The committee on Better Utilization of Land with the officials from the Native Land Trust Board (NLTB) and Commissioner Central's office are currently visiting landowners in the central division advising them on what they can get out of their land.

Speaking at the Namosi Provincial Council meeting yesterday, NLTB officials told members that the committee has been speaking to landowners in Tailevu to utilize their land well or look at options to renew the leases after an assessment that landowners did not utilize the land well when leases expire, therefore contributing to less lease money for them.

NLTB officials said an assessment report out from 1997 to 2006 showed that majority of the land for which leases have expired and returned to native owners, have not been utilized.

Officials said before 1997, more than $600,000 in land rent was collected in the central division, but between the year 2005 and 2006 only $200,000 in land rent was collected.