Protect forestry jobs says Sutton

By JO-MARIE BROWN

Large forestry owners must work harder to provide sustainable employment so skilled workers do not leave the industry, says Forestry Minister Jim Sutton.

He told a meeting of forestry contractors and workers in Rotorua yesterday that the industry's boom/bust cycle had to change.

Mr Sutton said 2700 workers - many in the central North Island - had lost their jobs or had their hours cut since June because forestry was having a disastrous year.

The high Kiwi dollar, rising shipping and electricity costs and low sawn-timber prices had prompted forest owners to reduce harvests or stop logging.

Many of those laid off had found other work, but were now reluctant to return to the forestry industry.

"It's a terrible waste to train people only to lose a huge proportion of them every time there's a downturn," Mr Sutton said.

Bigger forestry owners should aim to maintain stability so highly skilled people were not lost for good.

It was the second time in five years that forestry workers had been laid off because of fluctuating market conditions.

"The worst-case scenario I see is that we don't learn from this second downturn and we find ourselves inevitably repeating it in five or 10 years."

Mr Sutton said he was keen to hear workers' ideas about how the industry's stability could be improved.

"I don't think people work in the forest as an act of charity," he said.

"They want a steady job and a well-paying job. That has to be our objective."

Other conference speakers urged the industry to move away from log exports and focus on turning wood into value-added products such as doors, flooring, furniture and cardboard.

This would avoid market volatility and high shipping prices.