The Taranaki Hemp Hub begins 2026 with first hemp fibre orders and advanced construction training
Taranaki has taken a significant step toward a viable local hemp fibre industry, with Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki establishing the region’s first hemp fibre processing unit as part of the Taranaki Hemp Hub.
The Ashford hemp processing unit, capable of processing around 90 hectares of hemp annually - enough to support the construction of 45+ hempcrete homes - is a critical part of the Taranaki Hemp Hub, which featured on Seven Sharp late last year. Venture Taranaki has also received its first fibre orders, marking a clear shift as the project moves from proof-of-concept into commercial delivery.
The Taranaki Hemp Hub sits within Branching Out, a land-use diversification project led by Venture Taranaki. The project is designed to explore, validate and de-risk diversification opportunities and build scalable, replicable and investable models for future land use and value chain development - creating pathways that others in region, or beyond, could follow to unlock new commercial opportunities.
Hemp was identified early as a strong candidate - a fast-growing, low-input crop with multiple end-uses -particularly in construction, where hemp fibre can replace higher-emission materials while creating new markets for growers, processors, product developers, and builders.
Alongside the processing unit, the project’s hempcrete construction programme continues to build capability in the sector. Over the past two years, hempcrete courses delivered in partnership with Hemp Central and the Australian Hemp Masonry Co have uncovered a strong cohort of builders keen to work with hempcrete. Interest has also been bolstered by visits to high-quality local hempcrete homes. The first of our local builders will travel to Australia early this year to complete advanced training with builders affiliated with the Australian Hemp Masonry Co, before returning to apply their skills on builds in Aotearoa.
Participants in the course will receive a detailed technical report developed by Venture Taranaki, covering:
- Cost comparison: hempcrete vs traditional builds
A transparent, data-driven analysis developed with a registered Quantity Surveyor, local hempcrete homeowners (Matt Low and Melissa Burleigh-Low), a Sustainable Homes specialist, and a consenting officer involved in the original build. The report sets out material quantities and costs relative to a standard build. - Energy efficiency analysis
A comparison between the Burleigh-Low’s hempcrete home and an equivalent traditional house, supported by analysis from New Plymouth District Council’s Sustainable Homes specialist. - Hempcrete performance over time
An assessment of the Low home more than 10 years post-build, including site inspection, humidity and moisture testing, and laboratory analysis of framing samples.
Interest from the building community continues to grow. Eleven building professionals have now formally expressed interest in forming a hempcrete builders’ group to share learnings, technical insights, and practical experience, with the first meeting planned for later this month.
Together, this work is helping de-risk hemp-based construction by providing credible cost, performance, and compliance evidence, while building a skilled workforce ready to deliver at scale.
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