Timber Industry Project - timber applications

The tongue-in-groove tōtara panels in the Scion gallery were produced from the Tōtara Industry Pilot (TIP). The TIP was a two-year study (2018-2020) to test the opportunity for a new industry based on careful management of regenerating tōtara on private land to bring together all the potential advantages of conservation, timber production, environmental and economic enhancement, social and cultural enrichment.

The TIP project was a collaboration with five partners: Scion, Te Uru Rākau, Tane's Tree Trust, Northland Inc. and Taitokerau Māori Forests Inc.

Timber from the TIP has been used for a wide range of product applications, including flooring, window joinery, weatherboard and decking, structural beams, ceiling sarking, interior fitout, laminated carvings, luxury furniture, hot tubs, and small carved gifts.

Mātauri Bay church floor (Samuel Marsden Memorial Church)

Window joinery made by Optimal Windows

Small carved gift, koru by WoodMasters

Indoor table by Innate Furniture

Sir Heke Busby Waka Centre by Arawai Ltd

Hot tub by Zorb Centre

Carving by Lyonel Grant, installed at the Park Hyatt Auckland

Waharoa of Tuteata at the corner of Titokorangi Drive and Tarawera Road, carved by Grant Marunui, Kawana Waititi and Haami Te Aho

After the conclusion of the feasibility study in 2020, Taitokerau Māori Forestry Inc (TMFI) took leadership to further develop the opportunity.

Please contact Elizabeth Dunningham with any questions about the tōtara panels, current tōtara timber stock, or the TIP. For more information about the Totara Industry Project, please visit the TIP website.