PRESIDENTS COLUMN
It was with some disappointment I read of Ministers Shaw’s proposal for the Government to be the sole market for forestry NZU’s. At a time when we need to be planting trees (native and exotic) as clearly set out in the CCC budgets, uncertainty caused by statements like this from a Minister deter investors. The NZ ETS has been played with consistently since it was put into existence; the result has been haphazard real change at the emission level and perceived high risk at the investment level.
NZIF proposed a carbon tax rather than an ETS over a decade ago when the ETS was being considered. I believe FOA did as well. We did this as we felt it would be easy to understand and would place direct cost on emitters, forcing them to consider reducing emissions if to do so cost less than the tax. Sadly we were not listened to and we now have an ETS which politicians feel they can play with whenever they feel like it. No market (and the ETS is a market) can have confidence when politicians make constant changes and without confidence the market will fail.
NZIF has already registered its displeasure with the statement with Min. Shaw’s and Min. Nash’s offices. Neither have chosen to respond; once again showing a large amount of arrogance. We have also been asked questions on this by the media and will continue to talk to them.
I am not arguing there is not a need for emitters to reduce emissions, instead of relying on offsets. Indeed our proposal of a carbon tax was driven by the belief this would be the best way to force polluters to reduce their emissions. However we have not gone down this track and instead have decided we will use an ETS to meet our commitments. If this is to be the case there must be confidence in the market; and to force polluters to reduce their emissions the price of the offset must be higher than the investment to reduce emissions.
If Minister Shaw feels there are too many NZU’s in the system then I suggest rather than forcing forestry to sell only to them (a monopoly anyone?) the Government stops providing quarterly ‘hot air’ (yes they are basically printing cash) NZU’s to sell, this would greatly reduce NZU’s available to emitters; or if they wish to continue providing units then buy units from the open market to either sell or hold.
More and more I am finding this Government less responsive and more likely to make unilateral decisions. While there is a ridiculous amount of consultation happening; much of it seems to be ignored. I have always been of the attitude we should present our issues to the respective Ministry if we have complaints. However due to lack of response and often being ignored I am heading more and more to going straight to the media; as it seems to get a response we need to embarrass officials. This is not something I feel comfortable about but sadly is currently a reality.
As you may be aware consultation on the changes for the NES-PF has opened. It seems there is a push to give councils more autonomy over decision making. At an initial glance these changes seem to be a backward step and a move away from the original intention of the NES-PF. We will keep you informed on this as we understand the proposed changes better. I personally have not had time to do more than a skim read. Your views on theses proposed changes are most welcome; either as members voice in this newsletter or directly to me.
We are starting a new section in the news letter on the Registered Forestry Advisors Scheme. We will try to provide regular updates on progress with the scheme and our recommendations to members in regards to signing up.
In the meantime I hope you all have a productive and safe week. I would love to hear from you if you have any consents.
Thanks
James Treadwell (FNZIF, MInstD)
President
REGISTERED FOREST ADVISORS SCHEME
Our recommendation to members to not register as a RFA continues to stand. There is still no clarity on CPD requirements or what standards a RFA must abide by.
We do however suggest you become a NZIF registered member. The Minister has stated a NZIF registered member will only pay 10% of the fees to be a RFA; and we are working towards an automatic addition into the RFA register for NZIF registered members, along with additional recognition for being a NZIF Registered member. NZIF registered members will also be managed by our registration board.
The 10% fee means it is cheaper for an ordinary member to become NZIF registered than to sign up directly with the RFA. To move from Ordinary to NZIF Registered is an additional cost of $149 (pre GST). To sign up as a RFA the fees are $444 in the first year and every fifth year after that, with an annual levy in between of $320.
Other benefits of being a NZIF registered member is the cost of CPD will be discounted. We will be charging non-members full price for CPD going forward, along with a cost to access our valuation standards, handbook etc. Additionally most forest related conferences (not run by NZIF) offer a discount to NZIF members between 10 - 20%. Our own conference is discounted to members by up to 50%. As there will be a requirement under the RFA scheme to undertake CPD these discounts will add greatly to the value of being a NZIF registered member.
INSTITUTE UPDATE
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Requirements if applying to be a Registered Member of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry
The Minister of Forestry, Stuart Nash, made a very strong endorsement of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) Professional registration scheme at the recent August NZIF conference in Auckland. He also indicated that NZIF registered members would have simplified access to the statutory registered forestry adviser regime at a concessionary rate (he said no more than 10% of the full cost for non NZIF registered members). On this basis we suggest you should give serious consideration to applying for NZIF Registered Member status. NZIF registered members may also put RMNZIF after their name. Note as per the NZIF Presidents Newsletter of 29 August 2022, the Institute’s advice to members is not to sign up to the statutory registered forestry adviser regime, at this time. You do not have to do so (if you are required to under the Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Act 2020 Act) until 6 August 2023.
In the interim members of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry who may wish to apply to be a NZIF Registered Member may have noted that one of the requirements in the NZIF registered member application is that you need to have undertaken 60 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the prior three years, of which 30 hours must be structured.
The NZIF CPD categories ‘” structured” and “unstructured” relate to training and education relevant to you in your professional role/ job. It does not need to be technical forestry CPD. For example, those in management roles can claim CPD for seminars, webinars (internal and external) in relation to say IT systems, H&S, new laws and regulations, management processes, business management, accounting and finance, and a range of conferences and seminars, all of which are captured by the Institutes CPD policy. Specific CPD requirements are in the NZIF CPD Policy available at:
Read more
Registration Board members find that many people overlook what they have been doing. In our experience when you talk through CPD with members, you find they are often not aware that what have they been to or participated in over the last 36 months, i.e., seminars and webinars from accountants, lawyers, property people and others may be relevant CPD. Note internal employee courses can all count towards NZIF CPD as can specific briefings on specialist topics if the event can be documented. They find they soon quickly start clocking up CPD hours.
The Board hope this note is of assistance to those members considering applying for NZIF Registered Member status.
On Behalf of the Registration Board
New Zealand Institute of Forestry
Peter Casey
Chair
Latest submission
Forestry and Wood processing Industry Transformation Plan Read more
FORESTRY EVENTS
Zoom event: Tane’s Tree Trust’s work supporting the weaving of native forest back into our landscapes.
Tane Tree Trust presentation from Jacqui Aimers.
Zoom event, NZIF members only
Date: 12th October
Time: 6pm
Jacqui has nearly 30 years’ experience as a forestry scientist. In her teens, she was convinced not to do a forestry degree in NZ, due to prejudice against women in forestry at the time (gratefully, that has changed!) but she still felt drawn to the industry. In her university summers, she worked in Westland for the NZ Forest Service in its tumultuous dying days. Her BSc Honours degree focussed on native forest ecology. After graduating, she did ecological work, and was a research assistant at FRI (now Scion).
Jacqui then completed a PhD in Forest Science at Texas A&M University, while working part-time for the Texas Forest Service. After returning to NZ, she spent 10 years at FRI, in R&D in propagation and deployment of radiata-pine, Douglas-fir and specialty species. Jacqui then set up Aimers Consulting, focusing on forest research, sustainable land use, and technical communications. In 2018, she became a Tane’s Tree Trust trustee, and was recently involved in O Tatou Ngahere (https://pureadvantage.org/o-tatou-ngahere/), but continues some work with exotic species.
Jacqui advocates for the wider values of forests and supports different types of forestry with different species - as part of wise, sustainable land use.
To register, click the link below
Register here
