9 January 2006

‘Timber and timber products are a key export earner for New Zealand’ comments Rob Steele, CEO of Standards NZ. ‘With an expanding harvest over coming years, the need to not only maintain our existing export markets, but also to access new markets, is critical. If we are involved in the development of international Standards we can ensure that our timber species are included thus facilitating access to export markets. If we don’t participate there is a very real danger that the international Standards developed will not recognise NZ timber species adequately and therefore we will be unable to export to countries that require compliance with international Standards’.

On 11 November 2005 Standards NZ held a Timber Standards workshop in Auckland to:

• Confirm industry interest and involvement in international timber standardisation;
• Establish industry and government priorities within the international Standards arena;
• Outline a specific Standards work programme that adequately addresses the needs of both the timber industry and relevant government agencies.

Industry and government representatives attended the workshop. Speakers included Tony Johnston, Acting CEO for the Timber Producers’ Association, Rob Steele, and John Pfahlert, Construction Industries Council Chair.

International Standards play an increasingly important part in removing technical barriers and facilitating international trade. The NZ government recognises the importance of international standardisation in improving NZ’s ability to gain access for its timber products to global markets.

To support trade access for NZ timber exporters the government has made up to $100,000 available annually for the next five years to support NZ involvement in international standardisation for timber. This funding is conditional upon a matching 25% industry contribution.

Workshop attendees were keen to link international standards development into the overall timber standards NZ framework. To facilitate this, industry representatives and Standards NZ agreed to hold regular timber industry fora to review issues and provide input into standards development. The first meeting to establish this forum will be held on 19 December 2005. This group will also discuss allocation of the available funds to support international timber standards as part of its overall review of the NZ Standards framework.