Farm Forestry New ZealandNewsletter 68, February 2014
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 New Zealand Farm Forestry Association |
NZFFA P.O. Box 10349 The Terrace Wellington 6143 www.nzffa.org.nz
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| February 2014 No. 68 | |||||
Major Forest Industry Safety Review Launched
Addressing severe erosion on the East Coast
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 >>
Green Green Growth of Home When: Wednesday 19 March 2014 Where: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Early bird registration closes next week - register now and save! Early bird registration closes at midnight, Monday 10 February. Early bird registration is at a special low rate of $225 for members of the host and supporting organisations: FOA, WPA, FICA, PMA, NZFFA and FTMA (non-member rate $350). 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.  Major Forest Industry Safety Review Launched FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION FARM FORESTRY ASSOCIATION FOREST INDUSTRY CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION Media release 29 January 2014 For more information, please ring FOA president Paul Nicholls, Tel 09 357 9119 or 027 595 8708 An independent panel is to conduct a major review into the high number of serious and fatal injuries in the forest industry. The panel members are business leader George Adams, employment health and safety lawyer Hazel Armstrong and business safety specialist Mike Cosman. Their appointment and their terms of reference have been endorsed by forest industry organisations, ACC, relevant government agencies, the NZ Council of Trade Unions and the Business Leaders' Health and Safety Forum. The review, which is expected to take up to six months to complete, is being funded by the Forest Owners, Forest Industry Contractors and Farm Forestry Associations, with administrative support and other resources provided by the government's health and safety regulator, WorkSafe New Zealand. Forest Owners past-president Bill McCallum says the forest industry makes an important contribution to New Zealand, providing jobs, export earnings and helping to lift economic growth. "But the current rate of serious injury and death is simply not acceptable or sustainable. We are committed to creating an industry where all our people go home safely at the end of each day, and we are hopeful that the independent panel will shine a light on practical solutions to help us achieve this." He says it has taken time to find the right panellists, shepherd vital stakeholder support and agree on the wide ranging and comprehensive terms of reference, but the foundations are now in place for what will be a very important review. "The panel's job is to uncover the underlying factors that are resulting in workers being harmed and to recommend practical measures to significantly improve the situation. "How it goes about this is up to the panellists, but they will use the structure adopted by the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety for making their recommendations. Most of the Taskforce's recommendations have been adopted by the government and their report provides a template that is understood and widely supported." Mr McCallum says no aspect of the industry's operations is out of bounds. "Panel members can talk to anyone and seek whatever expert advice and analysis they need. We are asking all employers and workers in the industry to give them their full co-operation. Individuals who want to have an input are strongly encouraged to do so. "They will be looking at our workplace cultures, our existing safety programmes and training, the activities of Worksafe NZ and ACC, worker involvement and engagement, and the unique structure of the industry, with its reliance on contractors to do most harvesting." The panel will have its first meeting on 14 February in Wellington. Footnote: The following organisations were consulted in the development of the inquiry's terms of reference and on the appointment of the inquiry panel: Accident Compensation Corporation WorkSafe New Zealand / Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment Ministry for Primary Industries Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum Competenz (forest industries ITO) Council of Trade Unions Forest Industry Contractors Association Farm Forestry Association Forest Owners Association [ends] Trevor Walton FOA communications Tel 021 381 465 ADDRESSING SEVERE EROSION ON THE EAST COAST Associate Primary Industries Minister Jo Goodhew has announced that public consultation on proposed operational changes to the East Coast Forestry Project (ECFP) is now underway. “The Gisborne region has a severe erosion problem. A quarter of the land is susceptible to severe erosion, compared with only 8 percent of all land in New Zealand,” says Mrs Goodhew. “The ECFP funds the treatment of land to prevent soil erosion, through planting trees or indigenous regeneration.” Since 1992 landowners have used the fund to treat soil erosion on 42,000 hectares. “But some 60,000 hectares of eligible land remains prone to erosion across the region, and landowners need support to tackle the issue. The proposed changes to the ECFP come as a result of two reviews by the Ministry for Primary Industries in 2011 and 2012. The reviews made a number of operational recommendations aimed at improving participation. The proposals in the consultation address these issues and suggest either improving the regulations or removing them altogether. I encourage landowners, t?ngata whenua and stakeholders to give their feedback on what would work best for them,” says Mrs Goodhew. Consultation closes on Sunday 16 March 2014. Further information can be found on the Ministry for Primary Industries website. (top)
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