New Zealand Journal of Forestry (2013) 58(3): 44–45
©New Zealand Institute of Forestry

Opinion
Positioning New Zealand forestry - The need to know your place

Gerard Horgan <sup>1

1</sup> Economist, Rotorua

The final words in an issue dedicated to economics of markets should focus on the question of ‘where to now’? However, before rushing off anywhere, it is always a good idea to know where you are starting from, how we got there, and if possible identify problems that you may need to deal with as you move into the future. The 1913 Royal Commission on Forestry, whose centenary we have just celebrated, is generally and rightly regarded as the foundation document for the current commercial forest sector. But as Roche (2013) stated in the May issue of this journal, it is more than just this. It is one of a sequence of reports addressing concerns about a perceived looming ‘timber famine’ and the need for a forest estate capable of ensuring domestic self-sufficiency. When it came to that estate, the Commission’s focus was on the need for commercial viability, as witnessed by its use of a discounted cash flow analysis.
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