Fallen trees from TC Harold to build 200 homes in Kadavu
Fallen trees from the wrath of Tropical Cyclone Harold in Kadavu will be put to good use.
Timber from these trees will be used to rebuild at least 200 homes on the island that were completely destroyed in April.
This follows the deployment of the Ministry of Forestry staff and machinery equipment to the island to saw and repurpose these trees that were destroyed during the cyclone.
As a result, the affected villagers will not have to purchase timber to rebuild their homes.
Ministry of Forestry permanent secretary Pene Baleinabuli said it took their staff 13 weeks to repurpose timber from the fallen trees to be able to rebuild 200 completely damaged homes.
“There are actually several hundreds more to rebuild and we will continue repurposing for the next six months,” Mr Baleinabuli said. “In the meantime we are working with our stakeholders like the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and the Ministry of Housing and Community Development to start rebuilding houses immediately,” he said.
He said the ministry was anticipating a surplus of timber and other forest products for the next decade.
“There is some good news, right now in terms of plantation forest islands like Kadavu, Gau and Lakeba and maritime zones we are anticipating a surplus of timber and other forest products.
“When all damaged houses are rebuilt there will be opportunities to trade the surplus timber and I have been advised by the real forestry experts that there is enough resources to cater for the next decade.
“This means that our domestic markets will not necessarily run out of timber products.”
He added that this would mean the revival of the country’s construction industry to help create jobs and other opportunities.
Digitalisation process
He said the Ministry of Forestry had improved its business facilitation process by digitalising the issuing of export licences.
The licence will be done and issued in 24 hours.
“We expect to digitise most of the aspects of our facilitation within the Ministry to make it easier for the private sector because it is the private sector that is the engine of economic growth.”
13 million tree planting revolution
He said with the target to plant 13 million trees in the next 15 years, Fiji had planted two million trees in just a span of 18 months. He acknowledged the collaborative effort shown by civil society organisations and the public and those that had assisted them in the past 18 months.