The Fiji Times reports
The police will not comment on the construction of a hemp block house on Taveuni because of the legal issues involved.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Aporosa Lutunauga said there were legal elements to look at.
“I won’t comment on that because there are legal issues surrounding it,” ACP Lutunauga said.
The contractor, Toga Kalougata, said police officers approached him after the article about the hemp block house was published by this newspaper.
“They wanted to know how the hemp blocks reached Taveuni and how they were cleared. I told them everything was cleared last year,” Mr Kalougata said.
“If there were problems with this industrial product being imported from France, then the authorities would have acted or done something then, but it was all cleared.”
Mr Kalougata said the construction of the house at Nayalayala was nearing completion. He highlighted hemp houses were fire resistant and provided cool surroundings during the hot season. “We tested a few blocks by setting them on fire.
“The blocks withstood the flames for about 120 minutes and there was no smoke, no flames coming from them except for black spots where they came into contact with the flames.”
Mr Kalougata said unlike concrete, the hemp blocks do not crack when heat is applied to them and that they create a cool environment during hot or humid weather.
He said the plastering finish would involve powder from limestone “and that’s natural as well, so I think we should start moving in this direction”.
“This will be mixed with seashells and coral from the sea to plaster the walls.
Sean Hocking
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