Naboro traditional landowners to receive higher community levy

Traditional landowners of the Naboro Landfill will receive a higher community levy after Cabinet approved a revised agreement with the Yavusa Bativudi.

The levy will increase from 78 cents to 85 cents for every tonne of waste received at the landfill.

Speaking in Parliament, Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya said that while the Naboro Landfill sits on State freehold land, the area is the ancestral land of the Yavusa Bativudi.

She said Government recognised the importance of ensuring the community received tangible benefits from the use of the land.

The Community Levy Agreement has been in place since 2014, with funds used to support education, housing, village development, investments, funerals and other community obligations.

The Yavusa Bativudi sought a review of the arrangement in 2024, requesting both an increase in the levy and a fairer distribution of its benefits.

Tabuya said Government consulted the community, the iTaukei Affairs Board and relevant government agencies before carrying out a cost-benefit analysis.

“We sought a balance: fair to the landowners, responsible to taxpayers, and sustainable for Naboro,” she said.

Cabinet approved the revised agreement in July 2026.

Under the new arrangement, funds will be divided equally, with a 20 per cent allocation across five areas — education, village housing, capital development investments, village development, and funeral and village functions.

The revised agreement will cover the five-year period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2029, aligning it with the current Naboro Landfill operating contract.

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