Jacinda Ardern on bringing back the NZ forestry service and talks about logging rights.
Rotorua's mayor and the boss of New Zealand's biggest sawmill have welcomed Labour's announcement it would set up a new forestry service in Rotorua if elected.
It would be established as part of the Ministry of Primary Industries but may be made into a stand-alone service, party leader Jacinda Ardern announced while in the city yesterday morning.
Ms Ardern made the announcement at Red Stag timber, saying she wanted to see wood processed and manufactured onshore, rather than being sent overseas as raw logs.
The Labour leader said her government would give first preference for using wood in new building projects, such as its "KiwiBuild" programme to build 100,000 affordable homes.
She said forestry was New Zealand's third largest export sector but there had been a "dramatic" move from processing to exporting raw logs, saying her government would give first preference for using wood in new building projects.
Labour leader Jacinda Ardern at Red Stag Timber. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
Red Stag group chief executive Marty Verry said a wood-first approach would mean more houses built in less time.
A mid-sized building made of wood could be made up to 30 per cent faster than one made of other materials, he said.
"They're prefabricated off site, so when you come together and you're basically stringing it together, it's much quicker than pouring concrete and bolting together steel."
Mr Verry said setting up Forestry Services in Rotorua meant more co-ordination within the industry.
"[Currently] you've the industry in the regions doing their thing and the bureaucrats in Wellington thinking they know what's going on but they don't have a clue.
"It's about getting them in our region so they understand what we need and what we're trying do."
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said the announcement was consistent with what the council had been calling for ever since adopting a wood-first policy in 2014.
"Since then we've been asking if we could have involvement [with] central Government policy about wood, because it's such a fundamental economic driver in our district.
"Today's announcement hit the spot," she said.
Mrs Chadwick said she thought the announcement showed strong leadership, which was what she had been looking for in Labour.
The announcement came days after New Zealand First leader Winston Peters pledged to split forestry from the Ministry of Primary Industries and re-establish the NZ Forestry Service.
In a press release, NZ First leader Winston Peters accused Labour of "stealing" the idea.
"The desperate two old parties are obviously rifling through our speeches and documents for ideas," Mr Peters said.
"It's getting rather tiring listening to them announce our policies as their own - as Labour did in Rotorua with the re-establishment of a forest service."
He added he was however "delighted some common sense and foresighted thinking" was making its way into the major parties' promises.
