Program and website launched

The NZ Wood program was officially launched at Parliament by Jim Anderton, Minister of Forestry. The launch kicks off the first promotional phase of NZ Wood — to present the environmental credentials of forests and wood to the building and design sector — and coincides with the launch of the NZ Wood website, www.nzwood.co.nz.

NZ Wood brings together the wood and forestry industries behind the common goals of increased wood consumption and greater awareness of the environmental credentials of wood and forests, particularly in the fight against climate change.

The program is managed by the wood and forest sectors and co-funded by industry and government.

"Wood has great environmental credentials. It is the building material of the future. Sustainability is only going to become even more important to consumer choices and policy. Wood and forests are great partners for sustainability and NZ Wood means to take advantage of these opportunities," said Doug Ducker, chairman of Woodco (Wood Council of New Zealand), addressing the launch.

"The recent government announcement that government buildings will need a wood design option illustrates the kind of opportunities awaiting wood. NZ Wood will not just promote wood but provide information, resources and tools for those designing and building with wood."

It is a multi-dimensional development program — involving promotion and advertising, research, website and information channels, a NZ Wood brand, design resources and training initiatives.

A key component of the program is a "˜resources' website that will provide information for those designing and building with wood. The website will be launched in mid 2008.

"We New Zealanders have a great tradition of building our homes in wood, and NZ Wood wants to keep it that way. There are also huge opportunities for wood in non-residential buildings — and this will be a focus for NZ Wood," said Ducker.

More than 90% of New Zealand homes are built in wood. A recent BRANZ report estimates that we could be using 20"“30% more wood in our non-residential buildings.