“The prospectus for wood processing being selected as one of the three focus areas for InvestNZ is demonstrating to the world’s investors, we are open for business, ready to scale up and take advantage of new opportunities”, says Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of New Zealand (WPMA) Chief Executive, Mark Ross.
The announcement was made by Minister for Forestry and Trade and Investment, Todd McClay, this month at the Invest New Zealand scope setting launch where strategic growth areas and three investment prospectuses were outlined, endorsing wood processing as a sector where New Zealand has a competitive edge on a global stage.
“Employing over 30,000 people and generating close to $5 billion in sales on the domestic and global markets makes wood processing a significant industry within regional New Zealand,” says Mr Ross.
“At the same time the wood processing sector would not exist without the forest industry, making it essential that the entire wood supply chain is linked into this InvestNZ initiative. Without trees for our mills we would have no wood products to sell, so working together and supporting each other for the benefit of the industry and New Zealand is the way forward’, he adds.
New Zealand is well-positioned to meet growing global demand for sustainable, low-carbon construction materials, having a strong story to tell about renewable forestry resources. Plantation forests are sustainably managed (with large areas under global certification programmes). Processed outputs from our forest estates range from lumber, pulp and paperboard, panels, to engineered wood, bioenergy and remanufactured products, with our export focus shifting toward high-value, value-added wood products.
InvestNZ will target investments in the range of $100 million to $1 billion as well as projects from $20 million that have the ability to scale. It will act as a bridge for local investors, connecting domestic business with high-value investment opportunities, and ensuring the Active Investor Plus scheme delivers for the New Zealand economy. The agency will also advise the government on policy and regulatory settings to support New Zealand as a globally competitive place to invest.
