Risk, Wind, Fire and Snow
- New Zealand forest supply chain risks following Covid-19 (Access: NZFFA membership)
Michael Wang and Robert Radics, February 2021
Forestry plays a vital role in the regional and national economic development in New Zealand. According to recent Statistics NZ data, total stocked plantation forest area was 1.697 million hectares,…
- Risk round up (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, May 2018
It seems the forest industry came through the last fire season well, with only a handful of small fires. Early indications were that summer 2018 would be challenging with very…
- A view from the other side of insurance (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, February 2017
Over recent years, I have been writing about how important it is to carefully consider your standing timber policy values, the perils you choose to insure against, such as fire,…
- A Licorice Allsorts selection of forestry risk (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, November 2016
This month’s article is a bit of a mixed bag, as reflected in the title. At times risk is a bit like a bag of Licorice Allsorts − not all…
- Is your risk over once you have sold your logs? (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, August 2016
After harvesting and getting your logs to market you may be forgiven in thinking that the risk is all behind you − but is it? What happens if you sell…
- Liability for forest owners - Cannot see the wood for the trees? (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, May 2016
It seems that New Zealand’s business environment is getting more difficult and all business owners, including forest owners, are exposed to an increasingly complex myriad of liability risks. So how…
- Forest owners’ liability insurance (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, February 2014
As we look forward to some sunny days, owners of standing timber might also want to give some thought to the increased risk which a hot dry summer brings. If…
- Risk and opportunity in forestry (Access: unrestricted)
Geraint Bermingham and Kevin Oldham, August 2012
If the last few years have taught us anything it is the notion that risk and uncertainty are a reality for anyone interested in future value. Some things may have…
- Risk management A farm forester’s perspective (Access: unrestricted)
Anders Crofoot, August 2012
Trees are a crop, and as with all crops there are a variety of risks. The risks vary not only with the season, but with the age of the crop.…
- Risk issues associated with the ownership of forest land (Access: unrestricted)
Blue Hancock, August 2012
This article will look at some of the more prominent and unusual risks associated with the ownership of forest land. I have a 30-year background in rural land valuation, specialising…
Fire and emergency New Zealand
- Rural fire and Safety
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has prepared the following material on rural fires and safety: Fires can start from the…
Tree Grower articles
- Fighting fire with fire (Access: unrestricted)
Michaell Harnett, May 2020
Always a hot topic, and offering plenty of puns to bright sparks, wildfire was been on people’s minds over the summer. Images of the extreme Australian bushfires filled our television screens and…
- What should you do if there is a fire in your forest? (Access: NZFFA membership)
Tiffany Robertson, February 2020
Summer is well under way and this is often the time of year for sitting back and watching the trees grow while reflecting on last year’s achievements. However, for forest…
- A comparison of the 2019 Pigeon Valley forest fire with similar events in the past (Access: NZFFA membership)
Murray Dudfield, Geoff Cameron, Jim Carle, Kerry Ellem and Peter Hill, February 2020
The February 2019 Nelson Pigeon Valley wildfire has been claimed by some as the most destructive plantation fire in the past 60 years. This article reviews data from other wildfires…
- Fire prevention for woodlot owners (Access: unrestricted)
Rob Goldring, November 2018
Wildfires in forest plantations, other than being inherently dangerous for fire fighters, cause significant economic loss. They have the potential to spread beyond individual properties, exposing forest owners to considerable…
- Pigeon Valley fire - New methods put to the test (Access: NZFFA membership)
Grant Pearce and Harriet Palmer, August 2019
The February Pigeon Valley fire near Nelson was New Zealand’s largest forest fire in more than 60 years. The fire burned over 2,300 hectares and caused the evacuation of more…
- The levy funded Fire Committee (Access: unrestricted)
Geoff Cameron, August 2017
The NZFFA has been represented on this committee for a number of years, giving small growers a say on a small but important component of forest and land management at…
- The new organisation Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Access: unrestricted)
Kevin O’Connor, August 2017
On 1 July 2017, all urban and rural fire services were amalgamated into one new organisation, Fire and Emergency New Zealand. While this is a significant change for the fire…
- Rural and urban fire fighters merge (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, May 2017
There has been some recent publicity in respect of the amalgamation of rural and urban fire fighters. This is the most significant change to the fire service since the Forest…
- Scion Rural Fire Research Group – Understanding extreme fire behaviour (Access: unrestricted)
Richard Parker, Veronica Clifford, Tara Strand, Grant Pearce & Lisa Langer, May 2016
The Scion Rural Fire Research Group is New Zealand’s only provider of specialist fire research expertise in forest and rural landscapes.We develop science and technology to protect life and property,…
- Risk and insurance for your forest (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, February 2016
In early December I visited the aftermath of a large plantation fire. As I stood looking at the debris, which was still smouldering, it really bought home to me how…
- Rebuilding after the Onamalutu fire earlier this year (Access: unrestricted)
Ket Bradshaw, August 2015
Marlborough forester Ket Bradshaw lost large sections of her Nikau Forest in a fire in February 2015. Here is her experience and the lessons learned in the aftermath. Wednesday 4…
- Forests, farms and fire (Access: unrestricted)
Michelle Harnett, May 2015
The most severe fire season for a decade is a reminder of just how vulnerable forests and farms can be to fire. Awareness, prevention and preparedness, with a little bit…
- Drought and fires ? another challenging time for forest owners? (Access: unrestricted)
Jo McIntosh, May 2015
It has been another hot dry summer which once again has increased the risk of fires in rural New Zealand. There have been some recent high profile fires which caused…
- Insurance for forest and rural fire liabilities (Access: unrestricted)
Jeremy Manks, February 2015
All individuals or businesses are exposed to liability for damage or personal injury caused by fire. However the Forest and Rural Fires Act imposes extra liabilities within rural fire districts.…
- Drought and the increased risk of fire (Access: unrestricted)
Tony Gouldson, February 2014
It has always been difficult to insure against the direct effects of drought. But it is less difficult to insure the increased risks of fire triggered by a period of…
- Fire management for small forests (Access: unrestricted)
Gary Lockyer, May 2012
Small forests are considered to be anything from a few trees to over 1,000 hectares. Whether you own or manage an exotic or indigenous forest, protecting it from fire is…
- What is risk management? (Access: unrestricted)
Jane Marsick, May 2012
All farms face risks which can potentially affect the assets or income. In terms of a small forest, many of the risks are fairly obvious such as fire or storm…
- Learning from Australia’s fires (Access: unrestricted)
Stuart Anderson, November 2010
When summer turns up its heat once again, we are often reminded of the bushfires that created such tragedy in Australia in February 2009. Although fires on that scale are…
- The levy funded Fire Committee (Access: unrestricted)
Geoff Cameron, August 2017
The NZFFA has been represented on this committee for a number of years, giving small growers a say on a small but important component of forest and land management at…
- Fire weather: The science behind the signs (Access: unrestricted)
Grant Pearce, February 2009
At this time of the year people often take more notice of the fire danger signs that appear along New Zealand’s rural highways. These half-grapefruit dials indicating low, moderate or…
- Information for Fire Response Protocol (Access: unrestricted)
Dave Gratton, February 2008
Fire danger is always a worry for forest owners during summer months. You can always minimise the possibility of a fire outbreak by using commonsense actions during those hot months,…
- Hot tips for fire readiness (Access: unrestricted)
Vivienne McLean, November 2007
With the headlines dominated by the Californian wild fires at the start of our fire season, rural fire prevention has assumed an even sharper focus than usual. David Hammond, the…
Other sources of information
- Rural Fire Guidelines (for farmers, woodlot owners, and contractors)
December 2019
- Guide to New Zealand fuels, A technical guide for selecting the most appropriate fuel type for Fire Behaviour Prediction
Clifford, V. R., H. G. Pearce and S. A. J. Anderson (2013).
- A field guide to New Zealand fuels
Clifford, V. R., H. G. Pearce and S. A. J. Anderson (2013).
- A manual for predicting fire behavious in New Zealand fuels - 2nd ed.
Pearce, H. G., S. A. J. Anderson and V. R. Clifford (2012).
- A manual for predicting fire behaviour in New Zealand fuels - 1st ed.
Pearce, H. G. and S. A. J. Anderson (2008).
- Fire Management Guidelines for Small Forests
National Rural Fire Authority. (2003). Fire Management Guidelines for Small Forests. Napier, NZ: National Rural Fire Authority.
Small handbook with some useful guidelines on fire prevention, preparation for a fire, and managing fire risks
- Fire behaviour as a factor in forest and rural fire suppression
FRI Bulletin No. 197-5, Alexander, M. E. (2000).
- Fire behaviour and firefighter safety implications associated with the Bucklands Crossing fire burnover of 24 March 1998
FRI Bulletin No. 197, Forest and Rural Fire Scientific and Technical Series, Report No. 4, Pearce, H. G., R. W. Hamilton and R. I. Millman (2004).
- A flammability guide for some common New Zealand native tree and shrub species
FRI Bulletin No. 197-6, Fogarty, L. G. (2002).
- A case study of grassland fire behaviour and suppression: The Tikokino fire of 31 January 1991
FRI Bulletin No. 197, Report No. 2, Rasmussen, J. H. and L. G. Fogarty (1997).
- Having a fire?
Whangarei, Kaipara, and Northern rural fire authorities
Brief guidelines on fire prevention and management
Articles
- Blowing in the wind – trees on the Coromandel (Access: unrestricted)
Jeanette Fitzsimons, November 2014
There have been a few severe storms in the past year and the aim is to get some accounts of the damage to trees and forests from these storms as…
- Storm damage and obligations under the Emissions Trading Scheme (Access: unrestricted)
Ollie Belton, August 2014
The last twelve months has seen a series of major storms across New Zealand, and if climate science predictions prove correct we are likely to see increases in storm intensity…
- Wind damage to forests and the consequences (Access: unrestricted)
John Moore, August 2014
The Easter storms resulting from the remnants of Cyclone Ita reminded us of the destructive power of wind. Damaging storms are nothing new in New Zealand and historical records have…
- Canterbury’s big wind causes severe tree damage (Access: unrestricted)
Nick Ledgard, November 2013
The night of September 10 was one which many tree growers in north Canterbury will never forget. I returned to my home in Loburn, just north of Rangiora, at around…
- Sapstain (Access: unrestricted)
Forestry diseases
Storm damage and sapstain, estimating the salvage period in pine plantations From Forest Health News 223, March 2012. The recent windy weather and the associated uprooting and stem breakage in…
Other sources of information
Tree Grower articles
- Importance of snow damage in New Zealand forest management (Access: unrestricted)
John Wardle, August 2012
The heavy snow fall in Canterbury in June this year, along with the heavy snow of August 2011 causing damage to some forests in the Wellington and Upper Hutt area,…
- Snow damage in mixed age plantings (Access: unrestricted)
Eric Cairns, May 2012
The August 2011 snow storms in the southern North Island caught many by surprise. It was not the usual graupel, but large flakes that stuck to things. Many local houses…
- Rural Fire Control Charter signed August 2017
FOA and FFA have signed a Charter with Fire and Emergency New Zealand, to cover the period between the disestablishment of the Rural Fire Services and the fully integrated urban…
- Fire and Emergency New Zealand May 2016
The NZ Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA ) welcomes the Minister of Internal Affairs’ (Peter Dunne) announcement that Budget 2016 will include $303m to modernise and combine New Zealand’s urban and…
- Forest Fires and Chainsaws - Discussion document March 2016
New Zealand has experienced a number of forest fires over recent years where chainsaws may be the ignition source. There has been talk that one factor may be that newer,…
- Fire risk spreads with wilding conifers December 2015
Wilding conifers have long been considered a risk to our ecologically significant highland regions, but they may also significantly increase wildfire hazards The invasion of unwanted wilding conifers throughout highland…
- Scion scientist helps control recent Marlborough fire February 2015
Modelling systems developed by Scion were used during the recent Onamalutu forest fire to effectively and safely manage fire fighting efforts. Wildfires are a significant risk to New Zealand forests.…
- Don’t go down to the woods today February 2015
With the risk of forest fire now very high or extreme in many parts of the country, the public is being cautioned not to enter plantation forests without permission. For…
- Research at Scion: What do fire danger signs mean? January 2015
New research shows that the iconic fire danger signs may need to be updated to better promote fire safety across New Zealand. The familiar multi-coloured fire danger signs are a…
- Growing Confidence in Forestry's Future (GCFF) Research Programme: Wind, snakes and forest production in South America January 2015
John Moore reports on a wind impact conference and provides his observations of intensive plantation management in South America. The effect of extreme wind events on plantation productivity is an…
Farm Forestry - Headlines
Article archive »
- Forest Owners say native trees are nice but won’t solve the Climate Emergency
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
The Forest Owners Association says the just released Emissions Reduction Plan is a welcome and unprecedented blueprint for reducing New Zealand’s gross emissions. But the Association is warning that a…
- ‘Smart spade’ one of new technologies for forest silviculture project
Thursday, May 05, 2022
A ‘smart spade’ which identifies exactly where to plant a tree seedling is just one of the new technologies in the seven-year $25.5 million Precision Silviculture development project. The newly…
- Forest Owners call for forest trade mission to India
Monday, April 11, 2022
Forest Owners call for forest trade mission to India following approval of new fumigant for log exports The Forest Owners Association wants a delegation of government ministers to urgently go to…
- Forest Owners and Federated Farmers mourn passing of former Chief Executive of both organisations
Sunday, April 03, 2022
The pastoral and forest industries are mourning the recent passing of Rob McLagan, who served as Chief Executive of both Federated Farmers and the Forest Owners Association. Rob was CE…
- Joint efforts under way after unwanted pest detected in Tauranga
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Biosecurity New Zealand is working with primary sector and Te Tiriti partners after a single confirmed egg mass belonging to the moth pest the fall armyworm was found in Tauranga.…
- Forest Biosecurity update March 2022
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Check out the latest Biosecurity newsletter which gives an update on the biosecurity surveillance system, pitch pine canker, red needle cast, tortoise beetles, a new ladybird (always good) and the…
- Forest Owners says IPCC doesn't back Anne Salmond
Wednesday, March 02, 2022
The Forest Owners Association says highly qualified reservations in the latest International Panel on Climate Change report, do not back anthropologist Anne Salmond’s claims that New Zealand should switch exclusively…
- Forest Owners puzzled at overseas investment reform
Thursday, February 24, 2022
The Forest Owners Association is asking why the government needs to reintroduce more process around overseas investment for conversions from pasture to plantation forests. The Associate Minister of Finance, David…
- Forest Owners tell government to look across the Tasman
Monday, February 21, 2022
The Forest Owners Association is telling the government that Australia’s support of plantation forestry is in sharp contrast to the increasingly restrictive measures being promised in New Zealand by our…
- The folly of the native forest carbon solution
Monday, February 21, 2022
The Farm Forestry Association says anthropologist Dame Anne Salmond’s recently publicised views, that planting native forests offer the best solution to the climate crisis, is misinformed and misleading. Association President Graham West says the overwhelming…
- Forestry Minister has strategic leadership opportunity in farm forestry
Friday, February 04, 2022
The Farm Forestry Association says Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash, should incentivise farmers to plant more trees to combat climate change. Association President Graham West asks, “Why isn’t the government working…
- Forest Owners challenge Federated Farmers to prove misleading carbon farming claims
Tuesday, February 01, 2022
The Forest Owners Association is telling Federated Farmers that it needs to educate itself about how the Overseas Investment Act works before making any more false claims about non-existent overseas…
- Further tax changes possible
Monday, January 17, 2022
Changes are possible to the ‘cost of standing timber’ provisions of the Income Tax Act. Farm Forestry members have been working to help willing owners aggregate their forests for economies…
- Forest Owners say Fish and Game barking up the wrong tree
Thursday, December 09, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says Fish and Game’s criticism of exotic plantation forests doesn’t accord with reality. “Fish and Game is, quite simply, barking up the wrong tree when it…
- Changing causes and impacts of unwanted fires in our forest and rural landscapes
Friday, December 03, 2021
Commercial forests and climate change are regularly cited as contributors to an increase in unwanted rural fires in New Zealand. However, evidence suggests other factors are exacerbating the causes and…
- Consultation opens for registration of forestry advisers and log traders
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Key players in the forestry industry are encouraged to have their say on the design of a new registration system for log traders and forestry advisors with consultation opening today.…
- Forest Owners says lessons for New Zealand in UN Wood-Based Products Report
Friday, November 19, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has laid down a blueprint for the New Zealand forest and wood industry, with the release of ‘Forest Products…
- New Zealand Forest Owners sign on to International Wood Manifesto leading into COP26
Thursday, October 28, 2021
The New Zealand Forest Owners Association has joined 17 other forest and timber organisations around the world in launching the International Wood Manifesto in London, to lead into the crucial…
- Forest Owners say ‘back the bat’
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
The Forest Owners Association is urging its members and the public to vote for the pekapeka – the Long-Tailed Bat - in the Forest and Bird sponsored Bird of the…
- Forest Owners says extra planting ‘just as well’ given slippage on carbon reduction targets
Friday, October 15, 2021
The Forest Owners Association is saying that foresters’ intentions to plant more trees is an immediate and practical insurance against New Zealand not achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals. The Association…
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