25th October 2022 newsletter
PRESIDENTS COLUMN
I am pleased to say Minister Shaw has pulled back from the idea of nationalising forestry NZU’s after some push back from NZIF and others. I wrote directly to Minister Shaw and we along with NZFFA and Nga Pou a Tane released a media statement which was taken up by a number of media. Nevertheless this tells us we must consistently monitor statements from Ministers and raise objections early and clearly.
We continue to work on submissions with a submission on FENZ be made this week. We continue to be swamped by submissions and are having to make some strategic decisions which to respond to. However we are always open to a member or members putting a submission together for us which we can send in under the NZIF banner. If there is a consultation where you would like to do this for the institute please let me know.
Council are working on key initiatives to achieve during the term of council. Once decided we will let members know what they are and report on progress. Next council meeting is early December and we hope to finalise the initiatives by then.
It is pleasing to see a number of new applications for Registered status; and I encourage the rest of you who believe you will be caught under the RFA scheme to apply asap. We don’t want the board to be swamped as August approaches. We have no further news on the RFA scheme and our advice remains the same.
Thanks
James
INSTITUTE NEWS
The NZIF CNI Local Section invites members to an evening of celebration and networking
The NZIF Forester of the Year Award recognises an NZIF member who demonstrates leadership, excellence, and personal integrity in the field of forestry. The award is presented annually to recognise a member who has made an outstanding contribution to the sector. The CNI Local Section, along with NZIF President James Treadwell, wishes to celebrate the achievements of the 2022 Forester of the year awardee Don Hammond who’s work over the last year has been fundamental in ensuring log export markets have remained open to forest owners in Aotearoa.
Drinks and nibbles will be provided.
Thursday 17th November 2022
5:30-7:30pm
Toi Ohomai Forestry Building, Rotorua
From the Registrar
Any member of the NZIF has the right to object to an application. Any objection should be lodged with the Registrar registrar@nzif.org.nz within 20 working days of the first appearance (25 October 2022) of the notice in this newsletter, specifying the grounds for the objection.
SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION FOR REGISTERED MEMBER STATUS
The following Members are now Registered Members:
· Robert Van Rossen of Whakatane
SUCCESSFUL 5 YEAR REGISTRATION REVIEW
· Simon Papps of Rotorua
· Jessica Brown of Nelson
REGISTRATION REVIEWS 2022
The following members are due for 5-year review of their status as a Registered Member during 2022 and have not yet submitted their application;
· Kevin Reardon
· Mort Shepherd
· Kenneth Tsang
· Paul Molloy
You are responsible for ensuring that your review is completed by
31 December 2022.
Any member of the NZIF has the right to object to an application. Any objection should be lodged with the Registrar registrar@nzif.org.nz within 20 working days of the first appearance (25 October 2022) of the notice in this newsletter, specifying the grounds for the objection.
Alan Bell, Registrar
NZIF Registration Board
registrar@nzif.org.nz
+64 27 444 7779
25 October 2022
MEMBERS VOICE
Have your say. Email Raewyn at admin@nzif.org.nz
Clive Anstey (Member's Voice 29 Sep) was quite right to draw attention to the primary importance of soil and water conservation in forestry. There's almost a fixation with the technical elements of forestry these days, for example aerial mensuration and of course climate change rather than edaphic and water parameters. As a young forester involved with the preparation of working plans for native and plantation forests I too recall the primary objects of management always including "soil and water".
As the instigator and overseer of so-called "high country surveys" in both North and South islands, Jack Holloway knew very well how important catchment conditions were and I remember him saying how our biggest issue in New Zealand in future would be water. I also recall his concern about Christchurch being right on the flood plain of the Waimakariri River. The usual engineering solution to the risk of flooding was stopbanks rather than catchment vegetation and management. Of course our history of forest clearances to promote farming and provincial "growth" was hard to stop and has just exacerbated the problems of flooding and soil loss. The recent and regular flooding on the North Island's East Coast was blamed on climate change and plantation logging. I explained to local MP Kiri Allen that it was largely due to historic felling of native forest and conversion to farms but she didn't want to know.As recently as the 1970's the Government was still lending money from the "Rural Bank" to encourage native forest clearance.
I have just finished re-reading Lindsay Poole's last book "Trees, Timber and Tranquillity" (1998) which he sent me in 2007 with a perfectly legible hand-written letter, at age 99! Lindsay was a forester, scientist and sometime Director of DSIR's Botany Division and Director-General of the Forest Service. He later chaired the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council and was President of the Institute of Foresters and the Ecological Society.
Present members of our Institute could do worse than find a copy of Lindsay's book to read about the bigger picture of forestry in New Zealand, including the politics of the industry.
David Field
