With the election on us, what of the past three years? Gone are the stories of what used to be called "the wall of wood". Instead the industry has raised its profile and become an everyday news item. The debate has been around changing rural land use as the decline in plantation levels has been arrested. Some wood processors have found new life while others have exited. Both log and carbon prices have been at higher levels than many had expected. Overall it has been three years of progress. The out-going Minister of Forestry can be congratulated for being an unceasing advocate for the industry and should take pride in his contribution to what the industry has achieved.