Town Planning

Town Planning deals with Subdivision, Rezoning and Development Control matters to ensure the development in the City is carried out in an orderly manner and conforms with the Principles and Objectives of the approved Town Planning Scheme and General Provisions.

Development Control

The Suva City Town Planning General Provision provides a definition of DEVELOPMENT.

In relation to any land means any building operations or rebuilding operations; including the making of alterations, addition or structural repairs to any building, the formation, laying out or material widening of a street or a means of vehicular access thereto; and any use of the land or any building, either wholly or in part, which is materially different from the purpose for which the land or building was last being used;-

Provided that the following operations or uses of land shall not be deemed to involve the development of the land.

  1. The carrying out of works for the repair, improvement or other alterations of any building, being works which affect only the interior of the building.
  2. The use (not involving building or rebuilding operations other than those specified in the last preceding paragraph) of land or of any building within the curtilage of a dwelling house for any purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling house as such;
  3. The use (not involving or re-building operations other than those specified in paragraph (a.) of this provision) of land for the purposes of agriculture or forestry, and the use for any of those purposes of any building occupied together with land so used;

Development also includes;

  1. The subdividing of, or permitting to be subdivided any land
  2. Any earthworks which substantially alters the levels of any land and
  3. The destruction of any palm having a girth of more than 1.0mretre or any other tree having a girth of more than 2.0metres, such girths to be measured at a height of 1.0metres above the ground.

There are three (3) major zones within the Suva City boundary;

  • Residential A, B, C, D zones – Houses, flats, residential apartments and Conditional Development such as Motel, Hotel, Tourist Apartments and Medical Practitioners etc.
  • Commercial A, B, C, D zones- Shops, Restaurants, Cafes, Takeaways, Pharmacy, Hair Salon, Supermarket, Butchers, Bakery, Tailors and Banks etc.
  • Industrial- Heavy and General Industrial Zones – factories, workshops, garages. Printing press, Warehouses, Bulk Store, Kava Pounding, Joinery Works etc.

To carry out any of the developments listed above, you are required to provide all documents under the checklist. Before undertaking any development or application please visit the Town Planning Section, Engineering Department for consultation first.