Forestry

UnitedFuture recognises the strategic role of the forestry sector to the New Zealand economy in providing jobs, income and export earnings, while also balancing its contribution to the recreational and environmental sectors.

The forestry policies that relate specifically to climate change are included under the climate change portfolio.

It is UnitedFuture policy to:

• Assist the forest sector to move up the value-added chain through research and development and industry partnerships, so that value-added products derived from our forests, rather than unprocessed chips or logs, are exported to the greatest extent possible.
• Balance the need for a viable industry with environmental sustainability.
• Work closely with the industry and other interested parties, such as recreational users, to maintain a strategic overview of issues affecting or impacting on the sector such as sambar deer and public access.
• Ensure that weeds, diseases and forest soil quality are adequately monitored.
• Ensure that NZ producers of sustainably-harvested timber products are not undercut via the “dumping” of imported timber and products that have been harvested without regard to sustainability criteria.
• Establish legal guidelines for drug-testing in the workplace, and encourage comprehensive employee assistance programmes in return for reduced ACC levies, to ensure there are no barriers to implementing testing.