Premier consults with landowners on development
BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
THE Premier of Guadalcanal Province is moving forward in achieving better development in the best interest of the people.
Premier Francis Sade this week opened a forum to hear landowners’ views about their land and issues holding them back from developing them.
Mr Sade told the landowners that they need to sort out their differences and open up their land for development so that they can benefit from it.
He said Ruaniu land is 250 hectares and there are investors who are interested but landowners need to first open up their land for development.
“I have interests in those alienated for investments as last week, I went to Gizo for the Premiers meeting and we have agreed that the Government should give us the Federal system in 2026 that was in the communique.
“So, when I look back to us Guadalcanal province, we are not prepared for the State Government, because there was no investment in Guadalcanal, we have no township, Honiara is not ours, Honiara belongs to the national Government,” Premier Sade said.
He said when they were elected into the Provincial Executive they identified four areas to have their township and in order to develop the township, the Province needs to have developments.
And there is a need to open up developments from Henderson to Marau and Kakabona to Variana land, Sade said.
Therefore, all alienated land within those areas need to be identified and who owns the land – whether it is a perpetual title still under the commissioner of lands or already given back to the people.
“That is the only way forward for landowners and the communities and once we are not allowing our land to be developed then we are not going to benefit from our land when we adopt the State Government system,” Sade said.
He also told the landowners that the province is willing to support in any way to resolve any issues between tribes and families before development can take place.
Meanwhile women leaders and chiefs who attended the meeting agreed to the idea initiated by the Premier.
During the consultation a task force was also set up to consult with communities who reside in Ruaniu land about the idea and will provide feedback to the Provincial Executive.
Premier Sade also thanked the women, young people, chiefs and elders who attended the consultation for supporting his call to have an open forum about developments on their land.
