Maggie Black, 16, penned the letter as part of a formal writing assignment, and was encouraged by her teacher to send it to media, politicians and community groups.
The synthetic carpets would be rolled out as part of the Improving Classrooms for Small and Remote Schools (ICSRS) programme being delivered by the Ministry of Education, which includes improved classroom lighting, sound insulation, electricity upgrades and the replacement of carpet in teaching spaces.
The ministry has awarded the carpet tender to global manufacturer Milliken Group, an American-based company that manufactures solution-dyed nylon carpet, chemical products, textile materials, and healthcare goods.
Maggie’s letter, titled "Let’s get real", had been sent to politicians throughout the country.
"I think this announcement is rude, feral and quite frankly kicking a farmer when he is already down," she wrote.
"Synthetic carpets are a major risk, both within safety and people’s health. They hold highly flammable toxins and create underlying health issues that may not show straight away but will in time."
She thought the government would be trying to support all New Zealand businesses, after how hard Covid hit New Zealand.
"But no, now they decide to import synthetic carpets from America, which not only does it raise serious concerns but it also is completely ignoring safe, New Zealand-made wool carpets."
Speaking to the Southland Express, Maggie said she was passionate about the issue and wanted to see a change made in the policy.
"It’s not only me wanting my voice heard, I feel like it’s a lot of other people too. It needs to be out there more, then the government can look at it and go, ‘OK, maybe we need to relook at this’."
The decision felt like a betrayal to the rural community, and she questioned why those in government were not looking to local resources.
Maggie also questioned the safety of the synthetic carpets, worrying about its potential fire hazard.
She felt there was a disconnect between ministers, and wanted to see better communication between departments, notably the Ministries for Education and Agriculture.
"They’ve all got jobs to do, but the main job is to make sure that New Zealanders feel safe, happy and healthy."
Since sending her letter, she had received a small amount of replies acknowledging her passion, including from Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds, but no feedback from the government.
The decision to use synthetic carpet’s ICSRS programme has sparked outrage and proved controversial in rural communities — last month, the New Zealand Rural Schools Leadership Association announced some schools would reject the offer out of principal.
