South Otago sheep and beef farmer Amy Blaikie says signatories are surprised a natural, New Zealand-grown fibre is not already used to carpet or insulate publicly funded buildings.
“They are supportive and can’t understand why it hasn’t happened.”
As well as providing extra demand for the depressed fibre, wool’s well-documented fire resistance and its environmental merits justify its use.
With consumers increasingly looking at the life cycle of products, synthetic carpets cannot compete with wool, she says.
She launched the petition after putting her farm business under the microscope as part of involvement with the Red Meat Profit Partnership.
“I got to look at wool and saw how it is undervalued and underused.
“We put it on a truck and off it goes.”
Her main ewe fleece was this year valued at $1.50/kg. She had a minor victory in selling it for $1.69/kg.
NZ First campaigned at the last election to use wool carpets in Government buildings but it did not survive the coalition negotiations.
The petition is on www.parliament.nz. It closes on July 31.
