Issues
Timber Treatment
WPA has prepared a position statement around the industry's request for a review of timber treatment (see below for the link to WPA's position statement ). WPA members requested the Department of Building and Housing undertake a significant review of the hazard classes for timber treatment:
1) Whether they are over prescribing the requirement for treated timber
2) The safety issues around handling treated timber
3) The disposal of treated timber waste.
DBH has undertaken the review and are currently working with the industry and other government agencies to progress this important matter. At the WPA Technical Conference held in July 2008, a presentation was made by the Douglas Fir Association, presenting findings of a series of studies undertaken around timber treatments and the impact on decay in both pinus radiata and douglas fir species. Click here to view the Douglas Fir and other conference presentations.
At the conference, the Minister of Building and Construction Shane Jones invited the industry to present to him a summary of the Douglas Fir Association presentation in order for him to appreciate the industry position.
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The continued use of methyl bromide is under attack by health and green-related organisations and without the use of methyl bromide, exports of logs and wood-based products from many ports around New Zealand will be halted.
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The forest industry has published a brochure that explains why methyl bromide is used to fumigate export logs and lumber and the safeguards that are in place to protect the public.
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As a result of the leaky buildings situation, a number of changes have been made to improve the integrity of framing timber so that if in future framing timber is exposed to consistent wetting, a degree of timber preservation will be afforded to the buildings' frame.
