It is important both that the Government hears the collective voice of the extensive range of what constitutes the industry, but also understands the particular viewpoint of the owners of the forest estate itself.
National issued a specific forest and wood processing sector manifesto just before the election. Much of it is welcome support news to the industry which has experienced competition between National and Labour in the recent past on ways to constrain forestry to protect the current extent of hill-country stock production.
Polices, such as restrictions on a universal availability of carbon credits, and local Government abilities to arbitrarily prevent forest planting, remain as dangerous impediments to forest investment.
The BIMs are the introduction to the newly appointed Ministers, in particular, the new Minister of Forestry, Hon Todd McClay. FOA, in collaboration with the wider industry, will be making every effort to work closely with the new government to make sure good policies are adopted and to change the government’s mind where we continue to be constrained.
Click here to read the pan-sector BIM
Source: Forest Owners Association