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Newsletter 54, July 2010

Newsletter 54, July 2010


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New Zealand Farm Forestry Association
NZFFA
P.O. Box 1122

Wellington
www.nzffa.org.nz

Farm Forestry Newsletter
July 2010 No. 54

In this issue

Mapping standards for pre-1990 forests approved

Forestry Allocation Plan

Scions Statement of Core Purpose

Discussion on the future shape of NZFFA.

New forestry software application for ETS forestry return


Contacts


President

John Dermer dermer@farmside.co.nz

Vice President
Ian Jackson ijacko@xtra.co.nz
-Ashburton
-South Canterbury
-North Otago
-Sthn High Country (north)

Newsletter editor
Dean Satchell
dsatch@gmail.com

National Executive


Angus Gordon angusg@xtra.co.nz
-Waitomo
-Waikato
-Taupo & Districts
-Middle Districts
-Taranaki


Neil Cullen cullen@farmside.co.nz
-Mid Otago
-South Otago
-Southland
-Men of Trees
-Sthn High Country (south)

Hamish Levack hlevack@xtra.co.nz
-Bay of Plenty
-Gisborne East Coast
-Wairarapa
-Wellington

Dean Satchell dsatch@gmail.com
-Far North
-Mid North
-Lower North
-South Auckland
Notices
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Mapping standards for pre-1990 forests approved
The "Mapping Standards" for pre-1990 forests have been approved.
Essentially, they are the same as the existing post-1989 mapping standards, with the difference that gaps less than 1.0 hectare must be included in the mapped pre-1990 forest area; for post-1989 forests the inclusion of such sized gaps is voluntary.
The pre-1990 standard has not yet been published on the website, but will look just like the existing post-1989 standard, except that the "Note" at the end of Section 4 will be removed.
The Mapping Standard and Guide are available at the MAF website:  http://www.maf.govt.nz/sustainable-forestry/
It is anticipated that the Forestry Allocation Plan will be released in late July, and that in August landowners will be able to start applying for their allocation of units, or, if eligible, for their less than 50 hectare exemption.
The forms and guides for the applications for units and exemptions have not yet been published, but will involve:
  • Determining the eligible person who is entitled to apply for the units or exemption (usually the landowner shown on the certificate of title/Maori Land Court record at the date the plan is issued);
  • Proof the date the land was acquired (if applying for the higher 60 units/ha allocation);
  • Geospatial mapping of the eligible forest;
  • A New Zealand Emissions Unit Register (NZEUR) holding account number - go to www.eur.govt.nz  Note you do not require an account if applying for an exemption.  When creating your account, ensure that the name of the Account Holder exactly matches that of the eligible person (i.e. registered landowner).


The application for allocations period is expected to run from 1 August 2010 to 30 November 2011.  The less than 50 hectare exemption will have a shorter window, expected to close on 30 September 2011.
Online applications/exemptions and mapping are expected to be available at the MAF website in late 2010, so initially the applications will be paper based forms with the applicant's self created shapefiles.
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Forestry Allocation Plan
Details on the Forestry Allocation Plan are now available at the MAF website:  http://www.maf.govt.nz/sustainable-forestry/allocation/

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Scions Statement of Core Purpose
Following a review of the Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) last February, interesting new science funding changes are about to be implemented. CRIs are now going to be funded to deliver social, environmental and economic benefits to NZ ahead of generating value for their own businesses. Much more of CRI funding will become baseline again, i.e. CRIs will not have to compete for with other CRIs, universities & etc for so much of their finance. Emphasis is to be put on the CRIs becoming much more collaborative and inter-dependent with industry, government agencies and the communities that they partner with.  Concomitant with this will be changes in the governance of science funding. MRST and FRST will be replaced by a single entity that will monitor the CRIs and, where necessary, develop further policy.

As a first step in this process each CRI has developed a draft ‘Statement of Core Purpose’.

Hamish levack

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Discussion on the future shape of NZFFA.

Allan Laurie has kindly put his views in writing to open a discussion on future directions for NZFFA. Should we
remain static and serve the greater good, or follow a more commercial model? Please respond, we need to know what YOU want!
Ed.

From conference there was a lot of discussion around the concern that this organisation is becoming financially unsustainable and I know the executive is grappling with this.
 
At conference I raised several options for developing a more commercial lent to the business of the FFA. Those options include charging for services provided including the supply of information. Such services would be supplied at a discount to FFA members thus also encouraging membership.

The challenge is to identify and determine all the information transfer items within FFA business or possible business and develop a charging and margin structure around the business.  Annual or regular bulletins, publications, software updates and the like can be included in FFA website at a cost and advertised in Tree Grower. A review of other items that should be in the online shop should include all significant information we provide with the fee charged reflecting the quantum of information.

Some examples might include:
  • Give a range of joining options which creates buy in whilst putting some well needed dollars in the account. For example, editions of Tree grower available for purchase on-line discounted if you join on-line, or with some other sweeteners thrown in (but certainly not a free Treegrower, this sends the wrong message). So on the one hand you can join now for $X or you can join and get your first copy of this this and this plus membership to this and this special interest group for a discounted joining cost of $X.
  • Market reports available on line
  • Industry Calculators available to buy on line discounted to members, note membership should not include a free copy despite the fact FFA has contributed to the making of it/them.  These are high value items and should be treated as such (I realise this needs to be negotiated with FFR)
  • FOA Industry Facts and Figures can be purchased on line
  • Diverse Species technical reports can be purchased on line at prices well above what you would get them for as a member
  • Any and all software produced by FFA and others for sale on line
  • Simple easy to understand information handouts on the ETS, what you need to know as a farmer and or forest owner. Become a member of the FFA ETS group (to be set up) and get regular updates on ETS and what you need to know about being in the ETS space. Being an FFA ETS group member means you get the information and updates and you can add your carbon to the FFA pool for sale and avoid high commission rates.
 
Clearly there will need to be margin negotiations and publication agreements with other organisations such as FOA, FFR and NZIF.
 
In short we need to limit that which we give away for free and adopt a more ruthless BANFF approach (Be Aware Nothing For Free)
 
I know such a philosophy might challenge some, but at the end of the day we need to ensure the survivability of the organisation.
 
These comments should not be construed in any way as casting a shadow over where we have been as an organisation because that has been a very successful and vibrant space.  However we face issues of change and the above provides a critique on one of the places we could go to.

Allan laurie

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New forestry software application for ETS forestry return
AgResearch’s software development team has developed a simple software application to assist farmers with completing an Emissions Trading Scheme forestry return due on March 31. The application can use a variety of standard aerial images that a farmer may already have and may easily load images from Google maps. Forestry blocks can then be outlined and the software will do the calculations using the rules and tables in the MAF guidelines and prepare the files required for a submission.
 
If anyone maybe interested in this application please forward their contact information to me or forward my contacts on.
 
Greg Peyroux
IT Development Manager
T +64 3 489 9089
greg.peyroux@agresearch.co.nz
AgResearch Limited
Invermay Agricultural Centre
Puddle Alley, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
T  +64 3 489 3809   F  +64 3 489 3739  www.agresearch.co.nz
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