THE perpetual title of the entire island of Tulagi, Central Province, is in the name of the Commissioner of Lands, not the province.
That’s according to acting lands commissioner Alan McNeil.
McNeil made the clarification after the Central Province requested the Land Board to make a statement about the ownership of the island, following media reports about a proposed lease of the island.
“I am therefore making it clear to the public, that the perpetual estate of the entire Tulagi Island is in the name of the Commissioner of Lands, not the province,” he said.
“In addition, no part of the island above the high water mark is customary land either,” McNeil added.
“The whole island was purchased in 1896 by Charles Woodford for the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, and remains government land to this day.”
The Land Board last week conducted its meeting at Tulagi, its first outside of Honiara in the five years since its inception.
According to McNeil, during the meeting, the board considered a number of important matters brought by the Provincial Government, including the need to protect historical sites on the island, the need to create road reserves with a minimum width around the island, and a proposed subdivision of national government land at “Smoke Hill”.
“The board also considered several land matters in other parts of the country as part of its regular monthly agenda,” McNeil said.
At Tulagi, the Land Board, chaired by Alfred Warau met with the premier and provincial secretary of Central Province.
McNeil said it was agreed that all would work together to address the pressing land matters for Tulagi and Central Islands Province as a whole.
