The Ministry's Permanent Secretary Maria Matavewa told the FijiSUN yesterday said they were working closely with the Native Land Trust Board for the information to be stored in the Land Data Bank.

This she said was part of the Ministry's 2010 - 2014 Strategic Plan that was launched at Suva's Holiday Inn yesterday.

The launch was officiated by the Chairman of the Public Service Commission Josefa Seruilagilagi.

"The two specific outcomes that are focused upon under the land reform in the plan are land accessibility and utilisation," she said.

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama earlier said - "Land reform is needed to save the sugar industry and open more opportunities for tourism and agriculture."

When asked why there was a need for the Land Data Bank, Ms Matavewa said land information needed to be stored in one place.

"When someone wants a piece of land, we can get it just by a press of a button."

The way forward now by the Government is for everyone to have accessibility to land.

However, this should not affect land ownership and the PM had also earlier stressed that land reform would not affect ownership but would help landowners financially.

Ms Matavewa said the Land Data Bank would have all information about all types of lands in Fiji.

It would also have information of land that could be on offer for use.

She said most landowners had very little knowledge about their land but with the Land Data Bank, they could access whatever information they wanted.

The Native Land Trust Board, she said had been very supportive of the new initiative.

Elaborating on the 2010 - 2014 Strategic Plan, Ms Matavewa said they had undertaken community wide consultation to formulate the five-year plan.

Mr Seruilagilagi said Fiji urgently needed to go through some dynamic land use reforms.

"We need the reforms so that State lands, minerals and groundwater resources are utilised and developed to provide better returns to the country's economy," he said.