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Newsletter 127, June 2020

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New Zealand Farm Forestry Association
NZFFA
P.O. Box 10349
The Terrace
Wellington 6143
www.nzffa.org.nz

Farm Forestry Members Newsletter

   Newsletter 127, June 2020
In this issue

Roading Manual now online

Fighting over log supplies?

FGR Harvesting and logistics publications

NZ ETS settings and auctioning rules

Contacts

President
Hamish Levack hlevack@xtra.co.nz
-Wairarapa
-Wellington

Immediate Past President
Neil Cullen
cullen@farmside.co.nz
-North Otago
-Mid Otago
-South Otago
-Southland
-Sthn High Country (south)

Newsletter editor
Dean Satchell
dsatch@gmail.com
-Far North
-Mid North

National Office
Liz Chamberlain
admin@nzffa.org.nz
Phone: 04 4720432

Executive
Graham West westlanduse@gmail.com
-Waitomo
-Waikato
-Bay of Plenty

Angus Gordon angusg@xtra.co.nz
-Taupo & Districts
-Middle Districts
-Hawkes Bay
-Gisborne East Coast
-Taranaki

Michael Orchard
 orchards@xtra.co.nz
-West Coast
-Marlborough
-Nelson

Patrick Milne patrick@cypress.co.nz
-North Canterbury
-Central Canterbury
-Ashburton
-South Canterbury

Don Wallace
don@wallace.gen.nz
-Treasurer
-At large

Egon Guttke
egon.guttke@outlook.co.nz
-Wellington
-Wairarapa

Peter Berg - Co-opted
thebergs@ihug.co.nz
-Far North
-Mid North
-Lower North

Howard Moore - Co-opted
howard.moore@outlook.co.nz

Members

The members area of the NZFFA website can be accessed by using your email address and password to log in.

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If you don't have a password or can't remember it, you can get one very easily. Just follow the instructions here.

Any problems logging in then email me.

Dean Satchell, website administrator



e-Newsletter
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Notices

NZFFA submission on the Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Bill. 


Blogs

NZFFA members can set up their own blogs on the NZFFA website. Email Dean.


Headlines

  • Better options than Log Bill June, 2020. The Forest Owners Association says more exports of processed timber products from New Zealand looks a good prospect on paper, but Shane Jones’ current Log Bill is not going to…
  • Farm Foresters recommend action in Wood Sector May, 2020. In conjunction with other sector associations, the NZ Farm Forestry Association, it has made five important post Covid-19 recommendations to the Ministers of Forestry and Agriculture for specific actions in the wood…
  • Rushed log legislation deserves the chop
    Joint FOA media statement with Federated Farmers, 25 May, 2020. Federated Farmers and the Forest Owners Association are joining forces to condemn the Log Brokers Bill as a Trojan horse to potentially force farmers and foresters to subsidise local processing industries from reduced export earnings. 
  • Forest Owners brace for avalanche of clip-boards in government measure May, 2020. The Forest Owners Association says the industry anticipates an unacceptable and pointless bureaucratic cost to all parts of the forest industry, if the Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry…
  • Forest Owners pledge support in Budget measures to assist economic recovery May, 2020. The Forest Owners Association says it’s keen to work with government and with the rest of the primary industries to implement government investment aimed at reviving the economy after the…
  • Forest Growers Levy Trust commits to support industry April, 2020. The New Zealand Forest Growers Levy Trust is anticipating borrowing and using reserves to maintain as much of its yearly work programme as possible. The Trust has decided…

Roading Manual now online

The web version of the Roading Manual is now live on the FOA website.
It is the same content as the PDF but easier to navigate and works on cell phones and other devices.

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Fighting over log supplies?

A storm blew up mid-May over log supplies to sawmills, when the Minister of Forests sought to pass a law that would support mills at the growers’ expense. 

The Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament on 14 May, and submissions closed on 21 May. It seeks to establish a registration system for ‘log traders and forestry advisers’ to support long-term log supplies for local mills. But why regulation? Why so fast? Why the Environment Committee?

Around the country people and organisations quickly downloaded the Bill and drafted submissions. Feelings ran high. Forest growers were opposed, processors in favour.
The NZ Farm Forestry Association suggested that:

  1. The Bill is divisive. We’d rather have regular national Forestry Conferences where all parties could attend, argue and resolve the issues. We want better information, not regulation.
  2. The Bill is disruptive. It uses terms like Forestry Advisor and Log Trader which are poorly defined, will cause confusion, and could force good professionals out of the sector.
  3. The Bill is oppressive. The New Zealand Institute of Forestry already has registered forestry advisors who could probably do all of the jobs the Bill describes.
  4. The Bill is expensive. All the new advisers will want to be paid; and since the aim is to help processors, they won’t foot the bill. That means all of the costs will end up with the growers. 

Shane Jones is right, sawmills are closing - but not because they can’t get logs. This looks like an attempt to grab attention in an election year. Tree growers deserve better. 

Howard Moore.

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FGR Harvesting and logistics publications

  • H043 Assessment of Winch-Assist Skidder in Gisborne
  • HTN12-05 A Woodlot Analysis Tool – Design and Initial Testing
  • HTN12-06 Safety benefits of growing forestry technology
  • HTN12-07 TR300 Remote Controlled Felling Wedge

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NZ ETS settings and auctioning rules

Following recent public consultation, Hon James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change, has announced New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) settings and auctioning rules. The announcements include setting a provisional emissions budget, the NZ ETS cap, and price control settings. Hon Shaw has also announced that the fixed price option will be extended to cover 2020 activities and increase to $35.
You can read the press release on the Beehive website.
You can read more about the content of the changes on the MfE website

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Disclaimer: Personal views expressed in this newsletter are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of the NZ Farm Forestry Association.

 

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Farm Forestry - Headlines

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