Western Australia Gets the green light for commercial hemp production

On the 5th March 2004, the Government finally tabled the Industrial Hemp Bill of 2004. Whilst it had been drafted last year as the Industrial Hemp Bill of 2003, the inability to table the legislation in the final sittings of parliament in December as had been undertaken and with a guarantee of a clear passage through by all political parties, was yet another setback for this exciting industry.

The bill was then proclaimed as an act of Parliament on the 19th May 2004 and since that time the new Registrar for the industry has been appointed removing the obstacle of having to deal with the Ministers for Agriculture, Police and Health.

We are now extremely confident of getting the industry off the ground in Western Australia and on 14th June 2004 Hemp Resources Limited lodged application number 1 for the commercial cultivation processing and manufacturing of products from the most regal plant on the planet.

From 3rd-8th May 2004, Hemp Resources Limited hosted a delegation consisting of our Chinese partners from Qingdao and Shenyang along with associates from New Zealand and other territories. The purpose of the visit was to look at various opportunities and areas in relation to the building of a 7,000 Ton per annum whole stem hemp paper mill for production of TCF (totally chlorine free) hemp paper. The TCF process is the most environmentally friendly paper making process in the world and the paper and card quality is not only superior, but can be recycled many times.

A number of other exciting developments have been taking place over the past few months that include negotiations for the purchase of a textile mill in the industrial estate near the Chinese port of Qingdao. Given the shortage of hemp fibre internationally, it seems sensible to utilize Western Australia’s vast areas of land and our extensive broad acre ability to fill the void in the international marketplace. Feedstock for the textile mill alone will be in the vicinity of 230,000 tons per annum and a further 20,000 tons per annum of whole Hemp stems will be required to produce the 7,000 tons of paper and card annually.

At this stage the town of Moora is the preferred option and we have been extremely impressed by the support from the staff at Moora Shire and councillors alike.

On the fabric and textile side of business, we are currently negotiating the supply of t-shirts for the Environment Centre of Western Australia and the Wilderness Society. A number of other quotes have been given on items from carry bags for the International Herb Conference to be held in September to Hemp awnings for several shops, again including the Environment Centre of Western Australia.

Our own Sandy Griffith has been busy designing a fantastic range of hemp clothing for the larger ladies and the Malaga factory has also been busy designing and creating some really special lines for our soon to open retail outlet at 842 Beaufort Street, Inglewood.

Liu Bin, President of Hemp Resources Limited (China) has only just returned from Agra in India where he has been sourcing other Hemp products that include rugs, mats and floor coverings to name a few.

All in all, things are going very well now that the legislation has finally been proclaimed and we are looking forward to taking a leading position globally in the re-emergence of this wonder crop. Enquires are being received on a very regular basis from persons wanting to open franchises and be a part of this exciting industry so we have no doubt our persistence and patience is about to reap the rewards of the many years work in setting up the infra-structure to enable the industry to succeed.

We welcome one and all to visit us at our premises at 842 Beaufort Street, Inglewood and/or give us a call on (08) 9371 8344 for further information.

For more information, contact:

Hemp Resources Limited
Kim Hough, Managing Director and C.E.O.
E-mail: info@hempresources.com.au
URL: www.hempresources.com.au