Speech Detail

Honourable Speaker of Parliament; 

The Honourable Prime Minister; 

Honourable Deputy Prime Ministers;

Honourable Cabinet Ministers and Assistant Ministers; 

Honourable Leader of the Opposition;

Honourable Members of Parliament; 

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

Honourable Speaker Sir, I rise to deliver my statement on the Maritime Pine Project carried out by the Ministry of Forestry in collaboration with our partners, Fiji Pine Ltd and Fiji Pine Trust and landowners. Our logging operation in the Maritime Islands is a vital project that contributes to our economy and supports our local communities. It is also a project where Government has also re-strategised and invested heavily since this financial year, recognizing and addressing the situation of resource owners on these islands.

BACKGROUND:

The Government introduced the Maritime Pine Package Project with the aim of ensuring the sustainable use and management of maritime pine resources through investments in machines, skills training and inventory of pine resources.

The project was introduced to support maritime communities to use their mature pine plantation resources for the construction of their houses, including renovations. 

Since logging contractors from the mainland found it unprofitable to barge logs/timber across to the mainland and sell them, the Government has stepped in to support by subsidizing part of the operations through the purchase of portable sawmill machines for example.

The main objective is to support the Maritime Islands Pine schemes to be equipped with appropriate harvesting machines, tools with the capacity to economically harvest , process and market their matured Pine trees.

The overall socio-economic impact of this project is to improve the livelihoods of maritime villages.

This work started in Cicia and Gau Islands. Since then, the Government has been injecting funding support into the harvesting and processing of maritime pine plantations as a capital project in the annual budget.

PROJECT SUCCESSES:

Through the Maritime Pine Development Program the Ministry has been able to support maritime islands to develop their pine industry as well as provide timber to the local communities.

Mr Speaker Sir, there are various measurable Outputs and Outcomes from these maritime project support and beneficiaries, including the communities, private sector and the nation as a whole.

For our maritime communities, there are:

• Firstly, Financial Benefits: For example in Muani, this includes the payment of $60 per tonne of logs to landowners, resulting so far in a total payout of $0.8 million. This direct financial support will enhance the livelihoods of the local landowners and their families.

• Secondly, there are Employment Opportunities for communities. The project will create numerous job opportunities in logging, transportation, and port operations, leading to increased employment in the local communities.

• Thirdly, Infrastructure Development: The construction and upgrading of port facilities, guided by the Fiji Roads Authority, will improve local infrastructure, providing long-term benefits to the communities.

Mr. Speaker Sir, the Private Sector will also benefit:

• Firstly, through Economic Activity: The release of $647,000 to Tropik Wood Industries will stimulate economic activity within the private sector through barge subsidy

• Secondly, Business Opportunities: The logistics and transportation sectors will benefit from the movement of 6 barge loads, each carrying 2000 tonnes of logs, creating new business opportunities and partnerships.

• Thirdly, Sustainable Practices: By adhering to sustainable logging practices, the private sector can demonstrate its commitment to environmental stewardship, corporate social responsibility, enhancing its reputation and ensuring long-term viability.

And for the Nation as a whole Mr. Speaker Sir, there are also significant benefits:

• Firstly expected Economic Growth: The overall economic contribution of this logging operation, including job creation and business opportunities, will support national economic growth.

• Secondly, Sustainable Development: The project aligns with our national goals of promoting sustainable practices, ensuring that our natural resources are managed responsibly for future generations.

• Finally, Enhanced Infrastructure: The improvements in port facilities and related infrastructure will have lasting positive impacts on national logistics and trade capabilities.

Mr Speaker Sir, for example the project has been able to provide timber to build more than 50 housing structures. These have a total estimated value of more than $400,000.

Harvesting has proven extremely fruitful. Over the life of the project we have seen harvesting in:

• The village Waiqori in Oneata with a total log volume of 160m3, sawn timber of 92m3 and 19 housing structures built.

• Tubou and Levuka villages in Lakeba of 70.601m3 log volume, sawn timber at 40.591m3 and 8 housing structures built.

• Nasau and Korotolu villages on Moce Island a total of 129.979m3, sawn timber of 73.919m3 and a total of 15 housing structures built.

• The village of Mataso in Kadavu with a total of 450m3 log volume, sawn timber of 256m3 and a total of 15 housing structures built.

We have also seen the development of vital infrastructure – for example the construction and inauguration of a jetty in Muani, Kadavu to enable the export of logs. The first logging barge departed in June.

The Narocake Pine Scheme in Gau has also been assisted through Forestry’s Pine Development Capital Project in processing Pine Posts. The Ministry has committed a total of $25,000.00 and produced a volume of 79 cubic meters worth $59,724.75 from these sales.

With these funds, the Narocake Pine scheme was able to purchase a 3 ton canopy truck. Together with the assistance from the Ministry of Trade & Co-operative, the scheme managed to develop the Narocake Co-operative Ltd as part of our community development programme using the Fiji Pine Trust Grant and Head 32 Maritime Pine Development.

Mr Speaker Sir, Moala and Lakeba has also been assisted through the Housing Rehabilitation Programme. 15 houses in Moala and 11 houses in Lakeba have been provided for, with a total value of more than $150,000.

2024-2025 PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

In the coming Financial Year, The Ministry will continue to expand Maritime Pine projects to ensure the socio-economic benefits of the Forestry sector, including rehabilitation, rebuilding and economic development, are extended to our Maritime communities.

This year we have a number of planned activities to further this objective.

• Firstly we will continue to support logistics for Commercial Pine Development. This includes:

. Port construction at Wainiyabia, Lakeba and Solodamu, Kadavu.

. Conducting Sustainable Forest Management for villages in Kadavu, Lakeba and Gau.

.  A Rehabilitation integrated restocking progrmame with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Forests Forest Research & Development for Muani including planting short term

agricultural produce to combat food insecurity, planting of grasses to prevent wash off of sediments and the planting of fruit trees.

.  Financial literacy training in collaboration with the Ministry of Co-Operative and other financial institutions

.  And a housing rehabilitation programme focussing on Muani in Kadavu and Lakeba in Lau.

• Secondly we will also partake in the felling, sawmilling, timber treatment and marketing of the Narocake Pine Scheme, Lakeba Pine Scheme and Kadavu Pine Scheme.

. The support will include, for example, the purchase of equipment to assist in the felling of logs, processing of the pine logs, ensuring consistent management of machines, treatment of the logs as well as marketing the finished timber product.

• Finally, we will continue to support the Maritime Islands Pine Schemes using our Commercial Maritime Pine Subsidy in barge and boat fare, to ensure the commercial viability of the projects.

ROLE OF FIJI PINE LTD AND FIJI PINE TRUST:

Mr. Speaker Sir, the collaboration and support we receive from Fiji Pine Ltd and Fiji Pine Trust is invaluable to the success of the project. We thank them for their invaluable contributions to our Maritime Communities.

Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry will continue to work closely with the Fiji Pine Trust. This year the total budget allocated for Fiji Pine Trust under the capital grant is $1.7 million for this financial year. In addition to working with Fiji Pine Trust in developing a 20 Year Forest Management Plan with Harvesting Schedules for all Pine Schemes in the Maritime islands, we will work with Fiji Pine Trust on the activities mentioned above including:

•The development and construction of the jetties mentioned above,

•Silviculture, including the establishment of a Pine Nursery in Kadavu

•Training, awareness and business support for Pine Scheme owners.

And it is through Fiji Pine Ltd’s subsidiary Tropik Wood Indsutries that the logs are processed, through Fiji’s largest sawmill producing both wood chip mill for export and being an independent power producer exporting excess power to the national grid.

Mr Speaker Sir, thank you very much, vinaka vakalevu.