Yang Jian: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeYang Jian: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 20 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3455. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.Dr JIAN YANG (National) to the Minister of Science and Innovation: What research is the Government undertaking to strengthen the forestry sector?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Science and Innovation): Yesterday I announced that the Government will invest $5 million over 7 years in a $10 million research partnership to help increase the competitiveness of the forestry sector. This research will focus on developing a broader range of high-value better-performing wood products from tree species such as eucalyptus Douglas fir and cypresses which provides an alternative to our predominant tree species radiata pine. The new partnership is led by Future Forests Research an industry-operated entity in collaboration with Scion the University of Canterbury and the New Zealand Drylands Forests Initiative and will operate on a dollar for dollar basis matched by the industry.Dr Jian Yang: Why is the Government investing more in forestry sector research and development?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: This investment aims to strengthen the ties between research organisations and the industry building on our existing forestry strength and moving up the value chain by developing high-value specialty wood products while retaining a strong focus on sustainability. It complements other research work we are supporting in the forestry sector. [Interruption] You would think they would ask a question rather than just talk all afternoon. The Primary Growth Partnership project on steep land harvesting is designed to increase the safety of forestry workers on steep and sloping land while reducing the cost of harvest by 25 percent. Forestry is New Zealand’s third-largest export earner behind dairy and meat. It contributes around $5 billion to our exports and we are committed to growing that further with investments such as this.Stuart Nash: Is he aware that since his party has been in Government the volume of logs exported without a cent of value being added has gone from 6 million cubic metres or 30 percent of all logs cut to 17 million cubic metres or 56 percent of all logs cut; and how will this initiative come even close to addressing this disparity?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The number of logs cut has grown dramatically over that period and the amount that is processed here is approximately the same. [Interruption] Mr Speaker do they want an answer to the question they asked me?Mr SPEAKER: Would the Minister give his answer.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The good news for the member in this subject is actually the significant investment going on in the wood processing sector as we speak. Oji for example which lives just up the road from his city has made a big investment in forestry in Hawke’s Bay and has made a billion-dollar investment around the country with the purchase of Carter Holt Harvey assets in Taupō—Stuart Nash: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I tried to direct this question towards the primary question by asking how the initiative that the Minister announced was going to reduce that disparity.Mr SPEAKER: Order! If you had shown some courtesy—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Speaking to that point of order—Mr SPEAKER: No I do not need assistance. If you had shown some courtesy to allow the Minister to finish his answer and if you could ask for a bit of courtesy from your own bench mates to us so we could hear the answer I think you will get the answer.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The point I was making was that there is good news for the member in this regard. There is significant investment in the processing sector such as by Oji which I mentioned; also in Rotorua Red Stag Timber is constructing a big super mill there which will be the largest in the southern hemisphere—despite the fact that it did not get Labour’s policy—and in Taupō Pacific T & R is building a new high-tech processing plant. Research initiatives such as these being done in partnership with the sector will help the forestry sector develop further.Stuart Nash: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister’s information is most interesting but the initiative—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat straight away. There is no doubt in my mind that that question was addressed.