Farm Forestry Model
NZFFA
Annual Report
NZIF conference
Illegal Logging
National environmental
standard on ecological flows and water levels
NZ Forest Owners
Association media release: Key needs to come clean on trees- 19 May 2008
Australia's
State of the Forests Report 2008 released
President
Patrick Milne patrick@cypress.co.nz
-Nelson
-Marlborough
-North Canterbury
-Central canterbury
-West Coast
Vice President
Denis Hocking jdhocking@xtra.co.nz
-Waitomo
-Taupo & Districts
-Hawkes Bay
-Taranaki
National Executive
John Dermer dermer@inspire.net.nz
-Middle districts
-Tararua
-Wairarapa
-Wellington
Ian Jackson ijacko@xtra.co.nz
-Ashburton
-South Canterbury
-North Otago
-Sthn High Country (north)
Neil Cullen cullen@farmside.co.nz
-Mid Otago
-South Otago
-Southland
-Men of Trees
-Sthn High Country (south)
Dean Satchell dsatch@gmail.com
-Far North
-Mid North
-Lower North
-South Auckland |
Farm Forestry Model
There has been no
comment from councillors so hopefully this means the favoured option by
your executive- the free resource/ banner advertising model as shown on
the concept page
-has been endorsed. Patrick has secured funding from MAF Sustainable
Farming Fund for building the Farm Forestry Model online, so we can
expect progress this year. Comment is still welcome, please email me.
NZFFA Annual Report
a limited number of copies of the NZFFA Annual Report document as
presented to the Christchurch Conference are available on request from
National Office.
NZIF conference
Denis
& Patrick attended the Institute of Forestry conference in
Palmerston North - the theme was 'Forestry & Agriculture -
Collaborating for Sustainability' with particular reference to the
Horizon's district. Lots of issues were discussed but at the end
of the day Farm Forestry was seen as the most successful model, one
that is established and working and most likely to succeed.
Illegal Logging
Several
meetings of forestry, Govt., retail and environmental groups have been
held over the last 6 months regarding the illegal logging issue and
preferred policies to try and stop the use of illegal wood in NZ.
MAF commissioned a study by Jaako Poyry looking at the issue and
it can be accessed through their website, though has not been formally
accepted yet.
All groups are opposed to illegal logging but
controlling it and imports of illegal timber is not a simple
issue. It is normally not an issue for local, NZ wood, though
there must be a bit of illegal indigenous timber floating around.
However there is thought to be significant volumes of illegally
harvested wood amongst imports of tropical hardwoods, especially for
kwila/merbau, where it is thought that around 10% of imports are from
illegally harvested trees. It is difficult to get an accurate
figure as the chain can be very long with regular mixing of legal and
illegal timber.
Australia estimates their imports of illegal timber as being at
similar levels.
Note that at this stage the focus is on legality,
not sustainability, which is a much more difficult issue to define and
police. If a foriegn Govt. allows unsustainable harvesting then
it would be legally difficult to exclude that timber without having to
impose the same standards and proof for domestic timber. If FSC
and/or other certification schemes with 'chains-of-custody' schemes
were to be used for such proof, we would have to be certified.
A joint forest industry - conservation groups
statement is being prepared and a draft of a Govt. policy to try and
ensure that all wood products used by Govt. agencies has been
released. This latter document also looks at sustainably
harvested wood products and again certification comes to the
fore. FSC and PEFC are the two certification schemes with chain
of custody arrangements, but the paper does recognise the problems of
certification for farm foresters and is planning to look more closely
at the issue. It also recognises the risk of perverse outcomes
where high energy, more environmentally damaging alternatives might
wind up being used because wood cannot be demonstrated to be legal or
sustainable.
Illegal timber is recognised as undermining the
market for legally harvested timber and especially the alternative
species that we are
trying to trickle into the market. A recent study by James
Turner (Scion) and others, backed by studies done elsewhere in the
world, suggests that in the absence of illegal logging export log net
prices in 2020 would be around 10% higher with other log prices up by
3-6%. This could increase forestry returns by US$151/ha and
return an extra US$177 million to the sector, equivalent to the removal
of all international, trade tariffs.
Expect more on this issue.
For further information contact Denis Hocking or Bruce Bulloch
National environmental
standard on ecological flows and water levels
Notice for rescheduled
public workshops on the proposed National
Environmental Standard on Ecological Flows and Water Levels
The Government is developing a National
Environmental Standard
(regulations) on ecological flows and water levels. The Ministry for
the Environment is seeking public submissions, which must be received
by 5 pm on Thursday, 31 July 2008.
Recognising the importance of establishing environmental flows and
water levels is a critical part of effective water management. So, the
Government is proposing to develop a national environmental standard
under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).
Please note that the workshops will address both an overview of the
proposed standard and technical questions surrounding the
scientific
methodology.
There will still be six weeks for submissions on the discussion
document following the last workshop.
Please rsvp again to waterprogramme@mfe.govt.nz
with your
intentions to attend a specific workshop. Alternatively you can
ring
or email Whitney Bouma
on 04 439 7512 to lodge your intent.
IN THE SUBJECT LINE PLEASE QUOTE THE LOCATION YOU WISH TO ATTEND e.g.,
Nelson.
Timeframe and locations of workshops
Wellington Monday 26 May 9-12pm
Wellington Regional Council, level 5.
142 Wakefield Street
Whangarei Tuesday 27 May 9-12pm
Kingsgate Hotel, 9 Riverside Drive
Auckland Wednesday 28 May 10:30-1:30pm
Mercure Hotel Auckland, 8 Customs Street
Napier Thursday 29 May 9-12pm
War Memorial Conference Centre, 48 Marine Parade
Palmerston Nth Friday 30 May 9-12pm
Palmerston North Conference Center, 354 Main Street
Hamilton Tuesday 3 June 9-12pm
SkyCity Hamilton Function Centre, 346 Victoria Street
Nelson Wednesday 4 June 1-4pm
Rutherford Hotel, Trafalgar Square
Rotorua Friday 6 June 10.30-1.30pm
Novotel Hotel, Tutanekai Street
Christchurch Monday 9 June 9-12pm
Copthorne Central, 776 Colombo Street
Cromwell Tuesday 10 June 9-12pm
Golden Gate Hotel, Barry Avenue
Dunedin Friday 13 June 10.30-1.30pm
Dunedin Centre, 1 Harrop Street
Whitney Bouma
Advisor
Working with Local Government
Ministry for the Environment
direct (04) 439 7512
fax (04) 439 7705
NZ Forest Owners
Association media release: Key needs to come clean on trees- 19 May 2008
Forest owners say National Party leader John Key needs to clarify what
will happen to forestry if the legislation on a proposed ETS gets
delayed until 2009. In the weekend Mr Key said National would not
support the emission Bill in parliament unless it met six key
principles. This, he said, would be a small price to pay for NZ getting
the best ETS possible. NZ Forest Owners Association president Peter
Berg says the proposed scheme has already had a hugely disruptive
effect on forestry and a lack of clarity and further legislative delays
will not be helpful. “ Forest owners are very unhappy with the
Labour Government’s ETS as it stands,” he says.
“The one industry that actually absorbs carbon from the
atmosphere is being forced to meet all the costs of its emissions
– real and imaginary – from day one. In contrast, the
deadlines for emitting industries are being constantly delayed.”
Mr Berg says National is aware that Labour’s policies are
inequitable and distortionary and 12 months ago, in its Blue-Green
Vision, promised to do away with the new deforestation tax. “It
is therefore of concern to us that Mr Key does not mention
forestry in his six key principles and from statements made earlier
this year appears to have backed away from his promise to do away with
the new tax,” he says.
Forest owners entered the ETS on 1 January this year – the only
sector to do so. However the legislation for the scheme is still with a
select committee and with National no longer giving its support, the
scheme may not become a legal reality for a year or more. “The
principles that Mr Key has come up with are sound enough, but if
putting them in place results in lengthy delays in both legislation and
in other industries coming into the scheme, then the 1 January starting
date for forestry will become untenable. The government’s
policies have already created a huge level of doubt and mistrust.
No-one is planting the new forests needed if NZ is to meet its Kyoto
obligations post-2013. Our policy has always been all gases, all
sectors, at the one time. Ideally we would like to see the scheme
implemented before the election, with forestry treated on the same
basis as all other industries. But if that is not possible, it is
crucial that National and the minor parties urgently clarify where they
stand.” For more information please contact Peter Berg (021 421
291).
Australia's State of
the Forests Report 2008 released
- Plantations now produce two-thirds of the countrys log supply.
-The area of plantations increased from 1.63 million hectares to 1.82
million hectares over the last five years.
- While the area of softwood plantations has been stable for several
years, the area of hardwood plantations has increased substantially,
from 503,000 hectares in 2000 to 807,000 hectares in 2006.
- Hardwoods make up 45% of plantation grown pulp logs; softwoods
provide 55% of the plantation pulp log supply and 98% of sawlogs.
(From Friday Offcuts)
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