Farm Forestry New ZealandNewsletter 67, December 2013
Newsletter 67, December 2013
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NZFFA P.O. Box 10349 The Terrace Wellington 6143 www.nzffa.org.nz
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| December 2013 No. 67 | |||||
Future Forests Research Updates Green Green Growth of Home Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report to Parliamant United Nations International year of Family Farming
President Ian Jackson ijacko@xtra.co.nz -Ashburton -South Canterbury -North Otago -Sthn High Country (north) Vice President Dean Satchell dsatch@gmail.com -Far North -Mid North Newsletter editor Dean Satchell dsatch@gmail.com National Executive Angus Gordon angusg@xtra.co.nz -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 -Gisborne East Coast -Wairarapa -Wellington Patrick Milne patrick@cypress.co.nz -West Coast -Central Canterbury -North Canterbury -Marlborough -Nelson Peter Berg thebergs@ihug.co.nz -Lower North -Waitomo -Waikato -Bay of Plenty
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Notices Events - Branch secretaries, please notify head office of any branch or action group events, these are posted on the website >>
Forest Grower Levy Trust Board election results Audited voting results, successful candidates: Greater than 1,000 ha net stocked area category - weighted forest production votes Philip Taylor Paul Nicholls Bill McCallum David James Balfour Under 1,000 ha net stocked area category - individual votes Steve Wilton Ian Jackson Forest Owners Association media releases:
Future Forests Research Updates 2013 FFR INDUSTRY LEADERS FORUM: Presentations to Forest Industry Leaders on Tuesday 15th October 2013 (Pdf) Green Green Growth of Home When: Wednesday 19 March 2014 Where: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Conference Dinner Speaker Confirmed - Kevin Biggar  If you ever thought that you couldn't do it Kevin Biggar is living proof of whatever the mind can believe, it can achieve. From the comfort of his couch, Kevin dared to dream and set himself some goals that for most of us would be outrageous. Described as adventurous determined and goal driven, his journey proves that he is all that - and more! You’ll be amazed at his story and come away believing that anything is possible. Read more about Kevin. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to hear Kevin inspire you to achieve your goals. The C3 Limited Conference Dinner will be held on Wednesday 19 March 2014, in the Wellington Foyer, Te Papa from 7:30 pm. Tickets cost $115 and can be booked when completing your online conference registration. Conference Programme The draft conference programme is available online showcasing Politicians, industry leaders and political analysts who will elaborate on what they plan to do to make the New Zealand forest and wood industry more successful in a highly competitive International marketplace. ForestWood is the only opportunity to participate in a whole-of-industry conference and will be an event not to be missed. Register Online Now.  Representation at the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report to Parliamant On 21/11/13 I represented the NZFFA at the launch of Jan Wright, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's new report "Water Quality in New Zealand: Land Use and Nutrient Pollution". It was disturbing to not find any corporate or MPI forestry representatives at this launch because the forestry sector is not getting the mileage it should out of it. Nitrates from animal urine are serious nutrient pollutants that lead to unhealthy and unsightly waterways. If sheep and beef farms convert to intensive dairy farms more nitrates get into our waterways, but conversion to forest has the opposite effect. Recently, the PCE extrapolated land use change between 1996 and 2008 to estimate that 370,000 hectares of hill country will be converted to dairying and 245,000 hectares will be converted to radiata pine between 2008 and 2020. However the PCE made a mistake in using average 1996-to-2008 new forest planting rates to predict future changes in net afforestation. In fact, tightened profit margins resulted in a major decline in new planting between 1996 and 2008; moreover not all forest that is being harvested is being replanted. The outcome is that total national stocked forest area is actually getting smaller by about 10,000 hectares per year. This means the PCE has under-estimated our river and lake pollution rates. However it also means that her warning that we need to take remedial action is greatly strengthened. One obvious solution is to oblige those that pollute waterways to make a financial contribution to those who plant trees. I made these points at the launch. Hamish Levack Representation at the United Nations International year of Family Farming On 22/11/13 I represented the NZFFA at the launch at Parliament of the United Nations International Year of Family Farming 2014. It was a rather under-whelming event, but three concurrent workshops afterwards focused on social connectedness, environmental well being, and economic sustainability. I went to the latter, and used it to raise awareness that forestry reinforces and compliments agriculture, and the need for Government involvement in converting the wall of wood to a sustainable yield. It was a very good opportunity to talk to Hon Damien O'Connor MP (Labour spokesman for primary industries) and Steffan Browning MP (Green party spokesman for primary industries). They both want interaction later, via one-on-one meetings, on forest policy. Since they may be the key forestry influence in Cabinet after the November 2014 election, this will be worth following up. No national Party MPs turned up, which does not reflect well on them, but never mind, the Wellington Ginger Group is getting its ideas into the ears of core Government politicians through other channels. Hamish Levack (top)
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