Stuart Nash

Increasing New Zealand’ onshore wood processing capability and investing in developing our domestic woody biomass industry are two target areas that will drive sector growth, create jobs, and reduce emissions across the economy, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash says. The Minister of Forestry launched the draft Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan at the Canterbury West Coast Wood Council Awards in Christchurch this evening. “This plan is an important part of the Government’s work to build a high-wage, low-emissions economy. Through partnering with industry, Māori and unions, we can add significant value to the sector by processing logs domestically rather than sending them off-shore for other countries to extract value from. We need to move from a commodity resource producer to creating high value, low carbon products and jobs for Kiwis – all of which are vital to our ongoing economic recovery.”

Additional coverage in Scoop by New Zealand Forest Owners’ Association: Plan Could Be ‘Game Changer’ For New Zealand Economy And For Combating Climate Change