Farm Forestry New Zealand

• Notices
• Latest Headlines
• Events
• Blogs

Action Group weekend, Nelson 14 & 15th November

Report on 5th China Global Wood Trade Conference

Forestry Facts and Figures

Dysfunctional carbon markets?

Forest Genetics for Productivity Conference

ForestWood 2016 Conference

President
Dean Satchell dsatch@xtra.co.nz
-Far North
-Mid North

Newsletter editor
Dean Satchell
dsatch@xtra.co.nz

National Office
Association Manager Glenn Tims
glenn.tims@nzffa.org.nz
Phone: 04 4720432
 

Executive

Past President
Ian Jackson ijacko@xtra.co.nz
-Ashburton
-South Canterbury
-North Otago
-Sthn High Country (north)

Angus Gordon angusg@xtra.co.nz
-Taupo & Districts
-Middle Districts
-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

Peter Berg
thebergs@ihug.co.nz
-Lower North
-Waitomo
-Waikato
-Bay of Plenty

Don Wallace
don@wallace.gen.nz
-Taranaki
-Marlborough
-Nelson


 

Notices

NOTICE TO FOREST GROWERS LEVY PAYERS

Voting is now open for the person who will represent owners of smaller forests on the Forest Growers Levy Trust board.

For more information visit http://forestvoice.org.nz

Call for Nominations for Farm Forestry Awards
Nominations can be submitted to NZFFA National office at any time, but must be received by 1 November (to allow time for judging) to be eligible for presentation at the ensuing Conference (next = Hokitika in April 2016).  Nominations received after 1 November are held over for judging for a subsequent Conference.  Note that nominations are submitted by branches, and so if you know of a worthy recipient, contact your branch officers.  Nomination forms are available on the NZFFA website or may be requested from National Office.

Husqvarna Farm Forester of the Year North Island and South Island:  Our two prestigious awards for farm forestry achievement.  Prizes are a Husqvarna chainsaw and custody of the engraved plaque for a year.  Recipients must be present at Conference.  Judging criteria include personal effort in tree planting and results, service to community, depth and spread of knowledge, and service to NZFFA.

NZ Landcare Trust Award for Innovation in Sustainable Farm Forestry:  Awarded by NZ Landcare Trust for innovation as in the title.  Prize is $2,000.  Usually awarded to a recipient residing in the same island as the Conference is being held (to facilitate the recipient being able to attend to receive the prize).

Michael Hay Award:  Awarded by the Michael Hay Trust to a younger farm forester who is actively planting trees.  Prize is $5,000 to be spent on further plantings.  The award is judged by an independent panel and the initial assessment is on a desktop basis – hence the importance of descriptive documentation and photographs in support of the nomination.

Latest headlines

TPPA may open doors for processed wood products
The forest and wood processing industries have welcomed the removal of tariffs on wood products across the 12 countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). WOOD COUNCIL OF NEW ZEALAND, MEDIA RELEASE… more >>

New resources available - practical information on growing cypresses and eucalypts for timber
A series of short videos and information notes providing basic practical information on growing cypresses and eucalypts for timber is now available. The resources, produced thanks to the MPI Sustainable… more >>

Report: Eucalyptus nitens, recovery and economics of processing 15 year old trees for solid timber
Eucalyptus nitens is a cold hardy hardwood timber species with very fast growth and excellent form. In Canterbury, along with other cooler regions in New Zealand… more>>

Council forestry rules a mishmash
A forest owners’ spokesman says council rules for forestry are a mishmash which vary from district to district without good cause. Often they are also more stringent for forests than… more >>

The NZ Farm Forestry Association Welcomes the Green Party’s Climate Plan
The Green Party launched their climate plan yesterday, and the NZ Farm Forestry Association is pleased to note that the forestry industry forms one of the major planks of this… more >>

Events

For more information on these events, they are posted on the NZFFA website >>
Branch secretaries, please make sure you notify head office of any branch or action group events.

• Hawkes Bay branch Poplar field day, Saturday 10 October, 10:00 am, Kahuranaki Rd, Elsthorpe
• Waikato branch field day, Graham and Tess Smith's Miraka Farm, winner of the 2015 NZ Landcare Trust Award for Innovation in Sustainable Farm Forestry, 10th October, 10.00 am to 2.00 pm, Wharepuhunga road, Te Awamutu.
• Forest Growers Research Conference 2015, Nelson. Conference on Wednesday 14 October 2015, Field Trip on Thursday, 15 October 2015.
• 2015 International Year of Soils Seminar Series, every week from Friday 11 September to 13 November 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm, Commerce Lecture Room 1, Lincoln University.
• Middle Districts October field day, South Eastern Ruahine River Management Scheme, Tuesday 20th October, 10:30 am.
• East Coast Hill Country Conference, Hastings, Thurs 29 & Fri 30 October, Focal Point Cinema, Hastings, Hawke’s Bay.
• NZ Dryland Forests Initiative 2015 seminar series, Ground-durable eucalypts: a new forestry opportunity for the Hawkes Bay Region, Wednesday 4th November, Waimarama, Hawkes Bay.
• Whangarei levy roadshow, 4th November, Toll Stadium 1:00 pm - 4:30pm
• Taranaki levy roadshow, 5th November, Devon Hotel New Plymouth, 3:00pm - 7:30pm
• Radiata pine – trials past and present in Wairarapa forests, Saturday 7th November, 9.00am - 4.00pm, Henley Lake/Men’s Shed carpark
• Canterbury levy roadshow, 10th November, Sudima Hotel Christchurch, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
• Southland/Otago levy roadshow, 11th November, Telford Balclutha, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
• NZFFA Action Group Weekend, 14 & 15th November, Nelson.
• Forest Genetics for Productivity Conference, "The Next Generation", 14-18 March 2016, Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

Blogs

Acacias in Chile
In 2012 a small group of us spent a week in Chile at the invitation of INFOR ( Institutio Forestal), the Chilean forest research institute. We were hosted by Juan-Carlos Pinilla, whose responsibilities include research into acacia species... more >>
Ian Brown

Sawing Fence posts from Eucalyptus maculata
I planted a small stand of E. maculata (spotted gum) 21 years ago in Northland, after being really impressed with an old stand of trees that were milled by David Davies-Colley of Eucqual sawmills. The timber was superb... more >>
Dean Satchell

Digging the Good Dirt on Soil Bugs
October 07, 2015: Volunteers Wanted: Scion soil scientist Simeon Smaill is looking for volunteers to help with a series of trials he is running around the country.  He is looking at the effect…more >>
Denis Hocking

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

Action Group weekend, Nelson 14 & 15th November

Host branches: Farm Forestry Timbers and Nelson Branch

Saturday Programme
8:45am Meet at the Tahuna Conference Centre, Beach Road, Nelson, for welcome and introduction
9:00am Specialty Wood Partnership – a series of short presentations on what issues this partnership is setting out to resolve
10:10am Coffee break
10:30am Update from Farm Forestry Timbers – how are we doing, can we do better?
11:00am Combined Action Group facilitated discussion – what are we doing well, what and how can we do better
12:00 noon BYO lunch at Isel Park, Stoke
1:00 - 4:30pm Visit local timber processing and marketing businesses – Plankville Ltd, Gibson Timbers, Halswell Timbers
6:30pm Dinner at Monaco Restaurant, 6 Point Road, Nelson, $45¬ - $55 per head.  Guest speaker presentation during evening.

Sunday Programme
Time tba Visit to local grower’s forests
Time tab Visit to Appleton’s Nursery
12:30pm Finish BBQ lunch

Accommodation
There are numerous motels and accommodation facilities in and around Tahuna.  Please make your own arrangements.

Organisers:
Patrick Milne - 03 312 6599, 027 471 0224, patrick@cypress.co.nz
Nancy Cowan - 03 547 5515, nancyc@snap.net.nz

Report on 5th China Global Wood Trade Conference

This report, prepared by David Allen, First Secretary (Primary Industries), NZ Embassy Beijing, provides very good reading and insight into the China wood market. Download the pdf file here >>.
 

Forestry Facts and Figures

The annual FOA/MPI "Forestry Facts and Figures" has been published and can be accessed at http://nzfoa.org.nz/resources/publications/facts&figures. 

Dysfunctional carbon markets?

If you thought our Emissions Trading Scheme, (ETS), was somewhat dis-functional, the figures bear you out.  In 2013 only 0.5% and in 2014 only 3% of the carbon credits surrendered by NZ emitters were locally generated NZUs.  The rest were the very cheap (20c), "hot air", carbon credits from Eastern Europe.  These "hot air" credits, which have been criticised by the World Bank amongst others, are no longer accepted in New Zealand and NZUs have risen from under $3 to almost $7 as a result, but they are still only half the price of European carbon. Only 35% of New Zealand's total emissions have to be matched by surrendered carbon credits at present with farming exempt and energy and transport only surrendering half their emissions.  Incidentally many of the 2013 and early 2014 surrenders were by forest owners rorting the system, an option that was blocked for forest owners, and only forest owners, in the 2014 Budget.

Meanwhile China is looking at establishing the world's largest carbon market in 2017.  They already have 7 regional markets.  

Source: Friday offcuts 2/10.

Forest Genetics for Productivity Conference

Scion is proud to host an IUFRO Division 2 (Physiology and Genetics) conference in 2016 in our home city of Rotorua, New Zealand.

Date and Location: 14 – 18 March 2016, Rotorua Energy Events Centre, Rotorua

Research topics for the conference are:

• Breeding productive and resilient forests
• Finding the synergies in genotype, environment and silviculture
• Genomics and phenomics

This conference is a genetic-focussed event, designed for geneticists and forestry scientists, but it also represents an important opportunity for other forestry sector stakeholders to have input into how genetic techniques can be used to improve plantation forestry in New Zealand and the rest of the world. Conference topics include breeding productive and resilient forests and efforts to find the right matches between tree genotype, site environment and silviculture. While these topics may seem a leap for many farm foresters, this conference represents an excellent opportunity to gain understanding of the benefits that genetic research and breeding programmes can provide to New Zealand foresters.

The five-day conference being held 14 - 18 March 2016 includes a full day field trip, partner programme and a post-conference tour to the South Island, which finishes in Queenstown, another top tourist destination.

If you are interested in open dialogue on how to maximise productivity, or interested in the application of new technologies, particular genomics and remote sensing, to the development of genetically improved trees, you should attend.

Conference website >>

ForestWood 2016 Conference

When: Wednesday 16 March 2016
Where: SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre, 88 Federal Street
Website: www.forestwood.org.nz

The combined forestry and wood products industry is coming together in March 2016, for the biennial ForestWood Conference.

This is the fourth joint conference in the ForestWood series, which builds on the successes of previous individual and combined industry events/conferences. ForestWood is a fantastic opportunity for organisations and individuals, with a keen interest in forestry and wood products, to engage with decision makers and professional specialists.

The theme for 2016 is Your Toolbox for Industry Resilience - Viability, Traceability, Adaptability, and Credibility.  This theme and its four strands look at elements key to building a successful and resilient business in the forestry and wood products industries looking forward. More >>
 

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