Environmental
certification and the NZFFA
Green
Building Council and timber
Farm
forestry online marketplace
Fresh
water reform process announced
Measuring
sustainable forest practice
New study
comparing structural wood and steel
The
future looks bright for mobile chipper
Solid
wood initiative gets off the ground
Lowest
level of afforestation recorded in New Zealand since 1945
Afforestation Grant Scheme stats
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
Newsletter
editor
Dean Satchell
dsatch@gmail.com
National Executive
John Dermer dermer@inspire.net.nz
-Middle districts
-Tararua
-Waikato
-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 |
Notices
BRANCH
LEVY
Branches must notify Head Office of any levy change
before November.
PRE 1990 FOREST OWNERS
June 30th 2009: Growers with less than 50 ha, last day to apply for an
exemption from ETS;
July 31st 2009: last day to apply for allocation of free units.
Environmental certification and the NZFFA
Forest
certification has been around now for many years with most of the
larger forest growers now certified with the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) – this is in stark contrast to the small grower where virtually
none are certified. To date this has not been very
detrimental.
However there is a distinct possibility that it could be in the
future. The demand for certified wood seems to be on the
increase
and linked in with this are ‘chain of custody’ issues.
Currently
all NZ certified forests are assessed against an International Standard
as there is no agreed NZ National Standard. There was a very
serious attempt to negotiate a National Standard from 2000-03, however
there was no agreement forthcoming and it has been on hold for the last
five years. Over the last 10 months, representatives of
NZFFA, NZ
Forest Owners and Environmental NGO’s have been meeting informally to
see if a way forward could be found to restart the negotiations on a
National Standard. These meetings have gone very well and as
a
result a recommendation to restart negotiations has been made.
Over
the last year the Association has taken a very active role in trying to
develop a forest certification system for the small forest
grower. To this end, it commissioned a study with funding
from
FIDA on the benefits of environmental certification for its members and
the feasibility of a NZFFA Group Certification Scheme. This
report has just been completed and should be on the web site within the
next few weeks. One of the reports recommendations was that
the
Association evaluate a SLIMF Initiative for its members. A
SLIMF
allows for the development of streamlined FSC certification procedures
that will reduce the cost of obtaining certification for small forest
growers. Forest management standards can be developed which are simple
and easy to interpret. Over the next year the Association,
with
assistance of the Sustainable Farming Fund, will evaluate a SLIMF using
the South Otago Branch as a case study. If the outcome of
this
study is favourable, it may be extended to cover remaining branches;
however the reality is that currently we just don’t know what
that
outcome will be. There is no question that certification for
the
small forest grower is problematic. The Association recognises this and
as such will continue to try and overcome these problems.
Patrick Milne
(top)
Green Building Council and timber
NZFFA is represented by Denis
Hocking on a timber working party for the
Green Building Council. Timber and forestry interests have
tended to
regard the GBC as being rather unsympathetic towards wood with a system
that does not recognise the embodied energy in a building.
The GBC's
response is to say that they do not have the tools to compare different
structural materials and only enter the scene after the primary
structure (steel, concrete, wood, etc.) have been decided on.
However
points are then allocated for material that come from best practise,
environmental producers, use of recycled material and in the case of
timber, for FSC certified wood and/or recycled wood. Then
further
points are allocated for design, servicing, energy use, etc. for the
functioning building.
Everyone agrees that we need good life
cycle analysis data to accurately compare the materials used in a
building and that the necessary data is not yet available.
The working
group is looking at how points might be best allocated for wood in any
building. Suffice to say that two meetings to date have not
produced a
simple solution.
Denis Hocking
(top)
Farm forestry online marketplace
NZFFA
have set up an online marketplace where you can buy and sell anything
related to farm forestry. Please have a look and perhaps even list
something, especially timber.
http://nzffa.vint.co.nz/
GF 21 radiata pine trees available this winter, please phone Stuart
Orme, Woodnet Works Ltd
Ph + 64 6 370 2068
Fax +64 6 370 2069
Mble +64 274 442 669
email stuart@woodnet.co.nz
(top)
Fresh water reform process announced
A new process
to improve New Zealand ’s fresh water management was today announced by
Environment Minister Nick Smith and Agriculture Minister David Carter .
“Reform of New
Zealand ’s fresh water management is needed to address deteriorating
water quality and poor incentives for water allocation and storage,"
Nick Smith said.
“ New Zealand
’s abundant fresh water resources are the envy of many other countries
and the key to our competitive advantage in agriculture and renewable
energy – as well as being essential to our environment and lifestyle.
The problem is that our system of management has not kept up with the
extra pressure on our water system.
“Today’s
announcements are about Government setting the direction of water
reform and setting up a process with stakeholders and Mâori to develop
solutions.
“This work is
being led through a collaborative process by the Land and Water Forum
involving major water users in agriculture, industry and power
generation as well as major environmental and recreational groups. This
process will run over the next year and the Government will seek public
comment before making any policy decisions.
“This approach
reflects a new style of collaborative environmental governance outlined
in National’s 2006 Bluegreen vision document and 2008 election policy.”
David Carter said some
parts of New Zealand are approaching water resource limits and the
issue needs to be addressed.
“ New Zealand
has plenty of water, but not always in the right places and at the
right times. This has led to demand outstripping supply and economic
opportunities being constrained. Water is a vital input for the primary
sectors, which are collectively the biggest export earner and employer
in New Zealand.
“The focus of the new direction will be on water quality, water
quantity, allocation, and infrastructure including water storage.
“We need to
ensure that the changes we make are workable and carefully balance New
Zealand ’s important environmental reputation with the potential for
ongoing economic growth from the primary sector.
“While this
policy work is being advanced, water infrastructure development will
continue to be an important part of the work of the recently announced
National Infrastructure Advisory Board,” Mr Carter said.
Media
contact: For Nick Smith (Simon Beattie 021 243 8271)
For David Carter (Vanessa Rawson 021 245 9773)
(top)
Measuring
sustainable forest practice
Scion
is undertaking a series of workshops around the country as part of a
Ministry of Forestry and Future Forests Research (FFR) project about
demonstrating sustainable forestry practice in NZ.
There
are two workshop series being undertaken, one for people either in the
forestry industry or in the management agencies (councils, Doc etc),
and the other for community groups (such as recreational hunters and
local residents).
Industry/ Agency workshop process:
Firstly
we will provide feedback on past research about what New
Zealanders value about their local forests (e.g. biodiversity, water
quality, employment, products etc).
We will then use the
Montreal Process Indicator Framework to work towards an understanding
of sustainable forest management at the sub-national level in New
Zealand. From the suite of Montreal Process Indicators we will select
those that best define and demonstrate sustainable practices and
management. As a robust and widely accepted indicator framework this
information may be used to:
- Inform
international reporting processes.
- Inform
forest management practice
- Inform
forest certification processes.
- Demonstrate
sustainable forest management practices.
The results will be made available to the industry via Scion and FFR.
Remaining workshop dates and venues:
Gisborne: Friday 19th June, 10am-12pm, Mill Park Gisborne Hotel, Corner
of Huxley and Tyndall Road.
Whangarei/ Northland: Tuesday 30th June, 10am-12pm, Cheviot Park Motel,
1 Cheviot Street, Whangarei
Rotorua: Thursday 2nd July, 10am-12pm, Tuscany Villas Motor
Inn, 280 Fenton Street, Rotorua.
For further information or to register for a workshop please email forestworkshops@coastline.co.nz.
(top)
New
study comparing structural wood and steel
Engineered
wood product Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) can reduce the impact on
global warming when used in place of steel and will also save on
overall project costs. The Rotorua-based Crown Research Institute Scion
has just completed a streamlined independent environmental study for
Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts.
This study compared the design
of an 1800m2 warehouse made using LVL wood products with one
constructed of steel. The research confirms that LVL reduces the impact
on global warming by up to 56% as compared to steel. Analysis of
pricing supplied by Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts, confirms LVL also
provides significant cost savings compared to steel.
"This study
is extremely compelling," says Bill Hayward, of Carter Holt Harvey
Woodproducts. "It is widely known that portal frames constructed from
LVL have better fire resistance than unprotected steel, but now this
independent study demonstrates that as well as costing less, LVL emits
far less greenhouse gases in comparable applications," says Hayward.
The
study uses the accepted ISO Life Cycle Assessment methodology to
compare identical 1800m2 warehouses - one with an LVL Portal Frame, the
other steel, both designed to bear the same loads. The research
includes a full life cycle scenario (based on production data provided
by CHH Woodproducts) including assumptions of landfilling for the LVL
materials, and steel recycling.
"The fact that the study was
conducted by Scion - an independent research body that has been at the
forefront of this type of research in New Zealand - only adds to the
validity and credibility of the result. The advantage of Scion using an
internationally accepted method is that everything is counted, making
it a true comparison. When you take the end of life scenario into
account, using LVL in place of steel saves nearly half the amount of
greenhouse gases emitted in the manufacture of equivalent new steel,"
says Hayward.
The results come on the back of previous New
Zealand and international Life Cycle Assessment studies that
demonstrate wood's environmental attributes in different building
situations. The cost saving from using LVL products in place of steel
in this type of building is significant - up to 9% in total costs can
be saved when the completed structures are compared - and likely to
grow as the cost of energy-intensive steel rises over time.
Friday
offcuts 5 June 2009
(top)
The future looks bright for mobile
chipper
Ernslaw Bio-Energy's
new mobile wood chipper means the Central Otago
company is well-placed to take advantage of an expected increase in the
use of wood chip boilers.
The
company bought the $250,000 German-made Heizohack HM10-500 KT chipper
and the John Deere 7530 tractor which powers it in 2008 with the help
of a business grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Authority.
The mobile chipper is one of the first of its kind in
New Zealand. It produces about 13 tonnes of wood chips an hour - enough
to heat an average-sized school with a wood chip boiler for 10 days.
Ernslaw Bio-energy bought the chipper because it was keen to find a way
of adding value to low-grade logs, rather than simply selling them for
firewood.
The company's project manager Murray Cowan says that
while commercial wood chip boilers are relatively uncommon in New
Zealand at the moment, he is confident that will soon change. "Wood
chip boilers are quite common in Europe - mostly to heat water for
central heating. We see lots of opportunities for similar systems here,
especially in schools and places such as hospitals, motels and
glasshouses."
For the full report
click here.
Gathering residues and the very latest technologies to utilise wood
residue streams will be outlined in detail at the upcoming Residues
to Revenues 2009 series being run for New Zealand and
Australian companies in just under two weeks. Full
details on the programme can be found on www.woodresiduesevents.com
(Friday offcuts 29 May 2009)
(top)
Solid wood initiative gets off the ground
With
the agreement last week from the NZ Foundation for Research Science and
Technology to co-invest with industry, the Solid Wood Initiative (SWI)
is now underway. R&D into solid wood processing has fallen away
dramatically over the past 10 years in both NZ and Australia and it is
great news to see the SWI get over the start line and to sustain this
critical area of research.
Investing parties in the SWI
comprising NZ processors, NZ growers, Australian processors (through
the FWPA), NZ research companies and a North American forestry company,
Weyerhaeuser Ltd, have agreed to become shareholders in the SWI and
will provide almost NZ$1 million per annum for a 3-5 year period. When
combined with the NZ FRST co-funding the research effort will total
around NZ$9 million and will be a key research forum for processors in
NZ and Australia.
SWI's research will focus on the forest value
chain from log and stem segregation (at the forest gate or mill yard)
through to final product. The SWI is a redirection of the successful
WQI Limited and will be managed from Rotorua with Keith Mackie as the
CEO. Three new directors have been appointed; Mark Hansen (Rosvall
Sawmill), Tom Boon (Taranaki Pine) and Keith Swansbury (Winstone Pulp
International).
The technical programme will commence
immediately with leadership from highly experienced technical people;
Wayne Miller (Tenon), Marco Lausberg, Tony Haslett, Keith Robertson
(Windsor) and Andy McNaught-the latter based in
Australia.
(Friday
offcuts 29
May 2009)
(top)
Lowest level of afforestation recorded
in New Zealand since 1945
The
NZ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has recently published the 25th
edition of A National Exotic Forest Description (NEFD).
The report contains a detailed description of New Zealand's planted
forests along with information on forest activities such as planting
and harvesting.
New Zealand's net stocked planted production
forests covered an estimated 1.76 million hectares as at 1 April 2008.
The stocked area was down 29 000 hectares from the previous year.
Taking into account an increase in the area reported as awaiting
restocking the total forest area is 17 100 hectares lower than reported
in 2007.
Radiata pine is the dominant species, making up 89
percent of the planted forest area. Douglas-fir is the next most common
species, making up 6 percent. The remainder of the area is planted in
cypress species, eucalyptus species, other softwood species and other
hardwood species.
It is provisionally estimated that 1000 hectares of afforestation
occurred in 2008, the lowest level since 1945.
It is estimated that approximately 15 600 hectares of forest was
converted to another land use in the year ended 31 March 2008. An
estimated 18.9 million cubic metres of roundwood were harvested from
New Zealand's planted production forests in the same period.
The
NEFD report is published annually to assist infrastructure and policy
planning and is compiled from a survey of forest owners and managers.
The report is produced in conjunction with the Forest Owners
Association and the Farm Forestry Association. The report can be found
at www.maf.govt.nz
(Friday
offcuts 29 May 2009)
(top)
Afforestation Grant Scheme stats
MAF
has given out $2.96m in AGS grants over two rounds so far, with a third
round to be allocated this year. In 2009 and 2010, AGS projects will
create 1,429 hectares of new forest at an average price of $2,029 per
hectare for tree species that absorb carbon quickly and $625 per
hectare for species that absorb carbon slowly. A total of 26 projects
have been funded in the Waikato, Gisborne, Manawatu, Wellington ,
Marlborough , Canterbury and Otago regions. More than 60 tenders have
been received for the third round, which closed on 30 April 2009.
(top)
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