Proposed
National Environmental Standard (NES) for plantation forestry
Public
consultation workshops on the proposed National Environmental Standard
for Plantation Forestry
Pilot
study: online discussion forum on NES
Time
to shut the door on illegal wood imports
Surging
lumber imports a requirement for China
100%
increase in NZ log exports to India
NZ
Bioenergy Strategy
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
-Hawkes Bay
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 |
Earthquake
I hope Canterbury members have not been too badly knocked around by
last Saturdays earthquake. Some of the pictures I am seeing are
amazing.
Federated Farmers have an emergency number: 0800 327 646 so call that
if you need to.
I well remember the help I received cleaning up after the 2004 flood so
hope you will all help each other with the clean up.
John Dermer
Notices
Branch
officers:
- November 1 is the deadline for nominations for Farm
Forestry Awards to be presented at the 2011 Conference (see last
newsletter).
- November 1 is also deadline for branches changing
their branch levies for next year, and also for remits for the 2011 AGM.
Proposed National Environmental Standard (NES)
for plantation forestry
The Minister for the Environment, the Hon Nick Smith recently gave
notice of the Government’s intention to develop national plantation
standards (regulations) for plantation forestry. The intent of
the proposed standard is to improve national consistency in local
authority plan rules relating to plantation forestry and certainty for
those involved in the management of forests.
Overview of the proposed NES framework
The proposed NES achieves the policy objective through a national set
of rules that allow (permit), control and restrict certain activities.
The proposed NES for plantation forestry includes:
- permitted activity status (no resource consent
required) for afforestation in a rural zone (subject to conditions) on
terrain with low or moderate susceptibility to erosion
- permitted activity status (no resource consent
required) for replanting in a rural zone (subject to conditions)
- permitted activity status (no resource consent
required) for mechanical land preparation in a rural zone (subject to
conditions)
- permitted activity status (no resource consent
required) for harvesting in a rural zone (subject to conditions) on
terrain with low or moderate susceptibility to erosion
- permitted activity status (no resource consent
required) for pruning and thinning to waste operations in a rural zone
(subject to conditions)
- permitted activity status (no resource consent
required) for earthworks in a rural zone on terrain with low
susceptibility to erosion
- permitted activity status (no resource consent
required) for forestry?related quarrying in a rural zone (subject to
conditions)
- permitted activity status (no resource consent
required) for river crossings in a rural zone (subject to conditions)
- controlled activity status (resource consent
required) for harvesting in a rural zone on terrain with high
susceptibility to erosion
- controlled activity status (resource consent
required) for earthworks in a rural zone on terrain with moderate
susceptibility to erosion
- restricted discretionary activity status (resource
consent required) for afforestation in a rural zone on terrain with
high susceptibility to erosion
- restricted
discretionary activity status (resource consent required) for
earthworks in a rural zone on terrain with high susceptibility to
erosion.
Scope of the proposed NES
The proposed NES does apply to the following activities:
- afforestation
- replanting
- mechanical land preparation
- harvesting
- pruning and thinning to waste
- earthworks
- quarrying
- river crossings.
Note: for some of these activities a local authority can have
more stringent rules.
The proposed NES does not apply to the following activities:
- agrichemical use
- burning
- gravel extraction from beds of rivers
- milling activities and processing of timber
- use and development of land that has the potential to
be affected by contaminants in soil.
Local authorities would be able to impose additional controls to
address any potential or actual effects on issues that are outside the
scope of the proposed NES, or where there is an ability to be more
stringent.
For more information about the proposed standard please visit http://www.mfe.govt.nz/laws/standards/forestry/index.html
Discussion
document on the proposed NES.
Preliminary
Cost Benefit Analysis: Proposed NES for Plantation Forestry.
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Public consultation workshops on the proposed
National Environmental Standard for Plantation Forestry
The
Ministry for the Environment has scheduled workshops on the proposed
standard starting on the 13 September 2010 in six locations around New
Zealand. Please see the table below for the times, dates, and
locations.
These workshops will provide an overview and address questions about
the proposed standard. The final date for submissions on the discussion
document will be 5.00pm on the 18 October 2010.
Please RSVP with your intentions to attend a workshop. Alternatively
you can email
standards@mfe.govt.nz.
Public consultation
workshops
Location
|
Date/Time
|
Venue
|
Palmerston
North
|
Monday
13 September 2010
10:00am - 12:00pm
|
Palmerston North
Convention Centre
354 Main Street |
Gisborne
|
Wednesday
15 September 2010
10:30am - 12:30pm
|
Emerald Hotel
13 Gladstone Road |
Balclutha
|
Friday
17 September 2010
10:00am - 12:00pm
|
Balclutha War
Memorial Hall
4 Clyde Street
|
Nelson
|
Monday
20 September 2010
10:00am - 12:00pm
|
Rutherford Hotel
Trafalgar Square |
Whangarei
|
Wednesday
22 September 2010
10:00am - 12:00pm
|
Forum North
Rust Avenue |
Rotorua
|
Friday
24 September 2010
10:30am - 12:30pm
|
Rotorua Convention
Centre
1170 Fenton Street |
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Pilot study: online discussion forum on NES
The Department of Internal Affairs, with the support of the Ministry
for the Environment, will run an engagement pilot study in parallel
with the formal consultation on the NES. The pilot study will run
as an online discussion
forum,
subject to the terms and conditions on the relevant web page.
Data and images that are relevant to the question will be provided to
supplement the discussion.
The pilot is designed to supplement opinion-making in one area only:
how erosion susceptibility classification could be used in forestry
planning processes. Information derived from this study will be used in
a thematic way to support the development of the NES: it will not
be analysed and systematically taken into account in the development of
the NES. You are encouraged to take part in this online discussion and as
well as making a submission on the proposed NES.
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Time to shut the door on illegal wood imports
The government needs to urgently adopt measures to prevent products
from illegally logged foressts being sold in New Zealand, says the
Forest Owners Association.
In Australia the Labor Party has today promised if re-elected to impose
such a ban. That would put Australia in line with the United States,
the European Union and a growing number of other countries.
“It is disappointing that New Zealand, which has such a good story to
tell about sustainable forestry at home, has been so nervous about
doing anything meaningful about this damaging trade,” says president
Peter Berg.
“Illegal logging and deforestation are among the biggest contributors
to climate change and the loss of biodiversity world-wide. It is also
associated with violence against indigenous people living in tropical
forests.
“Closing off the markets for illegally logged products is the only tool
that has been shown to have an effect on this trade.”
The last New Zealand Labour Government adopted a policy of requiring
kwila lumber imports to carry a certificate verifying that they came
from legal sources. However when National came to office in 2008, this
policy was abandoned in favour of continuing talks with affected
countries.
Mr Berg says this was a disappointing backward step.
“Last year, we joined with other groups in our sector in supporting a
private member’s Bill sponsored by Green MP Catherine Delahunty.
That would have required all imports of timber and wood products to be
legal, sustainable and certified by reputable certification processes.
“Unfortunately, the government chose to vote against Ms Delahunty’s
Bill at the first reading, which meant it could not be considered by a
select committee.”
Mr Berg says it appears that the government fears a mandatory labelling
policy will cause offence to other countries.
“But it has other options. Recent legislation in the United States
makes it illegal to import forest products that do not meet the legal
requirements of the country of origin,” he says.
“Indonesia could hardly object if we did the same – we would simply be
requiring New Zealand importers to demonstrate they were complying with
Indonesian law.”
Mr Berg says the New Zealand forest industry is committed to
sustainable forestry and “illegal logging is not sustainable”. It also
unfairly sullies the reputation of wood and forest products from
sustainably managed plantation forests.
“It is hard to find a land use which is more environmentally friendly
than plantation forestry as practised in New Zealand. Also, our
government strictly enforces laws relating to the sustainable harvest
of logs from native forests.
“The ethics and the economics of illegal logging directly affect New
Zealand and our neighbours in the Pacific. Opposing the trade in
products from this unsavoury business is a cause where New Zealand
should stand up and be counted.
“In the meantime, consumers should ask retailers to provide evidence
that decking timber, outdoor furniture and other forest products, like
fire logs, come from legal sources before they buy.”
Peter Berg
President, NZFOA
(FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION MEDIA RELEASE 10 August 2010)
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Surging lumber imports a requirement for China
Chinese lumber consumption is forecast to rise from 41.6 million m3
in
2009 to more than 70 million m3 by 2015 (70+%, or a 12+%
annual growth
rate from 2009). The rapid expansion in lumber demand and consumption
over this period is based on steadily growing demand for concrete
forming lumber for new housing and general construction, in combination
with improving export markets for finished solid wood products (e.g.,
furniture, flooring, doors, etc.) that require feed stock.
China is expected to be the fastest-growing lumber producer, importer
and consumer nation in the world over the next half-decade, with an
average annual increase in lumber consumption of 5.1 million m3.
This
fast-paced consumption growth should have a strong impact on global
wood demand, particularly as the major global economies begin to emerge
from the current economic recession.
(Source: Friday Offcuts - International Wood Markets Group,
www.woodmarkets.com)
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100% increase in NZ log exports to India
Total merchandise exports from India surged 34% in May 2010 compared to
May 2009. It has become increasingly clear that the Indian economy has
been relatively unaffected by the economic situation globally. New
Zealand log exports to India are continuing to increase in volume as
demand for lower grade logs from this region remains strong. New
Zealand log exports to India for the 12 months to June 2010 were over 1
million m3, which is over 100% more than the previous 12
months and the
five year average. Over 400 000m3 were exported to India in
the period
April 2010 to June 2010 alone.
(Source: Friday Offcuts - Agri-fax)
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NZ Bioenergy Strategy
In partnership with the New Zealand Forest Owners Association, BANZ has
developed the New Zealand Bioenergy Strategy. This sets a vision
of “25% of energy in
New Zealand coming from bioenergy by 2040”. Check out the strategy for
more details. A supporting paper, "A
Picture of Bioenergy Opportunities in New Zealand” is also
available on the BANZ website. Proposed
next steps to ensure positive adoption are as follows:
- Engaging other parties.
- Developing Implementation Action Plans.
- Rolling the strategy out to all aspects of the
industry and associated value chain.
- Preparing to extend discussions with Ministers to get
the strategy included in their Economic Framework for Growth.
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