Forestry industry signs accord to establish pan sector body

Called the NZ Forest & Wood Sector Forum (NZFWSF), sector associations will engage on issues of common interest or concern to the national industry and act as a spokesperson and point of contact for the industry with Government and other relevant bodies where appropriate.

The NZFWSF will improve communication throughout the forestry supply chain to pursue and ensure continued growth and to manage issues with the interest of the whole sector in mind.

Forestry Industry Contractors Association chief executive and NZFWSF spokesperson Prue Younger says the NZFWSF’s collective advocacy will be for policies that are socially responsible, environmentally, and ecologically sustainable, internationally competitive, and profitable.

“The greater and long-term goal for the pan sector initiative is the desire to improve the coordination and collaboration of the sector and make it communicate, promote, and improve the total value chain,” Younger says.

“The benefit of a common and collective ‘whole of industry’ voice, with direction and future opportunities, stands to be shared with the industry and Government providing credibility that the ‘whole of industry’ is backing the content,” she says.

The pan sector group was an outcome of a ‘Forestry Supply Chain – Pan Sector Meeting’ held in July 2023 in Rotorua.

The meeting provided a shared understanding of the problems and opportunities the sector faced in a 15-year crisis for the forestry industry.

“Collective discussions were had around what change would look like to generate a sustainable operating model that we don’t currently have,” says Younger.

“This collective direction setting can better guide decisions for the future and define what can be done more effectively, more efficiently and potentially what can be rationalized or minimized,” she concludes.