About Us
Our Story
FORMED IN 1991
ITTG Group has been an active participant, with other domestic forest industry and interest groups, in the Government’s recent consultation on illegal logging and timber procurement policies.
The Group will continue to be an important contributor to efforts in ensuring that New Zealand’s imported timber trade meets acceptable standards and address the challenges from growing international concern about illegal logging, deforestation and other undesirable practices.
The ITTG is not a newcomer to these issues. The Group was formed in 1991 in response to concern by the New Zealand public, timber trade and conservation NGOs over the link between the import of tropical timbers and unsustainable logging of tropical forests.
LOOKING FORWARD
The NZITTG has now become not only an active interface but also a forum where members, in an informed and trusting environment now report formally on import statistics, monitor the Group performance, discuss eco-supply options, certification bodies and standards, international developments, and generally debate the “health” of our forest products imports.
The Group is now widely recognised and consulted throughout New Zealand Industry and government circles. Overseas interest is not unusual. More recently NZITTG has been active in international forums in Europe, the UK and South America.
The way forward requires all parties, be they local forest communities, forest companies, or national governments, to agree the “big picture” and to realistically but firmly plan to transit out of destructive short-term forestry and transit to sustainable long-term forestry, over a given period. Over an agreed period of time certification will develop from verified legal to certified sustainable, our long-term objective.
DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP
Our members are a diverse group that consist of private and public businesses, government as well as NGOs. Collectively they import, distribute, wholesale, manufacture and retail timber and timber products in New Zealand.
Our membership is diverse, but basically should reflect all those presently engaged in the importation, distribution, marketing, and regulation of imported timbers in NZ.
In addition the group is fortunate to have conservation and forest certification experts within the membership providing additional insight and perspectives to members.
Our Charter explains further that NZITTG Council Membership is limited to 20 members with defined numbers of participants per industry sector. This is to provide a representative and balanced context around the issues .
General Members and guests may be invited to attend a Council Meeting through the Chair.
The Group operates under a Charter of Understanding first agreed in 1994. This was subsequently revised in 2002 and further reviewed and then confirmed in 2004.
The Charter set some enduring goals for the Group; including, ensuring that all tropical timber imported into New Zealand is sourced from certified, sustainably managed forests and agreeing on certification procedures that provide purchasers with a reliable assurance of the sourcing of the product from sustainably managed forests.
The Charter has been an effective benchmark for the Group and its goals remain highly relevant to the current concerns about timber trade.
