The Federation (FTAIM) closely followed the interview of Mrs. Nancy WANE, representative of the (GW), during the program Debrief broadcast on Thursday, May 8, 2026, on TNTV.
In the interest of providing the public with a clearer understanding of a situation that began as early as 2017, the Federation wishes to exercise its right of reply regarding a number of statements that require important clarifications, and in some cases factual corrections, while acknowledging that the interview format does not always allow for exhaustive explanations.
1 → Regarding the mention of a donation of 46,000 m² of land to the public authorities
- In reality, this concerned a land area of more than 30,000 m² as part of a project including a new access road in addition to a land parcel; an option proposed by the GW and presented to the public by the mayor of Teavaro on November 9, 2023. This “generous” gesture is, in fact, made up of 80% wetlands hosting sensitive and protected flora and fauna, such as the Pacific black duck.
As for the buildability of the area, it would require substantial public financial and material resources. In other words, a true “poisoned gift.”
2 → Regarding the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of To’atea, Nuarei Bay, associated commune of Teavaro
Mrs. WANE referred in her interview to her Group’s attachment to the environment and to Moorea’s lagoon.
The project to amend the Maritime Area Management Plan (PGEM), carried out by the government between 2018 and 2023 as part of its Priority Development Zone (ZDP) program, with the objective of enabling the construction of overwater bungalows within the MPA, could only satisfy the GW and the municipal team. The latter notably did not oppose the project, unlike several associations and residents of Moorea who challenged it before the Administrative Court of Papeete, which ruled against the Country (judgment dated September 20, 2022).
3 → Regarding the beach in front of the Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort, property of the GW
Reminder: according to the regulations currently in force (2004), the entire coastline of all islands in French Polynesia belongs to the public domain. The public beach corresponds to the wet portion, meaning the area covered at high tide. The dry part of the beach, extending inland up to the first line of vegetation, belongs to the private domain.
- To state, as of May 8, 2026, that access to the Sofitel beach is now open to the public is simply an acknowledgment of existing law.
Previously — and at the time of writing, without having verified the situation on site — as everyone knows and experiences, the hotel operator has been abusively restricting public access to the public coastline. This is in fact the case for all seaside hotels in French Polynesia.
That said, Mrs. WANE remains cautious yet misleading when she fails to specify which part of the beach is accessible to the public, as the public naturally understands “the beach” to mean the entire beach area, both wet and dry sandy sections.
- We expect the Country to react by reminding stakeholders of the law, or by developing seaside public spaces for residents and visitors of the island.
4 → Regarding the road described as “illegal” or “wild”
- The access road known as the “motu road” already appeared on maps from 1942. It is, so to speak, the ancestor of the road we know today on Motu Tema’e. Historical records of property transfers also specify that access roads were not included in land sales. Therefore, the company controlled by the GW and owner of the former Sheikh Enany estate cannot legally own the road leading to the beach and homes on the motu.
- We have also requested that the public authorities include this road within the public road domain. Although this option is legal and achievable, the authorities have not yet taken a position on the matter.
- Retroactively describing this access road as a “wild road” amounts to distorting a documented legal and historical reality.
5 → Regarding the alleged absence of a defined project
- It is true that no project has been officially finalized. This is because no building permit can legally be issued on a reserved area (ER22), which is considered equivalent to a declaration of public utility intended for the future development of a public garden, as included in the General Development Plan (PGA) of the Commune of Moorea-Maiao and validated by the Country as early as 2013.
- At the same time, and since 2022, several site development projects — including the one involving the famous parcel proposed as a donation by the GW — have indeed been presented to both the public and the Country (September 17, 2024), jointly or separately, by the Commune of Moorea-Maiao (CMM) and the developer. The latest proposal dates from February 28, 2025.
- Despite contradictory statements from the Country, the CMM, and the GW, all these development projects around the “public beach of To’atea” demonstrate a shared intention to redraw the boundaries of ER22 to benefit the GW at the expense of Moorea’s residents, visitors, and economic stakeholders. This is reflected notably in proposed changes to the perimeter and geolocation of ER22, with the significant consequence of reducing the public beachfront from 550 meters to 200 meters. As a result, the GW would alone control nearly one kilometer of beachfront — the 600 meters bordering the Sofitel, plus 350 meters out of the current 550-meter public beach — while the public’s share would be reduced to only 200 meters.
To deny the existence of any planned orientation is therefore inaccurate and misleading.
- In this context, we also note that the GW has not initiated any formal administrative procedure; strategically, it has chosen not to compel the CMM to implement its 2013 project, preferring instead to engage directly with representatives of the CMM and the Country. These meetings have nevertheless been widely relayed by the press.
6 → Regarding dialogue with associations — particularly those united within the Tahei Auti Ia Moorea Federation
Mrs. Nancy WANE claims that no dialogue could take place due to the absence of a final project.
- As previously stated, several development projects do exist, although nothing definitive can be approved since no building permit can legally be issued.
- First of all, let us recall that we were never able to meet even a single member of the WANE family despite numerous attempts on our part since 2022. We had to wait until the September 2024 meeting to meet their representatives, as referenced in the Radio 1 article: “No consensus reached for Tema’e.”
Following this first meeting involving all parties, and at the express request of the President of the Country, five additional meetings took place between the associations, the CMM, and the developer (with Mrs. Nancy WANE absent) concerning the future of the highly coveted ER22.
However, these discussions failed to produce a consensus, as the Federation reaffirmed its unwavering position in favor of maintaining ER22 exactly as it currently stands — no more and no less.
As you can understand, the issue is not the absence of dialogue, but rather the absence of agreement regarding the preservation of the land’s public purpose as established by the PGA.
- Regarding the PGA, any modification is governed by strict legal rules. The FTAIM, representing environmental associations within the Local Planning Commission (CLA), will remain extremely vigilant regarding this matter.
Furthermore, we request that the minutes of the CLA meeting held before the elections — during which the mayor of Moorea-Maiao expressed support for maintaining the ER22 reserved area — be made public.
7 → Regarding the inaction since 2013
It has now been 13 years that we have been waiting for the project to materialize. Certainly, no legal deadline obliges the Country or the Commune to finalize the planned development.
In this context, what explains the fact that the public authorities have still not adopted a definitive position?
Regarding respect for public consultation, this is perhaps the most concerning issue.
When, in response to a possible public expression in favor of maintaining the public garden on ER22, reference is made to the possibility of “private property and land rights litigation,” a natural question arises: should this be understood to mean that the will of the people would not be respected by the WANE Group if it were unfavorable to their project?
We are awaiting a clear answer to this question.
The Tahei Auti Ia Moorea Federation seeks truth, transparency, and sincere dialogue with the residents of Moorea who are concerned about the future of their territory.
In the specific case of ER22 at the Tema’e site, we have an opportunity to harmonize territorial public spaces and extend this approach to the three other communes of Moorea. As it stands, Ta’ahiamanu Beach, in the commune of Papetoai, remains the only developed public beach in the public domain. Two adjacent hotel establishments occupying nearly one kilometer of coastline while the public is left with only 200 meters cannot, in the view of the Tahei Auti Ia Moorea Federation, be considered a fair harmonization of public space.
La Fédération Tahei Auti Ia Moorea