Hon Dr Nick Smith MP
National Party Conservation Spokesman

21 August 2007

Conservation House built with Aussie wood

Revelations that the new Conservation House used large volumes of Australian imported timber makes a joke of the Government’s claim that the building is a model for sustainability, says National’s Conservation spokesman, Nick Smith.

In answer to parliamentary written questions, Conservation Minister Chris Carter has admitted that Conservation House, opened earlier this year, used 8700 metres of Victorian Ash and Tasmanian Oak, and a further 320 square metres of Hooped Pine at a cost of $78,450.

“Helen Clark and Chris Carter called the new Department of Conservation headquarters ‘the first fully refurbished, equivalent 5 star ecologically sustainable building in the country’ and highlighted its key attributes, including the ‘use of Environmental Choice NZ products’.

“The Government’s use of imported Aussie timber in its model ‘carbon neutral’ sustainable building is an awful gaffe and an insult to New Zealand’s forest industry.

“There’s a deforestation disaster unfolding across the country that’s adding hundreds of millions to our Kyoto deficit. The last thing we need is the Government undermining confidence in the sustainability of New Zealand forest products.

“If New Zealand timber had been chosen, the carbon footprint would have been much smaller. The timber would not have had to travel thousands of kilometres and, if processed here, it would have been done so using more renewable energy.

“The rejection of sustainably harvested New Zealand native timber in favour of sustainably harvested Australian native timber is a reversal of the ‘think globally, act locally’ philosophy. The message is that the Government does not have confidence in its own certification system for sustainable forests and would prefer imported timber was used.

“This embarrassing use of imported timber shows just how shallow the Government’s agenda of a ‘carbon neutral’ public service is and makes a mockery of Labour’s Buy New Zealand Made campaign.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media