Our Vision

Our vision: New Zealand will be home to a sustainable multi-regional hardwood industry based on eucalypt forests grown in wood-supply catchments by 2050. New Zealand will also be a world-leader in breeding ground-durable eucalypts.

The only path to developing sustainable regional hardwood industries is by achieving strategic annual planting targets in wood supply catchments with centrally located future processing sites.

Potential regional wood supply catchments to support a sustainable durable hardwood industry

NZDFI has identified 12 potential wood supply catchments with suitable environments for growing durable eucalypts (Map 1).

Each potential wood supply catchment is shown by an indicative circular boundary, which is a 40km 'as the crow flies' radius from a possible central processing site. Processing sites will be on industrially zoned land. They need good transport connections, including links to a port given the potential for export of surplus logs and durable timber products.

Land Use Capability (LUC) classes 5-7, and plantation forestry land is the type of land which could be available for durable eucalypts. Sites must have environmental conditions which suit NZDFI's species. They will generally need appropriate topography and access for harvesting.

Working for regional development

Over the next 30 years, our aim is for 12 regional wood supply catchments to be established. In each catchment, an area of durable eucalypt forests sufficient to sustainably supply a small-to-medium size sawmill will be planted.  The total forest area required in each catchment is around 5,000 hectares, which equates to new planting of around a 170 hectares per year for 30 years.

As the forest resource becomes established, this will encourage future investment in timber processing. Regional processing plants will produce a range of high-value products for local, national and overseas markets. They will create employment and wealth for regional economies.