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One of the organisers of yesterday’s Māori forestry summit in Rotorua says investment in scientific research can bring significant benefits for Māori forest owners.
Peter Bennett, the Māori business development manager at Scion, the forestry crown research institute, says Māori are keen to know if forestry is the best use.
He says for a lot of difficult land it may well be, but much depends on making better use of what is grown.
That’s why Scion is putting a lot of effort into researching bio fuels and biochemical's.
"What is happening is we have a lot of waste in our forests. Fifty percent of a log, when we cut it up into saw logs, is sawdust. A lot of our trees are left behind in the forest because they don't match what buyers want. We're looking at using that waste, and if we can do that successfully, then our forestry will have a lot more economical return," Mr Bennett says.
Māori owners are also concerned about the environmental risks, and may need to consider the cultural implications of issues like protection of waterways.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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