New Zealand’s economic development minister Jim Anderton has invited representatives from the forestry industry to Wellington for discussions about the sector’s future development plans.
Mr Anderton announced the invitation following radio reports which said the Timber Industry Federation thinks the goverment is hostile to business.
He wants to see whether the industry is still committed to developing value-added products and markets as outlined in the Wood Processing Strategy.
Mr Anderson said the government is investing NZ$30m per year in strategic roads to help the industry’s development and has spent NZ$2m in establishing a Centre of Excellence for Wood Processing in Rotorua.
He said: “Our challenge as a nation is to make the investments in skills, infrastructure and equipment that will permit us to raise the proportion of high quality goods and services that we manufacture and export.”
