From about 2012-15 Northland was the epicenter of a swamp kauri boom.  Farmlands and wetlands were dug up in a quest for giant kauri logs which had, as many as 50-60,000 years ago  fallen into peat swamps and been preserved there; the timber was then exported mainly to China with little or no finishing.  The China export link which drove the boom traces to about 2010; for example, New Zealand Forests Ltd, which claims to be "the largest developer of Swamp Kauri," started its digging in 2010.  Controversy arose over both the effects on the environment of the extraction (governed by the Northland Regional Council and District Councils) and apparent exports in violation of the Forests Act (governed by the Ministry for Primary Industries). 

In July 2015 the national government announced "new moves to tighten swamp kauri management."  According to the MPI, "Swamp kauri can be exported, but only if it is a finished product or whole or sawn swamp kauri stump or roots." 

Environmentalists are not satisfied, however; the Northland Environmental Protection Society has led a series of legal challenges.  A Facebook post by Forest & Bird charges, "Timber millers are currently exploiting a loophole by claiming wet slabs of wood are finished table tops.  Miners are plundering native wetland ecosystems to make quick and dirty money."  There have been "cowboy" operators, and some firms have gone out of business.  More recently the rate of extraction appears to have decreased. 

To process swamp kauri, sawmills must be registered with the Ministry for Primary Industries and MPI must issue a milling statement.  In 2017 the MPI released its "Swamp Practices Industry Good Practices Guide."  Swamp Kauri Investments Ltd emphasizes its cooperation with MPI and attention to values; the firm has even assisted National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA) with its research on climate change.

March 2018 - Dining table on sale (NZ$23,999.00) at Kā Uri Unearthed (formerly Kauri Kingdom) in Awanui.