The FIFA Fiddle - Forest owners fuming over carbon-for-cash deal
Relations between the New Zealand Government and the forest industry on which it will increasingly rely to help pay for its huge new social spending round, are close to an all-time low. At the root of the problem is a new piece of political trickery that appears to have robbed foresters of NZ$2.6 billion worth of carbon credits in exchange for around NZ$136 million of conditional funding.
Hopes of New Zealand having a $20-billion-a-year forest products industry by 2025 haven't a snowball's chance in Hades in the current political, economic and regulatory environment.
Media reports of the rising costs of house building in New Zealand infer that the builders and developers are making fat profits out of a hot market. Not so, according to industry people InWood spoke to. They are saying it is actually harder for them to make money these days. So, where are the extra costs coming from and who is making the extra bucks?
When it comes to good design and innovation in wood construction, the Finns are among the world’s leaders. And, as Liz Light reports, there are some good lessons for down under in the way they ‘celebrate’ wood and incorporate it into their architecture at every opportunity.
Relations between the New Zealand Government and the forest industry on which it will increasingly rely to help pay for its huge new social spending round, are close to an all-time low. At the root of the problem is a new piece of political trickery that appears to have robbed foresters of NZ$2.6 billion worth of carbon credits in exchange for around NZ$136 million of conditional funding.
Australia and Chile have romped ahead of New Zealand in creating a national forestry standard. Both opted to pursue the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) scheme.
The global battle against the illegal log trade is expected to receive a significant boost within the next few months as scientists begin field trials of new DNA technology that could enable trees to be traced to their source in the forest.
Transtasman consensus is emerging that fostering a greater degree of good old-fashioned Anzac cooperation between the Australian and New Zealand forest sectors now makes sense
Queensland’s hoop pine industry is one of those treasures that deserves ‘heritage’ status. But, as Tony Neilson discovered, the people involved are more than capable of looking after themselves.
