1 week Ago By Shayal Devi
Fiji’s historic landmarks — combined with its ethereal natural beauty — have often been pitched as a potential tourist attraction. For places like Levuka, getting the stamp of a World Heritage Listing from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) would undoubtedly assist in attracting history buffs, eager to take in Fiji’s sights and learn about the country’s storied past. For this purpose, the amended Fiji World Heritage Bill 2023 was passed in Parliament last week, and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga told Parliament that the bill established mechanisms such as the Fiji Heritage Council, the Fiji Register, trust funds, along with provisions for buffer zones to safeguard surrounding areas.
“These measures aim to Fiji’s heritage for future generations while fostering a sense of national pride and cultural identity,” he said. Now, the newly passed Act will aim to enhance Fiji’s commitment to preserve sites of outstanding universal value. History of the Act Mr Turaga told Parliament that the Heritage Bill 2023 was introduced as a key legislative measure to safeguard Fiji’s natural and cultural heritage.
He said this also ensured its alignment with the international obligations under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. As Fiji became a state party to the World Heritage Convention on November 21, 1990, Mr Turaga said the country pledged to implement legislative administrative measures to uphold its responsibilities under the convention. “In September 2023, the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights was tasked with scrutinising the Heritage Bill with a mandate to review its provisions and report findings to Parliament,” he said.
“The Heritage Bill 2023 seeks to domesticate the principles of World Heritage Convention, providing a framework for recognising, protecting and managing sites with potential and outstanding universal values.” Despite delays in bringing this crucial legislation before Parliament, Mr Turaga said there were issues which needed to be addressed first. This included the terminology such as “outstanding universal value” and its presumed meaning.
He said the phrase might undermine the values and rights of indigenous and local communities by imposing an external perspective on heritage significance. “The definition of ‘management’. The narrow definition of ‘management’ in the Bill fails to adequately incorporate indigenous Fijian cultural aspects that limits the scope of heritage preservation.
“Another is the definition of ‘nominated property’. The term does not sufficiently link cultural heritage to indigenous culture, potentially overlooking indigenous contributions to heritage. “The term ‘buffer zones’.
There is a need to specify the size and extent of the protective buffer zones around heritage sites to prevent damage from nearby developments.” Through the review process, it was also decided that the proposed heritage council should include community representatives from areas with listed heritage sites, to ensure local and indigenous issues are adequately addressed in heritage management decisions. A change for the better The newly proposed Bill — which was originally meant to be passed under Standing Order 51 — was later detracted after the Opposition decried the lack of debate on the legislation.
Considering these new developments, the standing committee proposed several amendments to the then — ill, which included: Mr Turaga said the amendments made to the Bill were extensive as it provided a clarification of terminology, and streamlined council membership and enhanced penalty structures, important steps to improve the Bill’s practical application. “These changes stem from the Bill’s alignment with UNESCO guidelines and reinforces its ability to safeguard Fiji’s unique cultural natural heritage for future generations.” The case of Levuka Opposition Member of Parliament Faiyaz Koya told Parliament said when the Bill initially came into existence, the focus was on Levuka.
“So, it was pretty much, when it was originally done, it was like a Levuka-centric Bill,” he said. “But opposed to Levuka getting its World Heritage status, it needed to be modified, it needed to be strengthened, it needed to look at how we would deal with other sites once they come up, all the places that required application to go get listed.” Mr Koya explained that being on the World Heritage Listing was not an easy task, as it required the “ticking of many boxes” to even be considered.
“There are many things in Fiji, and this relates to our tourism industry also. Once you get onto the World Heritage Listing, it becomes a tourism attraction, so this value-adds to our tourism industry.” Another Opposition MP, Alvick Maharaj, also expressed concern about the state of infrastructure in Levuka.
He said some of the buildings had deteriorated to such a state that some of those could not be maintained. MP Mosese Bulitavu said in Fiji, Levuka Town was the only place under a World Heritage area. “We had issues when we went there earlier with the residences of Levuka, given the processes they have to follow in renovating their homes and also in trying to develop other businesses,” he said.
“But the passing of this Bill will then allow a pathway in Clause 29 that will allow the process of how the applications, whoever wants to do any development will go to the council.” This will then be approved through the management plan, which Mr Bulitavu said will be vetted by the Town Council Planning or the Director of the Town and Country Planning. Not a “foreign concept” Minister for iTaukei Affairs Ifereimi Vasu says world heritage is not a foreign concept, and the newly passed legislation needed to be embraced and implementation according to a careful blend of traditional and indigenous values.
He said the Bill shows Government’s deep commitment that heritage mattered. “We are sowing a culture of respect and revenge for the legacy that our forefathers have left us,” he said. “We are a nation that champion discipline and honour at international stage.
In the same way, we are committed to honouring our obligation under the 1972 World Heritage Convention. “This Bill is comprehensive. Comprehensive because, it has gone through a series of consultation.
Concerns, aspirations of resource owners, our people and our communities collated during these consultations, have been factored into the Bill. “The latest of these consultations was with the landowning units, that traditionally own land located within the buffer zone that protects the Levuka nominated property. “They were never consulted, and I have been reliably informed that the land-owning units welcome the initiative and the purpose of the Bill which was then explained to them for ease of understanding.
” Mr Vasu also said the Bill was not an impediment to development, and that over the years, especially in Levuka, and on the island of Ovalau, citizens were misinformed and ill-advised that heritage halted development. He said the Bill enhanced Government’s ability to protect Fiji’s rich culture, legacy and made it easier for resource owners to engage with the heritage regulations.”.
