The pitfalls, disputes, and complexity of land ownership in Solomon Islands

Alan Mcneil, Solomon Islands Commissioner of Lands, discusses the hotly contested issue of land ownership in Solomon Islands. Eighty percent of the country’s land area is unregistered, with no official government recognition of ownership. Multiple interrelated but disputing groups claim ownership over the same land areas. Titles over registered land are clear, but are equally subject to dispute and legal challenge. Land in and around urban areas is the most contentious, due to higher demand and higher value. This presentation provides an overview of how Solomon Islanders view land ownership, what it represents to them, and how urbanisation is shaped by land ownership.

Bio
Having worked as an urban planner in NSW, PNG, and the UK, Alan returned to RMIT University to undertake a Master of Social Science (international development). Alan first arrived in Solomon Islands in 2004, working initially as a planning adviser to Guadalcanal Provincial Government then with Honiara City Council. He has been with the National Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Survey since 2014, including acting as Commissioner of Lands since 2018. As Commissioner, Alan is essentially the landlord and gatekeeper of land owned by the Solomon Islands Government, and fields numerous applications for land every day.