Irony and pleasure at new forest service site

Shane Jones opens the new forestry site at Scion in Rotorua today.

In 1987, a young Shane Jones accompanied two senior Labour government ministers to Rotorua to sell off the New Zealand Forestry Service.

Today, 30 years later, Shane returned as Minister of Forestry to expand the service.

At Scion, on what was the NZ Forestry Service, Shane officially launched a new forestry service site before an outdoor audience of around 130.

Close to 32 years ago, he was despatched from Kaitaia to a meeting on the site now the site of the new service.

On behalf of his trust board, Muriwhenua, the purpose of the meeting for Cabinet Ministers Stan Rodgers and Sir Peter Tapsell to announce that the Labour government in 1987 was selling the forest service.

'So, it was with a great deal of both irony and pleasure that in 2017 – 30 years later – I had the privilege of being appointed the forest minister,” Shane says.

With fetching karakia by young students at Whakarewarewa School, the new forestry service was launched.

Shane regaled a gathering of around 130 of his expectations and his time in parliament when chief whip we Steve Chadwick, now Mayor of Rotorua.

The new site has been named Te Uru Rakau building, which will share the building and facilities with the Department of Conservation.

By design: Minister of Forestry Shane Jones beside an artist's impression of Te Uru Rakau a Scion in Rotorua today.

The present office, also on Scion's Rotorua campus, is regarded as no longer fit for purpose; an alternative solution was needed to accommodate increased regional staff.

The Minster praised the high blend of formality in Rotorua for elders and te kanga Maori.

He also praised Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick as he dipped into his Labour MP past.

'Up in Nga Puhi we don't like this (term) koro matua for a mayor – we grew up in Awanui where the word koro matua was an old bull that had seen better days,” he said amid laughter.

'I can say that to mayor Stevie Chadwick because she had to discipline me when I was in the Labour Party. As you can see, she never did very well.”

Shane is now with NZ First.

But he acknowledged his great friend and Doug Leeder, the chairman of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. They, along with members of the forestry ministry, Scion scientists and representatives of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (including former Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters), Te Arawa elders (rangitahi), the Department of Conservation and other identities 'to confirm the kaupapa of the day”.

When the present government was formed – with it the creation of a $3 billion fund – the first $500 million of the fund went to the creation of Te Uru Rakau to begin the rehabilitation, professionalism and purpose of forestry in Aotearoa.

Te Uru Rakau will now have a special place in forestry in no better place than Rotorua, the heartland of the country's largest forestry plantation, a site which had trained many men and women over the years.

'It is not only good for Rotorua but for those of us who were prepared to rebalance the scales and bring the faded glories of the forestry service quite frankly back to a place of pride,” Shane says.

New Zealand has its kaupapa which is one billion trees, the Minister says – a mixture of exotic trees, pines etc – and native trees.

He praised Scion scientists.

On song: Whakarewarewa School students in action, welcoming Minister of Forestry, Shane Jones.

'The technique they've perfected by exercising Scion's growth of our very shy and often stubborn native trees – I've found a few native voters to be stubborn as well – full marks, because it is actually helping us to just get ahead of Mother Nature,” he says.

It was also a project to which the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had put her colours.

The new building was to be the representation of the next stage of the growth of an important industry.

It was important to him as a Maori and as a Kiwi. Today was a chance to announce to all of New Zealand Maori and Kiwi are serious and are in business.

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