10 April 2015

Rotorua Lakes Council in NZ has adopted a Wood First Policy and action plan. The policy, aimed at encouraging use of wood products and supporting the district's vital wood industry, was adopted at a meeting of the council's Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee on 1 April.

Rotorua was the founding city of the world's plantation forestry industry. The concept of growing 'wood crops' was first developed in Rotorua in the early 20th century, and is now a world-wide practice.

Today, Rotorua sits at the heart of New Zealand's forestry and wood industry, which has a significant impact on the district's economy. Approximately 40 per cent of the country's wood is harvested within a 100 kilometre radius of the city. The wider industry is the district's largest direct employer, contributing an estimated 9 per cent of Rotorua's GDP. 

Rotorua District Council's new Wood First Policy has three key broad objectives:

1. Facilitating and encouraging the use of wood as a preferred, sustainable building material for all projects in the district;

2. Requiring wood to be used in all council building projects; and

3. Actively supporting and advocating for wood and the wood industry – locally, regionally and at a national level.

For a copy of the policy >>

Source: Friday Offcuts