By JYOTI PRATIBHA and
RAEVENN BREEN
Government and the owner of Cloud 9, Fiji’s only floating bar and restaurant getaway, have come to mutual terms and have agreed for its reopening but at a different location.
Cloud 9, based near the world famour Cloud Break surfing spot in Tavarua had been closed down by Government on November 1.
It had been deemed as an illegal operation with regards to the Surfing Areas Decree of 2010.
Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum confirmed meeting the owner of Cloud 9, Tony Philp, on Tuesday.
“The whole issue with Cloud 9 was that it was in a surfing area,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“The Surfing Areas Decree 2010 says that you can only have surfing and water activities around that area. Cloud 9 obviously was not engaging in that activity.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said they have identified a spot away from the surfing area and they would re-locate to that area.
“They would obviously need to obtain permits that are relevant to that area,” he said.
“As far as the Surfing Decree goes, it has to be outside of the surfing area and falls outside of the ambit of the surfing decree.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the objection with Cloud 9 had nothing to do with the objections of the activities of Cloud 9, per se.
“Government is supportive of all tourism-related activities as long as it is within the confines of the law,” he said.
“We look forward to all investors and operators providing more ancillary services to the tourism sector.”
The new location
Mr Philp said the new location will still be situated in the Mamanucas.
But he said he was not in a position to release the exact whereabouts because of talks which are still underway with respective landowners.
“We are thinking positively about the entire process and if all things go accordingly, Cloud 9 will be re-opening again in no time,” Mr Philp said.
“At this point in time, it’s just a matter of sorting out a number of legal documents and making sure all criteria are met by both ourselves and the landowners.”