The aim of TIP is to establish whether a tōtara wood products industry in Northland is viable and, if so, the size of the opportunity and how it should best be realised for maximal benefit. The project’s workstreams focus on addressing information gaps in economic and social objectives, while taking cultural and environmental outcomes into account.

 

The project addresses key risk areas in the supply and value chain. These include:

​

FOREST MANAGEMENT

(assessing the tree resource; selecting and removing trees)

• Is there sufficient suitable tōtara resource available?

• Can we carefully remove selected tōtara trees from farms to improve the remaining trees and what are the costs?

​

WOOD PROCESSING

(drying studies with kiln-drying and sawmilling trials)

• Can we mill the farm-tōtara at existing sawmills and at what cost?

• Can we kiln-dry the timber from green and therefore accelerate the processing? What are the costs?

​

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

(testing the market and gathering feedback, and identifying elements of the brand story)

• What is the product potential and demand for farm-tōtara?

​​

ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS

(Licence to Operate, both legal and social)

• Public perceptions, acceptance and sensitivities

​​

BUSINESS & FINANCIAL MODEL DEVELOPMENT

(options for possible business structures and financial models)

• What kind of business structures would be most suitable? Does the financial opportunity stack-up?