Finance Minister Nicola Willis on wool challenges during visit to NZ’s biggest scourer

WoolWorks president Nigel Hales takes Finance Minister Nicola Willis (centre) and Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd on a tour through the plant. Photo / NZME

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says there is “huge growth potential” for the wool industry and she is “very hopeful” for the sector after a visit to the country’s largest wool scourer plant in Hawke’s Bay.

Willis visited WoolWorks’ plant on the outskirts of Napier today, where a huge percentage of New Zealand’s wool is cleaned.

Sheep farms have struggled in recent years with low wool prices.

In Hawke’s Bay alone, the number of sheep has dropped from about five million in 1990 to fewer than three million currently.

“It has been tough for the wool industry, but on one level it should make sense that this is an industry that does really well,” Willis said.

“In a world that is looking for more sustainable products that are healthy, wool is just an awesome natural product that has all sorts of incredible properties that make it better than the plastic and artificial alternatives.”

Willis, who is also the Economic Growth Minister, said government entities now had to include woollen options “in all of their procurement decisions”, such as for carpets or insulation.

Kāinga Ora (Housing NZ) has also agreed to have woollen carpets in its new state homes.

Willis said the Government was also tightening rules to prevent “high-quality” farming land being converted to forestry.

After her visit, which included hearing about innovative ideas to help drive up the price of wool, she said she was “very hopeful for the wool industry”.

She later spoke to business leaders at a lunch event, and visited an apple packhouse and a drinks manufacturer in the region.

“These are all industries that we see huge growth potential for.”