Foresters nudge closer to rivals

By PAM GRAHAM

New Zealand foresters are trying to build bridges with Australian softwood producers before they become significant export competitors.

Devon McLean from Carter Holt Harvey, Ian Boyd from Tenon, Lees Seymour from Weyerhaeuser, Bryce Heard from New Zealand Forest Research and executives from industry associations head across the Tasman today for meetings and an inaugural Trans-Tasman Forest and Wood Products Forum on Tuesday.

The forum is an attempt to get closer to the Australians before their growing wood supply puts them in competition with our export markets.

Separately there has been work going on behind the scenes to get the sawmillers on board a new umbrella structure for the New Zealand industry.

The transtasman meeting will discuss climate change, trade and research but the underlying agenda is setting up dialogue to resolve future problems and present a more united face to the rest of the world.

"The rub is Australia is our largest market but with their growing production we are going to be drawn into much more competition with them," said Stephen Jacobi, chief executive of the New Zealand Forest Industries Council.

"So a subplot of this meeting is to make sure we have mechanisms to talk to Australians about the market."

The Australian's A3P group brought their paper and plantation forest industry together.

"We have a collective interest in taking market off competing products like steel and concrete," said Jacobi.

Many of New Zealand's new forest owners are also investing in Australia and Carter Holt is essentially an Australasian company. Government-owned forest research institutes on both sides of the Tasman are merging half their operations in a joint venture.

Jacobi said there were also attempts under way to bring the New Zealand industry together.