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Rezoning Land

Rezoning land means changing the use of the subject land from its original purpose. There are six (6) major land zones under which different land uses are classified in accordance with the Town Planning Act General Provisions. These are:

- Residential
- Commercial
- Industrial
- Civic
- Special Use
- Agricultural

Rezoning process

The rezoning application process depends on whether your property is within or outside the Town Planning Scheme boundary.

Properties with the Town Planning Scheme boundary (Scheme Amendment)

1. Lodge a rezoning application with the relevant Municipal Council with the relevant forms and documents
2. If provisionally approved, liaise with the Municipal Council to advertise the provisional approval in the Fiji Government Gazette and the newspaper for two (2) consecutive Fridays and undergo an objection period of 30 days.
3. Once the objection period has ended you can apply through the Municipal Council for Final Approval which if forwarded to the Department of Town & Country Planning for the Director’s approval.
4. If there are objections to your provisional approval, the Department of Town & Country Planning must first address all objections before endorsing a Final Approval
5. If approved, liaise with the Municipal Council to advertise the Final Approval in the Fiji Government Gazette and the newspaper for two (2) consecutive Fridays.
6. Undertake the required works in compliance with the conditions of the approval

Properties outside the Town Planning Scheme boundary

1. Lodge a rezoning application with the relevant Municipal Council with the relevant forms and documents
2. If approved , undertake the required works in compliance with the conditions of the approval

Application Requirements

When lodging an application with the Municipal Council, you must provide the following documents:

- 3 Copies of Town Planning Application for Development Forms
- Background Information relating to proposed zoning e.g. For Commercial rezoning-type of commercial activity or use intended
- Concept plans for Tourism and Commercial projects.
- Proof of Ownership (Title, Lease Documents)
- Other relevant documents e.g. Fiji Investment Certificate

Application Fees

You must pay a development application fee when you lodge your application.

There are also fees for advertising for provisional approvals, which are incurred after receiving a planning approval.

Lodging an Application

We recommend to have a pre-consultation meeting with the Department of Town and Country Planning to help you prepare your planning application. This is not mandatory but will save you time and make the process easier.

Application Timeline

The processing time line for building applications is 45 working days. During the assessment period, the Department liaises with the Municipal Council for further information and amendments if necessary.

Expired Approvals

Rezoning approvals for properties outside the Town Planning Scheme boundary have a validity of two (2) years. If your scheme approval has expired, your can request for the scheme to be renewed with a renewal fee.

Application to renew scheme approvals are lodged with the relevant Municipal Council.