The Importance of New Zealand’s Forestry Industry

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New Zealand’s forests are one of its greatest natural resources, holding significant financial, physical, and spiritual value (DOC, 2013). These forests provide a significant trading resource (Perry, Oren, & Hart, 2008), directly influence soil and flora quality (West, 2006), and contribute to the cultural health of Maori by enhancing their whakapapa (or ‘Connection’ with the land) (Gallagher & Te Atawhai o te Ao, 2011).
This resource, however, is under threat through poor management (Levack, Poole, & Bateson, 2006), over exploitation (MPI, 2003) and the operating conditions of the Forestry Industry (ACC, 2007). This assignment will examine the impact that deforestation may have on New Zealand, and possible models for rectifying the situation.
For the purposes of this assignment, attention will be given to the effects of ‘The Pine Forestry Industry ‘on a nationwide scale, but Tokoroa will be utilised as the primary example, in order to relate these generic problems to a ‘real’ populace.
The New Zealand Forestry Industry utilises New Zealand’s woodlands as a financial asset by deforestation and the exportation of the resulting timber to over 30 countries. (MFE, 2006). It is a Government, Economic and Environmental issue that’s affects the entirety of Aotearoa / New Zealand (MPI, 2013). Providing a significant portion of the country’s financial stability, as calculated by MPI (2012), a national gross income of approximately five billion dollars annually, and directly employs around 6,910 labour force workers. (MPI, 2014).
The Industry is one of the most dangerous working environments according to Bentley, Parker, Ashby, Moore, and Tappin, (2002), due to the utilisation of hazardous machinery, as well as the added dangers of uneven ...

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...e of growing trees in the Waikato Region: Trees on Farms. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/PageFiles/3354/section1.pdf
Waikato Regional Council (2007, July). Your guide to land conversion using environmental best management practices: Forest to Farming. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/PageFiles/19395/ForestryToFarm.pdf‎: ISBN 978-0-478-29572-6 (Online)
Waikato Regional Council (2014). Threats to native plants and animals. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/Environment/Natural-resources/Biodiversity/Threats-to-native-plants-and-animals/
West, P. W. (2006). Growing plantation forests. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
World Health Organisation (WHO) (2014, March). Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/

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