Rimu ban raising prices

By JOSIE CLARKE

The price of rimu is rising, with an Auckland furniture retailer expecting a 20 per cent increase by the end of the year.

The rise follows the Government's decision to ban rimu logging on crown-owned land by 2002.

Roger Butcher, the owner of Furniture City, said the cost of some rimu pieces had already increased by about 5 per cent, and he expected prices to continue edging up.

"I think before the year's out we'll see something in the neighbourhood of 20 per cent increases."

Some importers had started to take advantage of the ban by bringing in furniture made of Asian or Pacific rimu and selling it for less than present local wholesale prices.

The practice would inevitably mean fewer local manufacturing jobs, Mr Butcher said.

"If somebody brings in rimu product that is affordable and doesn't look a lot different to the local rimu, it's just going to end up damaging the local manufacturing industry in the long haul.

"Not everything will be imported, just things that can transport easily and things that people buy in fair volume, but it's kind of rough on the local industry."

Jim Hindley, the owner of Woodworks Furniture, said most customers still wanted rimu, despite having the choice of cheaper timbers such as macrocarpa, kahikatea and pine.

"We've got some very nice ranges in pine from the South Island with a lovely stain, and most people don't know what it is and have to ask. They love it, but when they're told it's pine about 50 per cent go off it. It's a fashion thing."

Some cuts of timber, including wide boards used for drawers, were becoming hard to source, Mr Hindley said. "Those sorts of shortages are starting to show up in prices. We'll have to wait and see if they continue to rise."