14th August 2023 Newsletter
Sent: Aug 14, 2023, 2:59 PM
PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
Last week, our Council convened to discuss a range of matters impacting our association. You may recall during our Annual General Meeting, the vast majority of the proposed rule changes were overwhelmingly approved. However, we encountered a minor hurdle around wording of two specific rules related to the formation of the Early Career Development Programme. These rules, aimed at supporting our younger members who are less than five years out from completing their studies, required some fine-tuning.
I asked our legal advisors to revise these rules, which they did, and Council has given its stamp of approval for these changes to go forward to the members. Additionally, the Chair of the Registration Board (who will be managing the Early Career Development Programme) also approved the changes.
In the coming days, you can expect an electronic vote regarding these amendments. I encourage your participation in this vote, as it holds immense significance for our younger members. We need a 2/3 majority in favour of these new rules for the rules to be incorporated.
Upon successful voting, we will move swiftly to finalise all the rule adjustments. However, before implementation, we must attain the Ministry of Justice's approval. Our aspiration is to have these updated rules in place by the outset of 2024.
I'd like to take a moment to express my deep gratitude to all members who dedicated their time and expertise in contributing to our submissions on the proposed changes to permanent forests and to rule changes within the ETS. You can access our submission on permanent forests on our website.
The Ministry for the Environment's (MfE) submission concerning changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme, due last Friday, we successfully secured an extension of two weeks for refining our response. This extension provides us with the invaluable opportunity to enhance our input further. We will be sending out a 1-2 page summary for all members to send to MfE if they also wish to be heard. We are now well aware that it is a numbers game with submissions and the more submissions supporting a position the better.
On another front, I wish to apprise you of our engagement with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). FENZ announced last week a 12.8% increase in levies effective July 1, 2024. We contested this escalation in our submission, underscoring the need for transparent data on rural fire statistics. We have also written directly to the Minister outlining our concerns and requesting data on fire events.
While we await the Minister's response, it appears FENZ has proceeded to ignore all submissions and undertaken a cost add approach that lacks the requisite data-driven foundation, resulting in disproportionate expenditure growth with little evident service improvement.
In tandem with our engagement with FENZ, we've been proactive in voicing our concerns about land management strategies for fire prevention. Rather than adopting a proactive stance, FENZ seems to adopt a reactive stance, looking to increase funding for firefighting. Our media release on this topic has garnered attention, and interviews with various media outlets have been undertaken or are underway. Recent events in Hawaii have underscored the pertinence of our stance.
Switching gears, I am delighted to share our progress on planning for the 2024 conference, set to be held in Nelson from September 5th to 7th, 2024. The agenda includes Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions on the first day, followed by the conference and awards dinner on the second day, and field trips on the third.
Our Annual General Meeting will take place on the evening of the first day. I strongly urge you to mark these dates in your calendars, especially for our members who are registered and must meet their CPD requirements. Attending conferences is also an important professional obligation for all members, with the expectation that a member will attend at least one conference every five years, ensuring we stay up-to-date with industry developments.
In the days to come, you may receive a sponsorship pack for the conference. I encourage you to ask for support from your employers for this important event. Our industry and professional forestry are facing challenges, and it is pivotal that we come together to showcase our professionalism and commitment. The media's perception of our industry is crucial and currently flawed. I will personally extend invitations to key media representatives to observe our dedication and professionalism firsthand by attending the conference and reporting on it.
Lastly, I am always here to address any queries or concerns you may have. Feel free to share your thoughts and engage in lively discourse through the members' comments section of this newsletter (email Veronica at nzifoffice@nzif.org.nz). Robust debate reflects an active and engaged membership, a quality we need now more than ever.
Thank you for your support and dedication to our profession.
Thanks
James
FORESTRY EVENTS
Annual Joint event with APPITA
WHO: ALL NZIF Members
DATE: Thursday 17th August 2023
VENUE: Copthorne Hotel, Fenton Street, Rotorua
PROGRAMME:
6:00pm Registration and Cash Bar – House Bar
6:30pm Buffet Dinner - Hotel Restaurant
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME – CONCERT ROOM
7:30pm “Understanding the Mysteries of Forest Hydrology in Planted Forests and its Role on the Hydrological Landscape”
Dean Meason, Forest Flows Programme Lead, Scion
8:00pm " The New Zealand Falcon and Plantation Forestry"
Debbie Stewart - Director and Founder, Wingspan
8:30pm "Recent Changes to Regulation and Certification Criteria and How This Will Impact Future Forest Management in New Zealand"
Sally Strang - Environmental Manager, Manulife
ORGANISERS:
Kim McGrouther, Scion - kim.mcgrouther@scionresearch.com
Hazel Honour, NZIF - hhonour@newforests.com.au
COST: NZIF Members: $50 Non-members: $60
(The following payment options are available by Appita only: direct credit to Appita NZ Section Acct, ANZ Rotorua 06 0413 0178800 00; cash; credit cards (Visa, Mastercard & Amex. NB: Amex payments incur a 3% surcharge); pre-arranged invoice).
REGISTRATION:
Please register by Monday 14th August 2023 by contacting
Karen Clark, Appita
E-mail : appita.nz@xtra.co.nz
Phone : 07 350 2252 Mobile : 027 231 6541
(People who register for technical meetings, but fail to attend on the night may be charged. Please advise Karen Clark before the day of the meeting if you can no longer attend.)
Southern Wood Council, NZ Institute of Forestry, NZ Farm Forestry Association
Date: Wednesday 23 August 2023
Venue: Rosebank Lodge, Balclutha
When: 5.15pm – Drinks, 6.15pm – Dinner, 7.15pm – After-Dinner Presentation
It’s time to gather as an industry again. After a couple of years of lockdowns and meeting and travel restrictions that kept us indoors, we got back together in March of this year for a joint forest industry dinner meeting. Overwhelmingly, feedback from all those attending the industry get-together in March 2023 was, let’s do this more often.
The Southern Wood Council (SWC), in conjunction with the local branch of the NZ Institute of Forestry and the Mid Otago and South Otago Branches of the NZ Farm Forestry Association, have planned another evening’s networking – along with more good food and some excellent company. These dinner meetings are designed to get together anybody involved in or associated with forestry and wood products in the lower South Island.
The after-dinner presentation that we’ve lined up for you, builds on that given in March. It’s a technology that’s going to impact you personally and for forestry, wood products and farming, it’s potentially going to change how you’ll be operating your business into the future. What’s more, much of the innovation, drive and early trials with hydrogen as a fuel source – are coming from and are already being rolled out in this region.
Hydrogen – the alternative energy source
The development of new fossil-free fuels for passenger and heavy-duty vehicles has been nothing short of phenomenal. Much of the focus has been on electric vehicles. Sales records are being smashed every single month. Globally, passenger electric vehicle sales in Q1 2023 rose 32% compared to the same time last year. EV registrations in New Zealand doubled from 2021 to 2022 with 20 per cent of all new passenger car sales being electric last year.
Interest though in hydrogen-powered vehicles has also been ramping up – and quickly. Their appeal? Instead of being charged from an external source, they produce their own onboard electricity with the only by-product emitted being water vapour. The European Commission is expecting 60,000 hydrogen trucks on European roads by 2030. Manufacturing companies like Hyundai, Cummins, Scania and Volvo are already well down the track with their own hydrogen technology and testing.
Much closer to home though, the country’s largest heavy transport company based here in Southland, H.W. Richardson (HWR), have their own plans to transition their heavy transport fleet to hydrogen. They’re well down the track and to date, they’ve committed over $15 million to exploring NZ-owned and produced hydrogen as well as trialling dual-fuel technology in their own transport fleet.
Dual fuel (diesel and hydrogen) testing started back in 2020 and HWR has 10 dual-fuel trucks converted and now operating. And, the first hydrogen refuelling site is set to open in Gore in September this year. They’re among the first to transition a transport fleet to hydrogen.
Gareth Wishart, GM of Innovation for HWR will be presenting as the industry after-dinner presenter on 23 August outlining to the forestry industry their journey, technology selection and planned rollout. He’s based in Invercargill and leads the company’s technology developments in scheduling and optimization, deployments of in-cab technology and alternative fuel systems. For the HWR business, operating more than 1,300 heavy trucks, the stakes are high to find a sustainable future for their local transport operations.
Plenty here – and it’s certainly aligned to this region and any rural land or forest owner.
So, what do you need to do?
Mark the date in your diary. Get the notice around your office, forestry contacts or your work colleagues and ensure you get a carload or two of you coming through. Rarely, as you know, do these opportunities come up so make the most of it.
Dinner registrations need to be received BEFORE mid-day Friday 18 August 2023.
Note: Catering can’t be made available to those who turn up on the night and haven’t pre-registered.
For any further information, then get in contact with Brent Apthorp via email or Tel: 021 227 5177)
EDS 2024 CONFERENCE
Join us in Ōtautahi Christchurch for EDS's 2024 conference.
11-12 June 2024, Te Pae Convention Centre
We are living in the midst of a biodiversity crisis. Much of our flora and fauna is unique, having evolved on these islands over millennia. Regular environmental reporting shows that it is declining and we now have 4000 or so species threated or at risk of extinction. Policy settings are not fit for purpose but political consensus on reform is elusive. Recent resource management reforms should help, but will need careful implementation, and will take some time to bed in.
We are also living in the midst of a climate crisis. Until recently, climate change was seen as a future threat. But the recent proliferation of extreme weather events here and across the planet has changed that perception in an alarmingly short space of time. Climate change has arrived with a vengance and is now part of our lives. We are facing the need to reduce emissions while at the same time adapting to sea level rise and weather extremes.
Addressing these crises is highly challenging for a small island state like Aotearoa. Business as usual is no longer an option and we need to be creative about charting a way forward that enables both people and nature to thrive. Recent discourse about enabling renewables, when negatively impacting biodiversity, shows shallow thinking. We need to be cleverer than that, and look to solutions that address both crises together, not as policy siloes.
EDS’s 2024 conference will dig deeply into the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, what is at stake for the nation, and where the solutions lie. We will build on te ao Māori perspectives and knowledge, draw on international and national insights, and pool our collective wisdom on some of the biggest challenges currently facing the country.
Sponsorship: Interested in supporting the conference with sponsorship? Contact us directly for a copy of the sponsorship prospectus. Email Fiona.
Keep an eye on the conference website for further programme and registration details as they become available.
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!
MEMBER SURVEY PARTICIPATION
The economic impacts of volcanic ashfall and flooding hazards, including for production forests.
Les Dowling is a Research Consultant with ME Research and a Registered NZIF Member. He is working on a research project under the Resilience to Nature National Science Challenge. The study is looking into the economic impacts of volcanic ashfall and flooding hazards, including for production forests.
This survey will collect opinions on how trees might be damaged by volcanic events and floods, which in turn will be used to link the hazard modelling to the economic impacts in the results of the project. The survey is designed to be user-friendly and can be completed in a short amount of time. The data collected will be used solely for academic research purposes within the National Science Challenge.
The survey link is: https://forms.gle/umrW21Wsc7rC7ad57
As you might imagine, there isn’t a lot of published information on how ash and flooding affect trees, because those events just don’t happen very often. If they can make use of some of the experience held by NZIF members, to support the information they have been able to find, it will be a useful boost for the research.
If you have any questions or would like further information about the survey or their research project, please feel free to contact Les Dowling, Research Consultant. Website: Market Economics
FORESTRY ETS ALERT
Forestry ETS Alert
Kia ora,
The second major enhancement of Tupu-ake, the ETS online system, went live.
This means functionality for the full processing of the following services is now available:
• adding new registrations of post-1989 forest land in standard and permanent forestry
• adding new carbon accounting areas (CAA)
• removing part of a CAA.
At the same time, we’ve delivered a number of other smaller enhancements. To read about these changes, log in to Tupu-ake and type ‘release notes’ in the Tupu-ake search bar.
1. Now the functionality is available our operations team will focus on the backlog
Now that this new functionality is available our operations team will focus on the backlog of partially completed transactions.
We understand that these delays may have caused some frustration. We appreciate your support, co-operation, and patience as the team begin to work through the backlog of cases.
2. Check your records
We encourage you to log into Tupu-ake to review your account details.
Some information you can update yourself. In other situations, please email us at forestryets@mpi.govt.nz, remember to include your New Zealand Emissions Trading Register (NZETR) holding account and party name when making an enquiry.
3. Contact us
To get in touch with us you can raise a service request via Tupu-ake, email us at forestryets@mpi.govt.nz or call us on 0800 254 628.
Remember to include your holding account number and party name when making an enquiry. This will help us to handle the significant volume of enquiries more efficiently.
