1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: Good news for one of our most important export sectors. 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: The Woolen Schools program is expanding across primary schools this 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: month to highlight the insulating, et cetera, all the good 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: things about wool and a tertiary pilot program called Wall 5 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: Dynamics is encouraging students to bring their own innovative ideas 6 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 1: to the wall industry. Now the GM four campaign for 7 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: wool in New Zealand, cra Biggs is with us on 8 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: all of this. Carara, very good morning to you. 9 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 2: Good morning Mike. It's good to be here. 10 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: Now. What is the state of play in wolf from 11 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: your point of view? How good? How bad? Where are 12 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: we at? 13 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 2: Well, Wolve's in a bit of a tough position at 14 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 2: the moment, but I think there's a whole lot of 15 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 2: optimism and positivity out there as well. You know, there's 16 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 2: some really good stuff happening. You know, there's a lot 17 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 2: of green shirts going on out there, and particularly you know, 18 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 2: we're pretty excited about our new education program expanding Wolan 19 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 2: Schools out across three new pilot programs, both in primary 20 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: schools but also in ECE early childhood education. And the 21 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 2: jewel in the crown is this wall dynamics program, which 22 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 2: is really exciting for us. 23 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: How much of it is in schools city kids who 24 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: know about well, where it comes from, what you can 25 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: do with the science behind, the economics behind about how 26 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 1: much is out there? 27 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 2: Well, do you mean as far as education goes? Yeah, well, look, 28 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 2: I mean our Woolen Schools program gets to about forty 29 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: schools a year at the moment, so you know, we 30 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 2: would love to do more. That's why we've really put 31 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 2: a lot of pressure on ourselves to increase the size 32 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 2: of our education program. So what we're looking to do 33 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: with our Woolen Schools program, and if you're not familiar 34 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: with it, it's been going for about ten years. It's 35 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,639 Speaker 2: two twenty foot containers that circulate the northern South Island. 36 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 2: We're looking to triple our reach to one hundred and 37 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,479 Speaker 2: twenty schools every year just with our new Wall Week program. 38 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,119 Speaker 2: This is the schools that are too remote or too 39 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: small or they can't physically fit a twenty foot container 40 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: on their school site. So this is really exciting to 41 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,639 Speaker 2: expand the reach there. But tertiary education, if we're really 42 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 2: talking about how much is known out there, that's where 43 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 2: we need to be so You know, here we're talking 44 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 2: about architecture and product designing students, and we've created a 45 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: modular course which means that every architecture and every product 46 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: designed student are going to be able to be exposed 47 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 2: to wool, and not just wolves a superfiber, but the 48 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 2: performance properties of it. You know, they need to create 49 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: a product that has good sound absorption qualities. Okay, let's 50 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 2: use wool because that can solve that problem. So it 51 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 2: really is about solving problems with wool. So this tertiary 52 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 2: education piece that is going to be the bit that 53 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 2: moves the needle. 54 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: Fantastic, you speak so eloquently and passionately about it. I 55 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: loved Kara Bigs, who's the GM for the campaign for 56 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: wool in New Zealand. And I did my bit last 57 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: week by buying an a Reno jersey, which is more 58 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: fine wool than strong will. But nevertheless, in fact, not 59 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: only did I buy a Marino jersey let me in on, 60 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: I ordered another one in a different color. Mike, I'm 61 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: a farmer, wanted to put carpet and I felt, being 62 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: a farmer, I should replace with wall. Synthetic was five 63 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: k wooll was fifteen K I get fifty cent return 64 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: on every dollar I spend on getting the wool off 65 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: the sheep. I provide this and everyone apart from me 66 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: makes money. It's a tough story, there's no question about that. 67 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: It's a hard row to hoe, as they say. 68 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 69 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 2: news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 70 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.