Jeff Ilott: New Zealand Timber Federation Industry Director on the Government's announcement to use local wool in future construction and refurbishments of state buildings

The Government has announced local wool products will be used in future construction and refurbishments of state buildings.

It's part of the New Zealand First coalition agreement with National.

But producers of local buildings are saying ‘what about us?’

Kiwi timber organisations have been lobbying the Government for a similar deal for years, and are now feeling left out in the cold.

New Zealand Timber Federation Industry Director Jeff Ilott talks to Ryan Bridge about the announcement. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now. It didn't take long, did it. This week
we had an announcement from the government that they would
give preferential treatment to wool when they are refurbishing or
building new government buildings, which is great news for the
wool industry in New Zealand. Right now we've got local
building producer producers of building products saying, what about us care?
We timber organizations say they've been lobbying for the same thing,

(00:22):
haven't got it. Timber Industry Federation director Jeff Ilot is
with us. Jeff, Good evening, Yeah, good evening, all right.
So this was in the New Zealand First coalition agreement
with National so that that's how it's got onto the agenda.
Who have you guys, who have you been going to
trying to lobby for your end?

Speaker 2 (00:41):
We had been talking with Forestry Minister Todd McClay on
this issue, and this was actually a policy under the
previous coalition government with the New Zealand First, dating back
to when Shane Jones was Minister most of Forestry. A

(01:03):
proposed policy at that point, but I never quite got
over the line unfortunately. So yeah, we just sort of
saw with interest and congratulations to the to a wall.
It's a very sensible decision we believe to be doing so.
And we just thought, you know, equally sensible to be

(01:25):
specifying that the government government buildings are done with. Wouldn't
it possible?

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, because I guess carpet's one thing, you know, But
actually the structure of a building is quite a different one.
Do you know, like how much more expensive it would
be for a building?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
It varies, Ryan, you know some some of the costs
are more expensive, but the production times are quicker and
the buildings are typically quicker to build up them. Concrete
and steel buildings. Now we're talking coroceliminated timber type structures there,
you know, so it evens out, and particularly when you

(02:10):
start taking them into account the benefits of the carbon
sequestration that timber buildings offer. You know, it locks up
all that carb and that trees have sucked up over
there thirty year lifespan. It locks it up for sort
of fifty years or more.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Are there are there other limitations with timber like can
you only go so.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
High skies of the limit? Basically? Ryan, you know there
and looks of Canada there's there's now CLT buildings in
excess of twenty stories. I think there's someone excess of
twenty five stories. I think it is in Australia now.

(02:50):
So so really the sky is the limit in terms
of what can can be built using wood.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
What are they and what are they telling you?

Speaker 2 (02:59):
What?

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Jeff, what's the what's the line from the government to
you guys at the moment just not a priority. We'll
get back to you.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, largely saying not a priority in the line we
have had is that it's too difficult in competition, you know,
reasons of competition or flottering competition. They don't want to
be seen doing. That was the line that we've been
told over it over period. So yeah, it was just

(03:25):
with a raised by grow that we saw the wall announcement.
So yeah, it clearly can be done.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Jeff, appreciate your time, Thanks for coming on the program.
That's Jeff Irelot, who's the New Zealand Timber Industry Federation director,
wanting the same deal the wall Guy's got basically ten
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