Abstract
Development thinking in the Pacific is often shaped by dominant global and main island perspectives, marginalising the views and experiences of hard-to-reach remote outer island populations. This research aims to shift the focus to people and places in ultra-peripheries. Drawing on qualitative field research in southern Lau, situated on the fringe of Fiji’s outermost province, it examines how extremely remote outer island populations experience processes of development and change over time. This presentation discusses (1) how local populations on an ultra-remote island experience changes to their quality of life amid environmental shocks and socioeconomic trends, and (2) how dynamics between local and external actors shape quality of life changes. Findings reveal significant discrepancies between the lived experiences and aspirations of remote outer island populations and dominant academic understandings as well as mainstream development practice. The research emphasises the need for more nuanced spatial development thinking in the Pacific, considering the lived realities of ultra-remote island populations.