TONGA'S Royal Land Commission is on the final phase of its three-year work program to inquire into and review Tonga's existing Land Acts and practices, with the continuation of a wide range of public hearings in Tonga this month and in Australia in March.

The commission chaired by Baron Fielakepa and two commissioners Lord Tevita Tupou and Barron Afeaki had initially completed a range of public meetings throughout Tongatapu from June to November last year.

Meetings were also held with Tongans living in Honolulu, California and Utah in the United States in July last year. In December meetings were held in Auckland and Wellington.

Gloria Pole'o the Secretary of the Land Commission said the meetings would continue this week in Vava'u from January 24 to February 3 before moving on to Australia.

The last round of meetings would be in Ha'apai, 'Eua and the two Niuas, to be held from around April to May.

She said their work was in three phases and the public meetings were the final stage aimed at providing a forum for open discussions with Tongans on what concerns them with regards to the issue of land.

She said after the public meetings the commission would continue to hold meetings with banks and other private sector organisations that might have any feedback, before writing up their final report that should be submitted to the king by the end of November this year.

Review

Appointed by the King in Council in October 2008, the commission is tasked to review existing land laws and practices in order to provide a more effective and efficient practices without changing the basic land tenure of Tonga.

Gloria said their work is just to review the existing land acts and practices and look at the improvement of certain areas so that it is inline with people's needs. She pointed out the Land Act was passed in 1927 and this was its first major review.

She said that so far the feedback from public discussions was that Tongans did not want to change Tonga's tenure system but there were areas highlighted that some people wanted improvements in.

For example, one of the topics was the issue of women and land. Some made recommendations to improve part of the law where a woman loses the hereditary land of her father (if there are no male heirs) when she gets married.

People wanted this to be reviewed so that women can still keep the hereditary land her father passed to her even if she is married, said Gloria.

Program

The first phase of the commission's work were inquiries into the Ministry of Lands, Survey & Natural Resources completed in January last year.

An Interim Report of findings and recommendations, the commission's first Interim Report was submitted to the king in February 2010.

Phase Two was inquiring into Vava'u land dealings through the internet possibly done contra to the Land Act. Fifty-seven witnesses gave evidence in Neiafu and Tongatapu ending in April last year.

A second Interim Report of findings and recommendations was submitted to the king in May 2010.

The final report will consist of the commission's overall findings and recommendations of all three phases to the king.