SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST
They’re not the hero machines that are out cutting or retrieving the wood, but if they aren’t up to the everyday task of fleeting and loading, the job site soon grinds to a halt. The NZ Logger Iron Test team put Kaitoa Logging’s new Hyundai FX3230LL log loader to the test.
AS THE SPOTLIGHT FALLS ON FORESTRY, as one of NZ’s biggest industries to help revive the economy post lockdown, the NZ Forest Sector Forum (NZFSF) is asking the question: Why isn’t NZ using more locallysourced wood, and getting behind its zerocarbon construction properties?
According to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), approximately two-thirds of NZ wood is exported with almost $6.93 billion exported from NZ in 2018-19. On the flip side, NZ imported over $1.5 billion worth of wood products in 2019. So why are we importing a huge amount of wood products when we grow so much ourselves?
We’ve got to use more wood in NZ, reversing the reliance on concrete and steel in our construction, says NSFSF. By doing this we will mitigate the effects of climate change, increase the use of a naturally renewable resource and strengthen regional economies.
Not only is wood locally produced, supporting approximately 30,000 jobs, but it is the best choice for the environment, says the Forum. For every tonne of wood material used in construction, it is estimated that 5.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide are saved from release into the atmosphere, and wood requires less energy to produce than any other building material. Basically, trees eat carbon out of the atmosphere and lock it up in wood. The more wood you use, the more carbon is removed from the atmosphere.
Therefore, when you build, create, or use wood it locks away that carbon. It seems obvious that if the public consumes NZ wood, it promotes NZ landowners to plant more trees to supply that wood demand. More demand for wood products = more trees = more carbon locked away.
Concrete (8%) and steel (5%) account for an estimated 13% of greenhouse gas emissions globally between them. Both require huge amounts of fossil fuels and energy to extract, transport and process. Carbon dioxide is also a significant by-product of both. Most NZ cement is imported from Malaysia, while our steel mostly comes from China.
Using locally grown timber also helps reduce one’s carbon footprint, as there are no emissions from transporting timber from offshore. This helps with the government’s suggestion NZ needs to increase its valueadd, by processing within NZ and creating manufacturing jobs, says NZFSF.
It’s a locally produced, more environmentally friendly product, which builds our regional communities. Added to this, over 65% of NZ wood is independently certified, verifying its sustainability of production. So, with such a reliance on concrete and steel in current construction, the NZ Forest Sector Forum is asking the question: Why don’t New Zealanders use more wood?
There seem to be three main parts to the answer, says the Forum. Firstly, we are still waiting for the government’s leadership in setting zero-carbon construction rules. These rules will enable buildings to be constructed with minimal environmental footprint. Clear articulation of government’s objectives for the environment and employment is needed, set out in the NZ Building Code, it says.
Secondly, responsibility also lies with architects, engineers and quantity surveyors. We need to change the way these experts think about construction. Much more education is needed on the value of wood and how to use it. The wood sector has made a good start on a re-education programme but needs much more pro-active government support through vocational training, higher education programmes and professional development incentives, says the NZFSF.
Thirdly, change is also in the hands of the NZ consumer. Why would we not choose NZ wood products over imported alternatives, in the buildings we commission and the homes we live in, while also benefiting from the jobs they create and the carbon offset?
The NZFSF says it’s time everyday New Zealanders knew where their wood products or wood alternatives came from and, more to the point, that wood products purchased locally, grown and processed here in NZ, support approximately 30,000 New Zealand jobs. If ever there was a time to get that awareness out there, this is it.
NZL