Niue's Minister of Health and Public Works is in New Zealand this week, talking to the local Niuean community about the government's plans to destroy abandoned houses.
There are about 110 houses on the island that the Government has classified as derelict and wants to tear down for health and tourism reasons, but it is meeting with opposition.
O'Love Jacobsen says the houses have been left to rot and are beyond redemption.
She says they want to avoid having to get court orders.
"What we're saying to them is that you could give us a consent to do this, but first of all agree that it doesn't look good, that it does fit into the category of the house being derelict. And therefore we need to do what needs to be done. And this is the bit that we're getting a bit stuck on. because some are finding it that 'who told you to do this, why should you, you haven't approached us."
O'Love Jacobsen says a public meeting in Auckland today (tues) on a report into Niue's tourism industry, is likely to see discussion of this issue.
