Andy Caughey: Wool Impact CEO on the new building directive for wool use

There’s a belief the Government's new building directive for wool will be followed. 

From July, new builds worth more than $9 million and refurbishments costing over $100 thousand must use New Zealand wool where possible.  

The directive orders state agencies to follow the directive where practical. 

Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey told Mike Hosking it's not a rule, but strong advice. 

He says in two to three years time, people will see how obvious the solution was and regret not using wool earlier. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What a fantastic day was for Wall yesterday. Government directive
for their agencies to use Will we're appropriate in the
construction and refurbishment of buildings. The new fleece first procurement
rules we'll get underway July one, will impact CEO Andy
Coy's with us.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Andy morning, Yes, good morning, make good day, great day
for Will. Fantastic for a.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Purist like me. I love Wall, I'd die for Wall,
all that stuff. But for a purist, a government picking
winners does raise economic questions, doesn't it?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yes and no. I think what we've got to look
at is a value equation and increasingly where we're learning
around the issues around synthetic materials in the living spaces
where we operate and how that impacts on human health,
and then looking at the end of life, what happens
to the materials that go into landfill. We we bury

(00:55):
one hundred and forty eight thousand tons of carpets every
year in New Zealand, and yet we're producing one hundred
thousand tons of wool and eighty five percent of that
goes overseas. So you can see how much synthetic material
is going into landfill sites.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
Indeed, do you expect them to adhere to what It's
not a rule, it's advice, and they need to explain
it if they don't. But do you expect people to
get on board?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
It's a strong recommendation, and I think it's the sort
of decision which in two to three years time people
will look back and go, it was such an obvious solution.
Why didn't we embrace it earlier?

Speaker 1 (01:33):
You'd like to hope. So, well, let's see how it goes. Andy,
appreciate it very much. Andy Cohen, who's the Will Impact CEO,
with us this morning. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
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