Riya Mala 
The Ministry of Forestry is currently conducting its second major consultation on the Draft Forest Bill of 2025.
This is the second in a series of stakeholder consultations designed to provide you with the opportunity to offer input and feedback on the proposed legislation.
Minister Alitia Banivalu says Fiji’s forestry laws have remained largely unchanged for decades.
Forestry Minister Alitia Nabainivalu.
She adds that while the Forest Act of 1992 and its subsequent regulations have served their purpose, they no longer adequately reflect today’s modern forestry landscape’s challenges and opportunities.
She further explains that the Ministry started this review not just to update old laws, but to create a new bill that supports national goals such as sustainability, environmental protection, fair growth, and addressing climate change.
“Our forests are more than just trees. They are cultural heritage, sources of livelihoods, climate change, biodiversity sanctuaries, and economic assets. The new forestry bill recognizes this multi-faceted value. It introduces a more integrated and sustainable framework for managing forest resources, strengthening governance, enforcing accountability, and protecting community rights.”
The consultation aims to provide stakeholders a platform to share their views and input on how they want the reviewed bill presented.
Banivalu extended her gratitude to the Asian Development Bank and their legal experts for their technical and legal assistance in the review process, which has helped accelerate progress on this longstanding effort.
She adds that once the consultation is complete, they aim to table the bill in the upcoming parliamentary sitting.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
