Farm Forestry New Zealand

Planning Tools working group
 

Changes to the East Coast erosion grant scheme
 

August Forest Science Seminar
 

Future Forests Research Harvesting Theme Update
 

Forest owners support changes to erosion control scheme
 

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 Office
Association Manager Glenn Tims
admin@nzffa.org.nz
Phone: 04 4720432
 

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
 

Notices:

NZ Farm Forestry Association National Awards

A reminder regarding nominations for NZFFA national awards.  Nominations may be made at any time but must be received before 1 November to be eligible for presentation at the next conference.   Nominations are submitted by branches and so if you are aware of worthy potential recipients, please let your branch know.

Husqvarna North Island Farm Forester of the Year / Husqvarna South Island Farm Forester of the Year
These are our prestigious awards for local achievers in farm forestry.

Landcare Trust Award for Innovation in Sustainable Farm Forestry.  The title virtually says it all – think sustainability and outside the square.

Michael Hay Memorial Award.  A grant to fund further tree planting by a younger farm forester.  Broad interpretation of “young” in a farm forestry context.

Criteria and nomination forms for all the above are on the NZFFA website or may be requested from NZFFA National Office.
 

Events: Branch secretaries, please notify head office of any branch or action group events.
 

For more information on these events they are posted on the website >>
 

• Hawkes Bay field day, Oruawharo Estate Field Day Part II - “High Trees and High Tea”, Saturday 9th August 10.30am.
   
• Mid Otago event, Miscanthus - Giant Grass, Thursday 28 August, 7.30 Outram Hall
   
• Mid Otago event: Workshop on Pest Control: Inside and Outside the Fence, Orokonui and Mopanui Forest, Saturday 11 October 
   

The planning tools working group is making steady progress on the conditions and standards associated with afforestation, forest management and harvesting.

At the April meeting, the working group members spent some time discussing the needs and requirements of small growers when developing planning conditions.  Some of the issues that were covered included:

• The need for clear guidance on planning conditions and processes, as the majority of small owners have limited experience with district and regional plans;
• The importance of providing clear direction on the issue of scalability (i.e. what conditions and requirements will apply to a forestry block of 5, 50 or 500 hectares);
• The need for proactive communication channels to inform smaller growers of their planning requirements; and
• The importance of identifying the wider benefits of nationally consistent rules for small growers.

The working group members took on board these points and agreed that a small grower perspective is required when preparing the guidance material (to go with the proposed conditions); and in the communications programme.

The May meeting included a discussion on low impact harvesting systems (such as continuous canopy regimes) and the importance of recognising these systems in the proposed planning conditions.  This issue was raised following feedback from a small grower.  The meeting discussed the reduced land disturbance associated with these systems, particularly when they involve tree species with stronger rooting systems than radiata pine.

The working group agreed to examine this issue more fully at a future meeting; and officials were asked to undertake some preliminary thinking on this matter. One avenue for addressing this issue would be to provide detailed guidance on lower impact forms of harvesting and forest management (for council officials and land owners).

The next meeting is scheduled for June.

Parnell Trost

See National consistency for the management of Plantation Forestry under the Resource Management Act (RMA) for more information on MPI's NES

Changes to the East Coast erosion grant scheme
 

New Zealand’s Associate Primary Industries Minister Jo Goodhew has announced changes to the funding programme supporting East Coast landowners with erosion issues.

“The Gisborne region has a severe erosion problem. A quarter of the land is susceptible to severe erosion, compared with only eight per cent of all land in New Zealand,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“Since 1992 landowners have been able to use the funding programme to help treat soil erosion, but 60,000 hectares of eligible land remains prone to erosion across the region. It is clear landowners need a more user friendly funding programme to help them tackle this issue.”

The programme has undergone a transformation as a result of two reviews by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in 2011 and 2012, and consultation held earlier this year. “The changes aim to make the programme easier for landowners to participate”.

“Unnecessary administrative requirements such as the covenant have been removed, and payments to grantees will be speed up to reduce the need for bridging finance,” says Mrs Goodhew. “The changes also extend the establishment period to better cater for the seasonal nature and practicalities of planting programmes.”

The funding programme is being renamed, changing from the East Coast Forestry Project to the Erosion Control Funding Programme. These changes come into effect on 28 August. Further information about the changes can be found on the MPI website.

Source: Friday offcuts
 

August Forest Science Seminar: International trends in harvesting productivity and safety: Is New Zealand keeping pace?
 

Friday 22 August 2014, 12 – 1pm

Dr. Glen Murphy, Waiariki Institute of Technology
Less than 12% of the 30 million cubic metres harvested from New Zealand’s plantation forests in 2013 was consumed by New Zealand’s domestic markets.  The remaining 88% was exported as logs or as finished or semi-finished products.  All of the exported material has to compete in a global marketplace against other forest product and alternative material providers.  Understanding international trends in performance and knowing how New Zealand currently compares with other timber producing regions of the world should assist with attaining global competitiveness.  This presentation focuses on two performance indicators for competitiveness; forest harvesting productivity and safety.

Dr Glen Murphy

• Dr Glen Murphy is currently Professor and Chair of Forestry at Waiariki Institute of Technology in Rotorua, New Zealand.
• He is also an Emeritus Professor from Oregon State University.
• He formed his own consulting company 22 years ago.
• For 40 years his research, teaching and consulting activities have focussed on the forestry supply chain from standing tree through to the mill or export port.
• He has worked on projects in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.
• He is an adviser to a private technology company based in Ireland.

To attend in person, please enter Scion through the main reception.

For remote attendance via live streaming please email Katrin Webb if you are intending on logging in.

SCOPIA setup instructions:

At the time of the meeting, please follow the access method described below. Any issues, ring Katrin on 021648640 (will be at seminar directly and is point of contact).

1.       Install Scopia - go to http://sds.karen.net.nz/scopia?client
2.       The “Join Meeting” Window will appear
a.       Enter your name
b.      Meeting ID is 6014
c.       Click ‘participate now’
3.       You will be asked for a PIN number – this is 1234

Please note:
This meeting will become available to join on the Bridge 10 mins prior to the start time.
                              
To test that your software and hardware are setup correctly beforehand, visit our KVCS Test Room at http://sds.karen.net.nz/scopia?ID=6222&autojoin (testroom – 6222)
 

Future Forests Research Harvesting Theme Update
 

FFR’s Harvesting Programme has completed the fourth quarter of the 2013/14 year. Outputs from Year 4 of the six-year PGP Harvesting Programme were presented at the Technical Steering Team Meeting on 23rd July, 2014.

The PDF can be downloaded here and includes:

• Steep Slope Feller Buncher
• Teleoperated Felling Machine
• Advanced Hauler Vision System
• Improved Grapple Control
• Innovative Yarding System
• New Hauler Technology and International Monitoring
• 2014/15 RESEARCH PLAN

Forest Owners support changes to erosion control scheme
 

FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION MEDIA RELEASE, 1 August 2014

For more information, please contact David Rhodes, Tel 027 495 5525
 

The Forest Owners Association welcomes government changes to the scheme that funds erosion control initiatives on the East Coast.

“Forestry and allowing reversion to native cover are both effective at reducing the dramatic soil erosion that can occur on East Coast hill country. Making it easier for land owners to access funding and removing unnecessary red tape should result in greater involvement in the scheme,” says chief executive David Rhodes.

“When topsoil flows down rivers and out to sea it represents a huge loss of potential regional productivity and wealth. Planting with radiata pines over many decades has greatly reduced this soil erosion as well as downstream flooding.

“Many of the trees that were planted 30-40 years ago have now reached maturity and their harvest has brought jobs and increased prosperity to the region.”

He says in the early days pines were often blanket planted by the government from the stream edges to the steep ridge lines without regard to the practicality or environmental implications of eventual harvest.

“Private forest owners no longer do this, but they may have legacy forests with trees that need to be harvested from these areas when they reach maturity.
 
“With manuka honey now a viable crop in many areas, a mix of plantation forestry, reversion to native cover and pole planted pasture all have a place in most hill country catchments on the East Coast.”

[ends]

Trevor Walton
FOA communications
Tel 021 381 465

(top)