27 April 2016
The second funding round for New Zealand's Afforestation Growth Scheme (AGS) opened this week and comes at an important time for forestry, Associate Primary Industries Minister Jo Goodhew announced.
Forestry News
Bennett considers cancelling dodgy carbon credits
26 April 2016
Climate change Minister Paula Bennett is considering cancelling 122.2 million surplus Kyoto units. It comes amid heightened public attention on New Zealand's climate policy in the wake of a Morgan Foundation report released last week that said the reliance on 'dodgy' Eastern European carbon credits rendered the country "climate cheats".
NZ needs to expand its forest cover: report
22 April 2016
Pure Advantage today launches its new report, Our Forest Future, as the Government signs a landmark UN agreement to rein in global warming. The group calls for a new national forest strategy that would halt deforestation and ultimately create 1.3 million hectares of new forest.
Fourth death in forestry this year
31 March 2016
A forestry worker has been killed after a tree fell on him in a forest north of Napier. The death is the fourth in forestry this year.
NZ forest harvest volumes fall in 2015 for first time in 7 years
21 March 2015
New Zealand forest harvest volumes declined in 2015 for the first time in seven years as uncertainty about future prices prompted plantation owners to hold back from felling their trees.
Hikurangi Forest Farms falsely accused
18 March 2016
The claim made this week that local stakeholders in the Gisborne forestry industry have accused Hikurangi Forest Farms of boycotting the Prime Sawmill appears to have little basis, according to an article in The Gisborne Herald. It appears to be part of a dispute between a Swiss-based conservation fund and HFF's parent company, Malaysian-owned Samling Group.
Time to level the playing field
16 March 2016
In a wide-ranging address, Wood Council chair Brian Stanley, has called upon the government to level the playing field for the forest and wood products industries. He says they are tilted against New Zealand's interests in overseas markets and domestically by environmental legislation that favours intensive livestock farming over forestry.
New wood products partnership launched
11 March 2016
The formal launch today of the Specialty Wood Products Research Partnership, marks a new chapter for the forestry sector in New Zealand, says the Associate Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Jo Goodhew.
Landcorp confirms forest-to-dairy backdown
8 March 2016
State-owned farming company Landcorp has confirmed it is backing away from a massive planned forest to dairy conversion on the Wairakei Estate in the central North Island. Almost 40 dairy farms, running 30,000 cows were planned for the land leased at the Estate, where Landcorp currently runs 13 dairy farms with 17,000 cows.