Resident accuses Town Clerk of breaking law

February 4, 2025 10:01 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Kizzy Kalsakau & Anita Roberts.

The owner of Boucherie Traverso, residing in the Salili area, Therese Traverso, has accused Port Vila Town Clerk David Hopa of breaking the law by building his house too close to her wall and invading her privacy.

Mrs. Traverso claimed that the Town Clerk built his storey house just 50 centimetres from her wall instead of the required 3 metres.

She said the building’s proximity affected the foundation of her existing wall, as the sandy soil made it more prone to collapse. She also claimed that her neighbour did not install water gutters on his building, causing rainwater to weaken part of her wall, which then collapsed during the earthquake.

Mrs. Traverso was frustrated after being approached twice by municipal officers while trying to rebuild her wall, which had existed since 1993.

“I was rebuilding the fallen part of my wall, not building a new one. The first officers came asking for a permit. What permit? Did the Town Clerk get a permit to build his house 25 centimetres from my wall? If he does not respect the law, then why should anyone else?” she stressed.

Traverso conveyed that she had a meeting regarding the construction of the Town Clerk’s building several years ago during the term of former Mayor Eric Puyo-Festa. According to her, it was agreed that his construction violated municipal regulations, which require that any building be at least three metres away from neighbouring properties, especially when windows are involved.

To avoid Mr. Hopa being forced to demolish his building, it was mutually agreed that he would construct a 1.70-metre-high wall along his footpath to protect her privacy as a neighbouring resident, she said.

Three years have passed, and while the construction is nearly complete, the agreed wall has yet to be built, she said.

In his response, the Town Clerk said he has paid the fee to build his storey building and followed the town planning procedures. He believes that the part of Mrs. Traverso’s wall fell due to a weak foundation, not rainwater from his building.

“I do not know if she applied for a permit to build her wall. If you look at other places in Port Vila, many walls fell during the earthquake. It has nothing to do with water, it’s about the foundation. If you have a proper foundation, your wall would not fall down,” he said.

“After the earthquake last year, the Port Vila City Council (PVCC) made a decision to prohibit the construction of new concrete walls and other materials that could endanger lives… I, as the Town Clerk, will be implementing this resolution.”

The Town Clerk said that the 3-metre distance mentioned by Mrs. Traverso is a practice used by the council, not a legal requirement. He added that if his neighbour wants more privacy, she can build her wall higher at her own cost, as he has the right to his own property.