5 June 2009

Increased opportunities for Southern North Island forest industry

An increase in wood availability after 2016 for the Southern North Island will lead to increased opportunities for the sector, say the authors of the latest wood availability forecast report.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry today released its Southern North Island Forest Industry and Wood Availability Forecasts Report showing a possible increase in annual wood availability from 1.3 million cubic metres to 3.5 million cubic metres after 2021.

The forecasts show that a gradual increase in wood availability from 1.3 million cubic metres to 1.7 million cubic metres per year is possible over the next few years. After 2015, there is potential for the regional harvest to increase from that level of about 1.7 million cubic metres to around 3.5 million cubic metres after 2021.

MAF Policy Advisor Geoff Cameron says the report aims to assist forestry industries, planning practitioners, and infrastructure and service providers in planning resources, assess opportunities and identify issues related to the availability of wood.

Grow Wellington's Primary Sector Manager Geoff Copps says: "Maximising the value of this sustainable resource will have benefits across the Wellington region in terms of jobs, port viability and will have a positive impact on our sustainability credentials.

"Wellington has the opportunity to be the focal point for the Southern North Island for the timber industry but we need to be proactive now as long-term planning is required," he says.

"Grow Wellington is working with MAF, industry groups and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to develop options for increasing the proportion of the forest resource that is processed in the region and ensure that the region's infrastructure, physical, regulatory and human resources, are able to cater for the increased flow."

The Southern North Island Forest Industry and Wood Availability Forecasts Report is one of a series of publications on regional forestry industries and wood availability forecasts produced by MAF.

It provides new wood availability forecasts and associated commentary for the region, covering the period 2008 to 2040, and outlines opportunities and constraints facing the region's forest industries.

The forecasts are produced in association with the region's major forest growers.

A copy of the report can be found at: www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/publications/wood-availability

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Report highlights

  • Radiata pine makes up 96 percent (162 000 hectares) and Douglas-fir less than 1 percent (1600 hectares) of the forest area in the SNI region. There are about 4000 hectares of other exotic hardwood and softwood species in the SNI; these have not been modelled in this analysis.
  • The majority of the resource is effectively split between two areas, ie Tararua, Masterton & Carterton districts (59 000 of 168 000 hectares) and Rangitikei, Wanganui, and South Taranaki districts (58 000 hectares).
  • A significant proportion of processed wood products are exported through the Port of Wellington, while the volume of log exports has varied over recent years.
  • Most of the potential increase in wood availability after 2016 is from the small-scale forest growers who established forests during the 1990s. At this stage this wood is uncommitted.
  • The timing of harvest after 2016 will depend on the decisions of a large number of small-scale owners. Market conditions and logistical constraints will limit how quickly the additional wood availability from small-scale owners' forests can be harvested in that period.
 
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