Cyclone Smith offers SIG a new 75 lease to redevelop Anuha Island in exchange for $170 million
After 38 years since the closure of one of the prettiest islands in the Pacific, Anuha Island Resort in Central Province—shut down due to a land dispute that led to the arson of properties—there may now be light at the end of the tunnel for its reopening.
This comes after a Dutch man, John Meint Smith, describes as ‘Cyclone Smith’ in Australia media, who holds the Irrevocable Power of Attorney (IPA) over the island, offered to grant a 75-year lease to the Solomon Islands Government [SIG].
Reports claim that former Anglican priest, tribal leader of Anuha Island and MBE, the late Fr Robert Pule, granted Smith the Irrevocable Power of Attorney to defend his tribe following pressure from past SIG Governments seeking control of the island.
Smith told Solomon Star from Brisbane, where he currently resides, that he is willing to grant a new lease to the government so it can sublease the island to an investor to redevelop it.
However, he said this can only happen if the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) pays him compensation of SBD$170 million (AUD$30 million) for a 20-year warrant of arrest issued against him and for reputational damage caused to his family.
“The warrant of arrest was lifted in 2008 after my former lawyer, the late Andrew Nori, helped me in court to have it removed.
“Therefore, from the AUD$30 million, AUD$20 million would compensate for the 20-year warrant of arrest and AUD$10 million would compensate my family for the tarnishing of my name,” he said.
The resort was successfully developed and managed by Pacific Resorts Ltd in 1983 by Queensland-based businessmen John Donnelly and Peter Cornish.
It became a major tourism drawcard in the region, and Anuha Island Resort hosted a number of well-known celebrities.
Transportation to the resort was provided through Anuha’s private airline and its own charter boat fleet. The resort also generated its own electricity and water supply.
Ownership later changed hands several times over the course of the resort’s history.
In 2015, the Tasmanian Times reported that Smith launched a website, www.anuhaislandjohnsmith.com, highlighting the long-standing dispute over Anuha Island.
The website documents the saga surrounding land rights and the issue of the “irrevocable power”.
Meanwhile, so-called landowners of Anuha Island signed a development agreement on July 8, 2025, paving the way for major redevelopment.
Christian Siale, Deputy Secretary for the Productive Sector in the Prime Minister’s Office, handed over the agreement to Central Province Premier Kenneth Sagupari on July 10, 2025, in Tulagi.
The signing followed nearly a week of discussions in Tulagi, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Siale described the agreement as a “milestone achievement” for Central Province and the country.
Premier Sagupari praised the government’s support and thanked Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele for his leadership and commitment in supporting vital projects like Anuha.
“This investment is not just for Central Province, it’s for all Solomon Islands,” he said.
After years of disagreement, the landowning groups have now united to allow the redevelopment of Anuha Island to move forward.
Sagupari said the provincial government will begin further discussions with the national government to kickstart development, starting with the rehabilitation of the island’s airfield.
“These are the types of developments worth pursuing.
“Under my leadership, we will work closely with the national government to improve the infrastructure that our province needs,” the Premier said.
First on the list is the island’s airfield, which has been neglected since the resort’s closure.
Premier Sagupari also revealed that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has already budgeted $600,000 for airfield upgrades in 2025.
“These are the developments we need. We will push hard to improve our infrastructure,” Sagupari said.
He urged other resource owners to work together to bring change and progress to Central Province.
Since 1988, the island has seen repeated but unsuccessful attempts at redevelopment.
Projects stalled due to unresolved leases, investor issues and ongoing disputes.
Despite these setbacks, renewed cooperation between the government and landowners has brought fresh hope.
If successful, Anuha Resort could once again become a key tourism destination for Solomon Islands.
However, Smith told Solomon Star that Siale has no power to sign an agreement with Central Province government because he holds the IPA over the island.
He alleged that Siale is misleading the public because the immediate family members of late Fr Pule are not with him, except some extended family members.
“Siale has bypassed me to sign the agreement. He should have consulted me first before signing the agreement with Central Province government,” he said.
Mr Smith claimed the Anuha issue is “the biggest fraud case in the Pacific,” alleging that it involved the Solomon Islands Government and previous Australian High Commissioners in the 1980s who witnessed dealings that he claims were fraudulent and contributed to the island remaining undeveloped until today.
He explained that the IPA he holds on behalf of the late Fr Pule and his family legally stands and cannot be undermined by any person, group or government.
Mr Smith said the IPA was signed by the late Fr Pule and members of his family and was witnessed by people who are still alive today and can confirm the document.
A power of attorney is a written document in which someone—the principal—gives a trusted person, or agent, the authority to handle financial and property affairs on behalf of another person or organisation.
Mr Smith argued that previous attempts by the government to resolve the matter with him failed because no formal offers were made during negotiations held in Brisbane in the past.
He said he speaks on behalf of the late Fr Pule and his family, who gave him the authority because, he claims, the Solomon Islands Government and others wanted to take the property from them.
“So late Fr Pule gave me the IPA with trust that I would stand for him at any cost to protect the property from the government and those who want to steal ownership from him,” Mr Smith said.
“If they want to see Anuha redeveloped, then the Solomon Islands Government must compensate me and my family and late Pule’s family,” he added.
