Yesterday it was announced from July, government agencies would be directed to use woollen fibre products in the construction and refurbishment of publicly funded buildings "where practical and appropriate".
Slopedown sheep and beef farmer Amy Blaikie said the announcement was "fantastic news".
In 2020, she presented a petition of 15,069 signatures to the House of Representatives, which requested all publicly funded buildings and KiwiBuild homes be built or refurbished with New Zealand wool carpet and insulation.
"It seems like forever ago since we did the petition and you lose a bit of hope," she said.
"It’s brilliant news to hear and I’m stoked.
"The health benefits of not having all that synthetic material within your building [and] I think of the landfills [which are] not going to be filled with as much plastic."
While Mrs Blaikie did have some reservations about what "practical and appropriate" might mean, she hoped producing more woollen products for buildings would boost the economy and increase jobs.
"It’s a huge leap in the right direction."
In a statement, Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson said the government was "walking the talk".
"The new requirements go beyond procurement’s immediate aim of purchasing goods and services.
"They demonstrate the government’s support for the wool industry and farmers by encouraging increased demand for woollen fibre products in government-owned buildings."
The move was warmly welcomed by industry groups.
Federated Farmers meat and wool chairman Toby Williams said it was a "clear vote of confidence" in the future of New Zealand wool as a natural and sustainable product.
Beef + Lamb NZ chairwoman Kate Acland said it was great news for the thousands of people in the wool industry.
Campaign for Wool NZ general manager Kara Biggs said the group was "ecstatic"about the policy which "could really shift the dial for the entire New Zealand wool industry."
