At our recent meeting in Wellington we accorded Life Membership on Alan Tanner in recognition of his lifelong support for NZTIF.

Life member and long-time NZTIF Board member Jack Butterworth passed away in Rotorua on 6 June 2023. Jack was a founder member of the board of NZTIF, President in 1988-1990 and accorded Life Membership in 1992.

Business, political and economic commentators have discussed the need for New Zealand exporters to diversify away from the Chinese market for many months now, especially with the weakening of economic activity there. China has been and continues to be a very significant market for the forestry sector as it is for others such as dairy but in amongst all this, timber exporters have been busily reducing their reliance on that market in recent years. A quick look at this development since 2020 can be seen in these charts.

New Zealand Timber Industry Federation president Bruce Larsen is calling on the Government to provide investment-friendly initiatives so that the timber processors can add more value to help improve the New Zealand economy, reduce unemployment and significantly improve the boom-bust nature of forest harvesting and timber manufacturing.

Our members’ survey of wages and conditions of employment in the year to 30 April 2023 was recently completed.

A reminder that if you are buying logs then under the Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forest Advisers) Amendment Act 2020 you are required to register as a log trader unless your annual log purchases fall below 2,000 tonnes.

The havoc caused by Cyclone Gabrielle 12th – 16th February 2023 will have far reaching effects in Northland, Coromandel, Tairawhiti and Hawkes Bay and likely further afield. These regions are important not only in terms of forestry and related industries but also in other primary products including market produce and fruit, vineyards, dairy and pastoral farming, each with dependent upstream and downstream industries which will also be adversely affected.

The Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan was announced by the Minister of Forestry, Hon Stuart Nash on 30 November 2022. The Plan is the culmination of two years of discussion and consultations between MPI/TUR and stakeholders including the New Zealand Timber Industry Federation (NZTIF).

The Plan is one of eight being developed as the New Zealand Government commitment to an industry policy which seeks to grow and transform sectors of the economy with significant potential to contribute to a high productivity, high wage, low emissions economy.

NZTIF recently completed it’s annual survey of wages and employment conditions in the sawmilling and wood processing industry for 2022.

Disruptions resulting from lockdowns designed to combat the spread of Covid-19 and its variants are extensive, causing widespread social and economic stresses.

The supply and price of logs is central to sawmilling and the production of timber.

On 2 December the government declared a Climate Emergency.

We have lodged a submission to the Climate Change Commission in respect of its Draft Advice paper.

The Climate Change Commission report was released today.

Each year MBIE conducts a consultation on the Building Code so that it continues to reflect innovation, current construction practices and modern society needs.

WorkSafe NZ is conducting a review of the Workplace Exposure Standards (WES).

NZTIF supports a proposal for a pan-forest industry accord. 

NZTIF firmly supports this Bill and its purpose.