SUVA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) — The Fijian government plans to develop 266 acres of land to pilot an affordable and climate-resilient housing project in the island nation, with the vision to eradicate squatter and informal settlements in the next 10 years.
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad revealed this plan on Tuesday while attending the Roadshow for the Public-Private Partnership for the Affordable Housing Project in Australia.
Prasad said the government has earmarked sites in Davuilevu, Nepani, Wainibuku and Raiwaqa, and also in Tavakubu, Lautoka and Tavua to develop the first pilot project, which is expected to supply around 3,000 housing units that will be climate resilient, green and Category 5 cyclone compliant structures.
He said the government has started the bidding process, and they would like to select a private developer for the project, so they can commence the construction before mid-2024.
According to the People’s Community Network (PCN) Fiji, there are about 230 squatter settlements in Fiji.
Squatter settlements are a continuing major issue for Fiji as they are home to around 20 percent of the population of around 900,000 people.
