assess future aviation needs in Vanua Levu.

This includes a feasibility study for a potential new airport in Vanua Levu, an air connectivity study for Taveuni Island, and the development of master plans for Labasa and Matei airports.

Following its kickoff meeting in January 2026 and submission of the Draft Inception Report in February, the team is progressing technical work, including field visits to Matei and Labasa airports, as well as assessments of four potential sites for a possible new airport in Vanua Levu.

Engagement is ongoing with government agencies, local councils, landowning units of potential sites, and industry stakeholders across the Northern Division to ensure the study reflects operational requirements, growth projections, and local context.

In parallel, a separate team is consulting stakeholders in Suva and Nadi, along with Fiji Airports management and technical teams, to inform the analysis.

This work is part of a feasibility assessment only. Once completed, the report will be presented to Cabinet with options and recommendations.

☀️Energy costs are on everyone’s mind nowadays given the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East and current global energy crisis . While the #NaVualikuProject’s feasibility study on rooftop solar across municipal buildings in Labasa and Savusavu was already underway, it is now more relevant than ever.

🤝 Over two days of consultations in Labasa and Savusavu, this work moved from technical analysis to real conversations. Consultants from Elemental Group Ltd met with market vendors, tenants of municipal buildings, and Town Councils, ensuring the feasibility study is shaped not just by data, but by how these spaces are used by ordinary people every day.

👥 With our stakeholders, market vendors and tenants, the discussions quickly turned practical. In Labasa, conversations focused on space, how equipment might fit within already busy market areas, and what that means for daily operations. Vendors also explored what solar energy could enable, from powering sewing machines in the handicraft market to supporting refrigeration and lighting during outages. At the same time, there was a clear understanding that benefits would be shared, improving services across the facility rather than providing individual access.

👥 In Savusavu, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Vendors recognised the value of reducing energy costs for the Town Council and what that could mean for the wider community. There was strong interest and enthusiasm, particularly in knowing that the infrastructure would be financed through the Project, removing the need for fundraising while still delivering tangible improvements. Conversations also touched on resilience, and the importance of planning infrastructure that can support communities during disruptions and disasters.

🏛️ Alongside these discussions, Town Councils, as eventual asset owners, focused on the longer-term picture. How will these systems be managed? What will operations and maintenance require? And, most importantly, how can savings be redirected to improve services? In Labasa, high energy costs, particularly from floodlighting at Subrail Park, stood out as a clear opportunity where solar could make a difference. The need to align with other infrastructure projects and plan for growing demand also came through strongly.

⚙️ At its core, the feasibility study is testing what is possible. It is assessing selected municipal sites across Labasa and Savusavu, examining technical suitability, energy demand, system design, and long-term financial viability. The aim is simple: to ensure that any future investment is practical, sustainable, and delivers real value.

🌱 If deemed suitable, rooftop solar systems could be installed from late 2026. But the outcome is bigger than infrastructure. It is about turning savings into services, strengthening public facilities, and ensuring municipal buildings work harder for the communities they serve.

Communities are clear: tourism must grow in a way that protects people, land, and livelihoods.

More than 120 stakeholders across Labasa, Bua, Savusavu, and Taveuni have validated key findings of the Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA), highlighting the need to actively manage environmental and social risks as tourism grows.

The SESA is informing tourism development to help protect communities, land, and livelihoods, while ensuring risks are identified early and addressed through planning.

Continue reading on page 2 in our March Newsletter, IMPACT: here (https://navualiku.com/newsletters/)

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has welcomed the completion of the runway strengthening works at Labasa Airport, describing the development as an important step in the Government of Fiji’s continued efforts to improve air transport connectivity and support economic development in Vanua Levu. 

The works, implemented by Fiji Airports, were undertaken with financing under the World Bank-financed Na Vualiku Project, for which the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation serves as the lead implementing agency through the Central Project Management Unit. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honourable Viliame Gavoka, commended Fiji Airports for the successful and timely completion of the works. 

“I commend Fiji Airports for ensuring the timely completion of the runway strengthening works at Labasa Airport. This is an important achievement that will contribute to safer, more reliable and more efficient air services for the people and businesses of the Northern Division,” said Honourable Gavoka. 

He said the completion of the works also reflects the Government of Fiji’s broader commitment to the development of Vanua Levu and to strengthening the infrastructure needed to support connectivity, tourism, trade and essential services. 

“The Government of Fiji remains firmly committed to improving connectivity to Vanua Levu as part of our wider efforts to promote balanced national development and unlock greater economic opportunity in the North. Investments of this nature are critical to supporting communities, facilitating movement, and creating the conditions for sustainable growth,” Honourable Gavoka said. 

The Minister further noted that the runway improvement forms part of the wider Na Vualiku Project, through which the Government has worked with the World Bank to mobilise financing for strategic investments in infrastructure and services in Vanua Levu. 

“The Na Vualiku Project reflects the Coalition Government’s commitment to securing and advancing major development financing for Vanua Levu. Through this programme, we are pursuing practical investments that can strengthen infrastructure, improve access, and support long term tourism and economic development. The completion of the Labasa runway strengthening works is a tangible example of that commitment being translated into results,” he said. 

The Ministry also acknowledged the collaborative efforts of Fiji Airports, project partners, contractors, landowners and local stakeholders who contributed to the successful completion of the works. 

As lead agency for the Na Vualiku Project, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation will continue to work closely with Fiji Airports and other implementing agencies to advance priority investments that support sustainable development in Vanua Levu. 

– ENDS – 

Photos:

An aerial view of the Labasa Airport runway following the completion of the strengthening
works this week.

This morning,Fiji Airports welcomed Northern Air’s first arriving passengers to Labasa Airport as Waiqele officially reopened after six weeks.

The Fiji Airways crew made it extra special by welcoming passengers with beautiful necklaces, refreshments, and warm island smiles.

Integrated Tourism Master Plan (ITMP): Planning for Sustainable Tourism Growth in Vanua Levu and Taveuni

Following the wide consultations held last year, the ITMP team carried out further community engagements across Macuata earlier this year.

Consultations were well attended, with strong representation from community leaders, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities. Communities are now better informed of the project objectives and phases.

The team noted strong buy-in and ownership, alongside the need to balance tourism opportunities with protecting and preserving natural as well as cultural assets since cultural tourism options are being explored.

Cultural mapping was used during these sessions to systematically document both tangible and intangible cultural assets, including sites of significance, stories, traditions, and traditional knowledge, as well as potential opportunities for kayaking, surfing, trekking, eco-tourism and backpacker sites.

These sessions generated valuable conversations and inputs. In Nadogo District, for example, Kavewa Island Eco Sanctuary has already mapped sites including a turtle nesting site, a Lapita pottery site, and a locally managed marine area. Such information will help strengthen planning, responsible development, and heritage conservation through the ITMP process.

📍Tikina Nasavusavu Council

Strengthening partnerships with community leadership is essential to ensuring tourism development reflects local priorities.

The Na Vualiku Project Local Project Coordinator, Mr. Sara Bulutani, recently engaged with members of the Tikina Nasavusavu Council to discuss key initiatives under the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu and to hear directly from community leaders on priorities shaping the future of tourism in the Northern Division.

The program, designed to strengthen tourism micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and community-based tourism operators across Vanua Levu and Taveuni, will help with improving business skills, strengthening services, and helping local operators better connect to the tourism market. This in turn will support local enterprise development, create more jobs, and encourage greater participation of communities in the tourism economy.

Several communities had submitted applications and welcomed the opportunity to receive an update on the program and what to expect next.

The engagement also opened discussion on waste management solutions, an important part of ensuring tourism growth is managed sustainably. Council members were invited to help identify suitable land that could be assessed as part of upcoming waste management feasibility studies, helping ensure solutions are practical, community-supported, and aligned with local priorities.

These engagements are essential to ensuring that tourism planning and investments under the Na Vualiku Project are grounded in community voices and local leadership.

#NaVualiku #VanuaLevu #CommunityEngagement #SustainableTourism #NorthernDivision

🌿 Tourism growth must protect what matters most to communities. That is why the Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment is critical in helping ensure that future tourism development safeguards land, livelihoods, culture, and the natural environment, while supporting sustainable economic opportunities.

📍 Following extensive engagement last year, the Na Vualiku Project recently reconvened stakeholders in Labasa, Nabouwalu, Savusavu, and Taveuni to present the results of the assessment and invite feedback to help validate and strengthen the findings. 

🤝 These sessions brought together a range of stakeholders, including community representatives and private sector participants such as tourism MSMEs and community-based tourism operators, to review key insights and share perspectives on environmental and social priorities that should guide tourism planning across Vanua Levu and Taveuni.

📝 The feedback gathered will help refine the final recommendations and inform the Integrated Tourism Master Plan, ensuring that future tourism investments reflect community priorities and strong environmental and social safeguards.

🌏 Through engagements like these, the Na Vualiku Project continues to ensure that tourism planning for the Northern Division is shaped by community voices and local knowledge.

#NaVualiku #VanuaLevu #Taveuni #SESA #SustainableTourism #CommunityEngagement

Feature image: The Great White Wall, located on Fiji’s Rainbow Reef in the Somosomo Strait, is a world-renowned dive site famous for its vertical drop-off covered in luminous white soft corals (Dendronephthya). Photo: Taveuni Tourism Association

Discover how the Na Vualiku Project is shaping the future of tourism in Vanua Levu and Taveuni! Through a series of dynamic workshops, community voices are coming together to define a shared vision for sustainable tourism that reflects local aspirations. Participants, including community representatives and tourism operators, are mapping existing assets and identifying new opportunities while prioritizing the protection of natural and cultural treasures. Join us in exploring how these collaborative efforts will guide the Integrated Tourism Master Plan, ensuring that tourism development supports local livelihoods and fosters economic growth. Dive into the details and be part of this transformative journey!