The Rabi Council of Leaders says plans to explore resource extraction on Banaba have entered a new phase.
The council said in a statement that it is no longer working with Australian company Centrex Limited and is instead pursuing the project with the governments of Kiribati and Nauru.
Banaba is a small island in western Kiribati that was heavily mined for phosphate during the colonial era, forcing most Banaban people to relocate to Fiji’s Rabi Island after the Second World War.
The statement mark the council’s first public response to questions raised after PMN News reported on court filings relating to the proposed mining project and ongoing concerns over the management of the Banaban Trust Fund.
In a written response, the council said Centrex was “no longer relevant” to its plans.
“Centrex Ltd is no longer relevant to the RCL,” the statement said. “With a mandate given by the majority Banaban landowners, the RCL is now working closely with the Republic of Kiribati through the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources and the Republic of Nauru through the Republic of Nauru Phosphate Corporation (RONPHOS) for a feasibility study to be carried out on Banaba.”
The council said residents on Rabi were updated during consultations held last week and claimed there was strong support for the proposal.
“There is no issue and the people are happy and eagerly awaiting the completion of all project processes and negotiations.”
Watch the Banaban community in Fiji return home for the island’s 80th anniversary celebrations in December 2025 below.
The council also rejected suggestions that renewed discussion about mining was being used to distract from questions surrounding the Banaban Trust Fund.
“There is no issue and the people are happy and eagerly awaiting the completion of all project processes and negotiations.”
The council also rejected suggestions that renewed discussion about mining was being used to distract from questions surrounding the Banaban Trust Fund.
It said the proposed project was designed to create a new source of income for future generations rather than rely on the trust fund.
“The proposed project on Banaba is an investment on its own and the primary purpose is to generate income in order to uplift the livelihood of the Banaban community both on Rabi and Banaba,” the council said.
“The project on Banaba has nothing to do with the Banaban Trust Fund (BTF).”
The Rabi Council of Leaders says it is now working with the governments of Kiribati and Nauru on a feasibility study for a proposed resource project on Banaba, describing it as a long-term investment for the Banaban community. Photo/Rabi Council of Leaders
According to the council, revenue from the project could support education, housing, infrastructure and community programmes while allowing the trust fund to continue growing.
The council also strongly rejected claims that the community is divided over the proposal.
“Our report is wrong to state that ‘dispute is intensified in recent weeks as community groups…’ There is no dispute on Rabi, people are living happily and going on with their normal daily lives.”
The council also dismissed the legitimacy of the group identified in PMN’s previous report, saying the council does not recognise the Rabi District Council of Social Services and maintains it alone is the statutory body representing the Banaban community.
“The RCL is the only legitimate statutory body recognised under law representing the Banaban community and the landowners on Rabi.”
The council said the proposed project had been endorsed by “the majority Banaban landowners” and all villages on Rabi, although it did not provide details of when that endorsement took place.
On questions surrounding the Banaban Trust Fund audit, the council said inquiries should be directed to the Trust Fund’s secretary and chairman.
The latest statement comes after court documents previously reported by PMN showed an earlier proposal involving Centrex had been put on hold following community objections.
The Office of the Fiji Prime Minister also told the High Court it had “no record of any executed agreement” between the Rabi Administrator and Centrex Limited.
Satellite image of the mining area: Banaba Island remains at the centre of debate over its future with questions continuing over resource development, community consultation and the protection of its environmental and cultural heritage.
The council’s latest response suggests the proposal has since moved in a different direction, with discussions now centred on a feasibility study involving Kiribati and Nauru rather than Centrex.
PMN News has reached out to the Kiribati and Nauru governments for comment.
