'Beyond disappointing': Kāinga Ora rejects wool carpet

The Associate Agriculture minister says it's beyond disappointing Kāinga Ora isn't putting wool carpet into new state houses.

Kāinga Ora has released a request for proposal for companies to provide carpet and underlay for its state homes but it specifically says no wool.

At the end of last year the government said it would direct government agencies to prefer the use of woollen fibres where practical and appropriate, rather than artificial fibres in government buildings.

Associate Agriculture Minister responsible for wool Mark Patterson said tweaks to procurement rules were being made and he expected to make an announcement soon.

He said it was frustrating government departments weren't listening.

"It's beyond disappointing. It defies clear intent of the coalition agreement which does prioritise woollen fibres and while those procurement rules haven't been updated yet the intention is clear from the government."

Kāinga Ora owns and maintains more than 75,000 homes throughout the country. Over the next two years it will add 2650 new homes and renew carpet in a further 3000 homes.

It had used dyed nylon carpet for more than a decade due to durability and price and a recent cost analysis showed nylon was 34 percent cheaper than wool alternatives, the agency said.

Patterson said it shouldn't all be about cost.

"It's an investment in safer healthier homes for our more vulnerable families. Wool is less flammable, it's anti allergenic, it's good for the environment, no micro plastics and its biodegradable so there's a lot of features of wool that we need to look at. We need to have a more holistic approach."

'Soul-destroying'

Carpet manufacturer Wools of New Zealand said it was disappointing wool carpet was excluded from the new tender.

Chief executive John McWhirter said the company would simply like to have the opportunity to tender for the contracts.

He understood nylon carpets were probably cheaper but said wool carpets have attributes that should be looked at.

Bremworth chief executive Greg Smith said the deliberate exclusion of wool carpet from state homes in favour of synthetic materials by Kāinga Ora set a damaging precedent.

"Kāinga Ora is New Zealand's largest landlord, owning or managing over 75,000 homes and a contract to supply this many homes would equate to over a million lineal metres of carpet and would be 'transformative' to the wool sector.

"In July 2023 Kāinga Ora stated that it was pursuing a more sustainable path for its housing. That meant looking at the fibre being used in their homes after over 600,000 meters of synthetic carpet had been laid over the previous six years. This volume of synthetic carpet requires importing around 1.7 million kilos of plastic for its production."

Smith said ironically many of the Kāinga Ora homes would date from a time when wool was the only option for carpet in New Zealand.

"To suggest that for some reason decades later wool is no longer a viable option for the same purpose makes no sense.

"There is no question that we would have gone to extraordinary lengths to secure this contract. It would have represented a key turning point for the wool sector in New Zealand."

If there was some inherent bias against wool that persisted within government departments, it was important for the industry to have the opportunity to correct any lingering misconceptions, he said.

"For the wool sector to be completely left out of the conversation will be soul destroying for many farmers."

'We didn't even get a look in'

Federated Farmers says the decision is a "a total slap in the face" for struggling Kiwi sheep farmers.

Meat and wool chair Toby Williams said: "It's incredibly disappointing and shortsighted for Kāinga Ora to not even consider a woollen option for these homes.

"What ever happened to the government commitment to back our farmers and use sustainable woollen products in government buildings? That's ringing pretty hollow today."

Wool farmers have been struggling for years in New Zealand as prices fall. Coarse wool which makes up the majority of New Zealand's total wool clip has fallen steadily in price. Some farmers have faced returns that don't cover the costs of shearing the sheep.

Recently, an industry body, Wool Impact NZ, was established to try to turn around the sector.

Williams said the National-NZ First coalition agreement said government agencies would be directed, where appropriate, to prefer use of woollen rather than artificial fibres in government buildings.

"For the government to choose a fossil fuel-derived synthetic carpet over a sustainable New Zealand-grown woollen product, just because it's cheaper, is an absolute shocker," he said.

"I can't see why it wouldn't be appropriate to use woollen carpets in a state house, but we didn't even get a look in.

"Kāinga Ora weren't interested in testing the price wool carpet providers might come up with for such a significant supply contract.

"Farmers just want a level playing field, but we were totally shut out of this process with no clear reason why."

Greg Smith, chief executive of wool carpet manufacturer Bremworth, said Kainga Ora manages more than 75,000 homes and a contract to supply this many homes would equate to over a million lineal metres of carpet.

That would be 'transformative' to the wool sector, he said.

"In July 2023 Kainga Ora stated that it was pursuing a more sustainable path for its housing. That meant looking at the fibre being used in their homes after over 600,000 meters of synthetic carpet had been laid over the previous six years.

"This volume of synthetic carpet requires importing around 1.7 million kilos of plastic for its production.

"Ironically many of the Kainga Ora homes would date from a time when wool was the only option for carpet in New Zealand. To suggest that for some reason decades later wool is no longer a viable option for the same purpose makes no sense."

'Beggared belief'

Green MP Steve Abel said it "beggared belief" that the government's home builder had outright rejected woollen carpets.

"We have this super fibre here, produced in Aotearoa, natural wool, better for your health, better for the planet.

"And they're opting for the alternative, these nasty plastic carpets that get landfilled, end up producing microplastics, they're toxic."

Abel said the government needed to explicitly direct Kainga Ora to consider wool and fund them appropriately.

"If we want to have quality lasting housing for people, we need to be prepared to spend the money to do that.

"It's very concerning if the short-term narrow focus of Kainga Ora is due to the pressure they're being put under by the government to lower their costs."

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