17th July 2023 Newsletter

PRESIDENTS COLUMN

Dear Members

This week, most importantly, I would like to update you on the recent happenings and initiatives discussed during our Annual General Meeting (AGM) held last weekend.

I am pleased to inform you the majority of the rule changes proposed during the meeting were accepted. However, two of the proposed changes require further refinement, and we will present them for a vote via a Special General Meeting (SGM). Once we have finalised the amendments, we will have our legal team review the rules to ensure accuracy in terms of numbering, definitions, and links. Subsequently, we will seek approval from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). It's important to note the new rules will only come into effect after receiving approval from the MoJ.

It was also rewarding to have the NZIF Foundation announce their scholarship winners at the AGM and I was very pleased to be able to announce David Evison and Don Hammond as Fellows of the Institute.  A Fellow is a member whom the membership feels has achieved eminence in the profession.  Congratulations Don Hammond and David Evison.

As soon as we have completed the draft minutes, we will publish them in the members' section of our website for your review.

I extend our gratitude to those who presented the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions. Special thanks to Tāne's Tree Trust for conducting two informative sessions and to Andrew McEwen for providing a valuable refresher on the Real Estate exemption for registered members. The sessions were well-received, evident from the engaging questions raised by the attendees. CPD is an essential part of being a member of NZIF and is mandatory for registered members. It ensures members stay within their areas of expertise and allows them to gain new knowledge and enhance their skills. The council is committed to developing an annual CPD program to facilitate the ongoing professional development of our members.

It is my utmost pleasure to announce the recipients of this year's prestigious Forester of the Year and the Prince of Wales Sustainability Cup awards. The awards were presented during the awards dinner which followed our AGM. I am delighted to share the media release, which is attached to this newsletter for your reference. 

I want to extend my congratulations to Te Kapunga Dewes, who has been honoured as the Forester of the Year for 2023. Te Kapunga's exceptional contributions and outstanding achievements have earned this well-deserved recognition. I would like to congratulate Grace Marshall, the recipient of the Prince of Wales Sustainability Cup. Grace's efforts and unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable practices within the forestry industry have been truly commendable. This prestigious award is a testament to Grace's outstanding leadership and dedication to creating a more sustainable future for our profession.  Please see Grace’s work in the video further within this email.

Both Te Kapunga Dewes and Grace Marshall are exceptional individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary talent, expertise, and passion in their respective areas. Their achievements inspire us all and remind us of the significant impact individuals can make in shaping the future of forestry.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the members who participated in the awards dinner and helped create a memorable evening celebrating excellence in our field. Your presence and support made the event truly special.

I would like to draw your attention to two consultation documents proposing changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the Permanent Forest Category. We will be submitting our feedback on both of these documents. If any members have views or opinions they believe we should consider, please reach out to us via the newsletter or contact Kit Richards or myself directly. 

These consultations have added to the uncertainty faced by investors in relation to new planting, resulting in a significant decline in planting intentions and a sharp decrease in the NZU price. It is crucial for us to advocate for the forestry sector's interests and ensure our professional advice is considered by the Minister, opposition, and officials. We believe public sentiment should not outweigh sound professional advice. Failing to address these uncertainties may lead to job losses, capital flight to other countries, and the inability to fulfil our commitments to the international community. Ultimately, this would impose additional costs on all New Zealanders in the future.

Last week, we sent a working document to each member containing talking points for discussions with local representatives from all political parties. We encourage you to schedule an appointment and address these important issues with them. We have heard from MPs they frequently receive input from the farming community through letters, meetings, and official lobbying, but they rarely hear from the forestry sector. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for us to make our voices heard. If each member could meet with their local representative, it would be a significant step in the right direction.

I would like to inform you of some changes in our administration team. Raewyn has taken on the role of administrator for the Registration Board. She will retain the admin email address, and members with registration-related questions should contact her directly.

Veronica Bennett has been contracted to manage the NZIF administration, reporting to the council. Her new email address is nzifoffice@nzif.org.nz. Members with questions about NZIF or their membership should reach out to Veronica using this email address. Veronica brings a wealth of experience with 20 years working in the forest industry, having previously worked for Forestry Corporation in the 1990s and Forest Growers Research (FGR) for many years. Additionally, we have contracted a bookkeeper, Betsie Charles, to manage Xero and accounts. For any account-related inquiries, please contact Betsie at accounts@nzif.org.nz.

Your council is diligently working on multiple fronts. We are actively lobbying with increased effort, ensuring the Registration Board has the necessary resources to process as many registration applications as possible before the deadline, working on developing comprehensive CPD programs and reviewing the Practice Standards to identify areas which require updates or improvements. Furthermore, we are in the midst of transitioning to a new administration team and actively contributing to the planning of the 2024 conference in Nelson, as well as supporting local sections in holding meetings. With the council members currently stretched, any assistance from our members would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in NZIF. Together, we can overcome the current challenges and grow professional forestry for all forests.

Regards
James

INSTITUTE UPDATES

• Forestry ETS Alert
• Buying Sky Application Final 1080 - Grace Marshall
• Press Releases
• Unraveling New Zealand's Forestry Industry Crisis - Duncan Garner
• Survey - Fire risk in New Zealand's carbon forests

Blue Sky Application Final 1080 - Grace Marshall

University of Canterbury and Pan Pac Forest Products - Video

PRESS RELEASES

03 July 2023

Government’s Proposed Forestry Policies to cost the Industry Workforce

The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) and the Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) are voicing profound apprehension regarding the government's proposed forestry policies. There is concern for New Zealand's forestry sector and its workforce, and they estimate policy will incur a cost to the nation ranging between $1-2 billion, as New Zealand will fail to meet its carbon emission commitments and be forced to purchase offshore carbon units to compensate. 

Read all of the Press Release......

10 July 2023

Recognising Exemplary Achievements in the Forestry Industry, 2023

Last night, the New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) held their awards dinner in Wellington to honour the winners of its most prestigious accolades. The recipients of this year's awards represent a diverse range of skills and experiences, from dedicated grassroots efforts to impactful policy planning and execution, as well as academic leadership.

Read all of the Press Release......

Unraveling New Zealand's Forestry Industry Crisis

Duncan Gardner  -   Listen Here

Survey

Survey: Fire risk in New Zealand’s carbon forests 

In response to a query from the National Land Management Forum, Scion is currently investigating activities that occur in carbon forests that may contribute to fire risk in New Zealand.

The prospect of large-scale afforestation of “carbon forests” as a climate mitigation strategy has raised questions about the wildfire risk of carbon forests. Scion in association with Fire and Emergency New Zealand are undertaking a qualitative assessment of the fire hazard in terms of relative risk of ignitions and fire behaviour potential in carbon forests in New Zealand.

We are asking for assistance in identifying activities, from those who own or manage carbon forested lands.

If you own or manage any New Zealand land in a carbon sequestration reward scheme (like the ETS), we would love to hear about the activities that occur in your forests. Please participate in the survey before 28th July!

For queries relating to this work, please contact:

Shana Gross, Fire Scientist, Scion 03 363 1001 shana.gross@scionresearch.com
Karen Bayne, Senior Scientist, Scion 03 363 0911 karen.bayne@scionresearch.com

MEMBER'S VOICE

• Addressing Headwinds and Taking Action Discussions
• Member Resignations
• Recent Losses

Addressing Headwinds and Taking Action Discussions

Webinar held Tuesday, 4th July 2023

Submitted by Ian Page:

I acknowledge the huge amount of voluntary energy you are putting into the role of President.

I am just not sure that representing all members views – although democratic – is possible if NZIF is to be the harbinger of forestry truth and professionalism.  Trying to follow all members’ requests, apart from being impossible because of incompatibilities between those requests, risks NZIF being seen as another industry lobby group.

Some examples?:

• Do the organisers of carbon forests really think that blanket planting of even aged pine over entire properties irrespective of site is good forestry?
• Did the CCC not realise how very high carbon sequestration payments would distort land use decisions.
• Did the CCC not also realise that very high carbon prices would quickly realise the target returns of some investment groups who, if from offshore, may just walk away with the money and leave NZ with many unknown problems

I cut my teeth at Kaingaroa where huge scale cellulose growing is most likely sustainable.  But Kaingaroa is a special piece of real estate and the industries addiction to scale it has induced is not appropriate on so much of NZ’s hill country.

It’s a difficult road, but after talking to others I know you are trying hard.

Kind regards
Pagey

President's Response

I wanted to express my appreciation for your valuable input and the excellent examples you shared. Points 2 and 3, were discussed with the CCC, and remain under active discussion with them whenever we meet. As a gentle reminder, I would like to highlight NZIF's submission on reducing carbon a decade or so ago emphasised the preference for a carbon tax over an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) as the most effective approach to reduce carbon. Regrettably, it seems officials, as they have done persistently, tend to overlook the insights provided by industry professionals a significant portion of the time.

Regarding the representation of members' views, it's important to emphasise the institute operates as a democracy. However, this does not inhibit us from advocating for sound scientific principles and questioning the policies or proposed actions lacking solid scientific foundations. Concerning your first point, the membership has engaged in extensive discussions, and I believe it is fair to say we have not yet reached a definitive conclusion. Some notable endeavours have shown promising results in converting radiata forests into native habitats through small coupe harvests and the strategic planting of native species to create isolated pockets of biodiversity. Notably, this year's recipient of the Prince of Wales Cup has undertaken a similar project, and I encourage you to explore the newsletter and watch the video highlighting her work. However, I concur there are certain sites where planting radiata and stepping away is not suitable (fortunately, this practice is not common among our members). Our current position maintains all forests, including "permanent" forests, should have comprehensive management plans, and if “permanent” should incorporate a transition to long-lived species enforced by local councils.

I truly value our ongoing dialogue, Ian, as it challenges us and enhances our critical thinking. Thank you for taking the time to reach out. It can be challenging for the council to adopt firm stances without effective communication from our members. I deeply appreciate your active engagement, as many members do not seize such opportunities.

Let's continue the conversation and strive for the best results for all forests.

Submitted by Bridget Robson

Hi James

There were so many people on the line I didn’t want to chew through air time.  

I did want to say thanks for all your hard work, and I appreciate your efforts to keep the record straight on what forestry – in all its forms - is really like.

There was a suggestion that we amalgamate with NZFOA.  

While I can see the attraction of reducing overheads etc, it appears to me that NZIF and NZFOA have differing functions and ethos.

NZFOA is an advocacy group for commercial plantation forestry.

There are certainly advantages in having strong affiliations between NZIF and NZFOA, FICA, FISC, NZFFA and possibly others, but they are a different ecosystem from NZIF who are a broader church, with a membership whose defining characteristics including being a source of truth about trees more generally.

There are some parallels between our situation and those who are trying to explain climate change:

UC Berkeley Professor Emerita of Linguistics George Lakoff explains that people from the humanities, sciences and law fields — who make up most of advocacy organizations and government — are trained to believe that the facts persuade by themselves. They look down on the idea of selling ideas. Lakoff calls it “the enlightenment fallacy.” They are up against people who went to business school, who had to master cognitive and marketing science to advance their careers. They learn the way to change public opinion or behaviour is to guarantee the repeat delivery of simple messages, over and over, embedded in moral and emotional narratives. Scientists and some advocacy organizations, on the other hand, love complexity, and usually hate to simplify or repeat themselves. They almost never spend funds to ensure their message reach target audiences. In other words, they recoil from the very approach proven to work. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/3709795-climate-change-a-communications-failure/

So, if we are to leverage the collective wisdom held in NZIF we may need to upskill in messaging, and/or get some advice from that quarter?

Regards
Bridget Robson

President's Response

Thanks Bridget and totally agreed.  Many members seem to have seized on the call for amalgamation, but we are nowhere close to this.  I won’t even consider putting it in front of council to discuss (before it went to members for a vote) without a large written request from a significant amount of members (at least 20).  Like you I agree we are distinct from the other associations, not to mention we have been around the longest.  We are for professional forestry and we join as individuals.  FOA joins as a company and is about profit.  We are extremely different. 

I agree with Prof Lakoff, facts alone won’t change sentiment.  We need to look to marketing behaviours to change opinion, however, our attempts to change opinion must be backed by facts.    

(Newsletter editor:  the above mentioned members agreed for the above to be published for further discussion).

Member Resignation

The resignation of a long-standing member of the institute is a great loss as they have consistently provided exceptional support and made significant contributions over the years, fostering growth, driving innovation, and positively impacting the organisation's success. It is with regret that we accept the resignation from Dennys Guild, who many of you will know. We wish him well in his new found retirement.  Dennys asked that we pass on the following:

"After being a member for a continuous period of approximately 55 years from about 1968 to the present day, and having fulfilled a number of roles in the Institute from local section office bearer in Northland, Southland and Canterbury, and having served on Council and the Fellows' Committee for a number of years, I now find that my interest in the business of forestry has waned, although my love for trees and forests remains strong - I am now "in charge" of some 147 trees, some of them historic (170 years old) planted at the Anglican Church of St Peter at Church Corner in Christchurch.

I believe that the Institute does an excellent job in keeping members informed, and acting as a strong lobby for the profession and industry with both central and local government, and in spite of feeling that it is a losing battle at times, I implore you to maintain your approach in this regard because without the Institute's input, there would be little knowledge or or support for the body representing the profession of forestry.

There are many people I would like to thank for having the privilege of sharing my professional time with them, but there are too many to name.  Some will know who they are, others will be oblivious, but best keep it that way otherwise I will offend someone by forgetting to list them. 

It remains for me to thank the current office bearers and staff, and to wish all members the very best for their future.  And remember, old foresters never die, they simply recycle themselves through the roots of the tree nearest to their resting place"

Kindest regards
Dennys Guild

Recent Losses

We note with sadness the passing of the following NZIF Members:

• Jim Spiers
• Jaap van Dorsser
• Don Geddes
• Robin Trewin

Full obituaries will be in the next journal published.

FORESTRY EVENTS

ASIF: Log Export Market Update

Presenter: Chris Rayes, Marketing Director for Rayonier Matariki Forests

2023 is shaping to be the worst year for NZ log exporters and forest owners for a very long time. However, perhaps it's not all bad. Chris Rayes, Marketing Director for Rayonier Matariki Forests has once again kindly agreed to present his views on the log export markets, and to take us through the current situation in China and what is going on in freight markets, as well as give an insight into what the future would look like.

Chris will also provide an update on AVA Timber three years on from its formation, NZ log production for domestic and export markets, wood availability in NZ, and the log price indicator. 

ASIF is very grateful to Arotahi Agribusiness for hosting us for this event.

Date: Wednesday 19 July

Time: 4.30pm

Venue:  Arotahi Agribusiness, 15 Customs Street West, Level 17 PwC Tower, Commercial Bay, Auckland

Parking: The closest public parking is Downtown Carpark or Wilsons Parking in ANZ Tower, Federal Street.

 REGISTRATION

2023 ANZIF Conference

Date:             Sunday 15 to Wednesday 18 October 2023
Location:       Twin Towns Conference Centre, Gold Coast, QLD
Website:        www.forestryconference.com.au

The 2023 ANZIF Conference, the premier Asia-Pacific Conference for forest scientists, foresters and forest growers will be held from Sunday 15 to Wednesday 18 October 2023.

The theme of the conference, Embracing Our Natural Capital: The Science, Technology and Art of Managing Forests For All Values, will facilitate conversation and collaboration – highlighting the need for active and adaptive management of our natural capital using evidence-based and emerging innovation, technology, skills and knowledge to support our forests and secure our future.

The program will facilitate both structured and informal dialogue and networking, and will incorporate a day of field sessions to explore the conference themes. The 2023 ANZIF Conference will also feature a number of social functions, which will enable networking and collaboration in an informal and relaxed environment.

The Conference is an exciting joint event from both Forestry Australia and The New Zealand Institute of Forestry – and it builds on the enormous success of the 2019 ANZIF Conference held in Christchurch, and Forestry Australia’s 2021 National Conference in Tasmania. In 2023, the ANZIF Conference will be based in the spectacular Gold Coast region, and will be held at Twin Towns Conference Centre on the border of Tweed Heads and Coolangatta.

We look forward to welcoming you to the 2023 ANZIF Conference!

https://www.forestryconference.com.au/

Conference programme

REGISTRATION BOARD

From the Registrar 17 July 2023

APPLICATION FOR REGISTERED MEMBER

The following Members have applied to become Registered Members:

• Matt Wakelin of Tauranga
• Kelly Coghlan of Upper Hutt
• Hazel Honour of Rotorua
• Robin Hartley of Pongokawa
• Greg Adlam of Porirua
• Alex Tolan of Nelson

NOTICE OF 5 YEAR REGISTRATION REVIEW

The following Members are due for their 5-Year review of registration in 2023 and have not yet submitted their application:

• Kirsten Stuart of Christchurch
• Brett Gilmore of Napier
• Rene Weterings of Taupo
• Dennis Neilson of Rotorua

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 (5 June 2023) of the notice in this newsletter, specifying the grounds for the objection.

Peter Gorman, Registrar 

NZIF Registration Board
registrar@nzif.org.nz
+64 21 166 5938

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