NEW ZEALAND FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION
 NZFOA represents the interests of owners and growers of planted commercial forests. Formed in the 1920s to promote the planned establishment of productive planted forests, it now represents commercial forest growers and lobbies directly on behalf of its members. The large majority of New Zealand's forestry
companies are NZFOA members, as are a significant number of smaller scale forest owners.
Activities include:
- Promoting structured training, education and safety programmes.
- Operating fire prevention and forest disease surveillance programmes.
- Informing the public on forestry issues.
- Government liaison on a wide range of issues which impact on the
profitability of the industry.
- Sector communication and promotion.
- Liaising closely with other industry and land based organisations
including the Forest Industries Council, Farm Forestry Association,
Federation of Maori Authorities, and Federated Farmers.
The NZFOA deals with many matters that have a strong environmental sentiment. The Association is a foundation member of the New Zealand Forest Accord, through which the signatories support sustainability of our indigenous and plantation forests.
Key issues for NZFOA include the Resource Management Act (RMA) and climate change (implications of the Kyoto Protocol). Since it was enacted the RMA has been interpreted and implemented inconsistently by local authorities. While the industry supports the objectives of the RMA with its emphasis on environmental effects, inconsistent rulings and applications by local councils are of serious concern to forest owners and potential investors in the industry.
The NZFOA's preferred outcome would be:
- Clear and unambiguous definition of forestry's activity status and any
conditions that apply.
- Forestry acknowledged as a 'permitted activity' unless there are
identifiable environmental risks.
- Councils consider long term resource consents in recognition of forestry's
investment timeframe.
Concerns over the Kyoto Protocol relate to the failure to fully recognise the potential for forestry to contribute significantly to NZ's climate change goals, although there are wider concerns that the wider benefits of forestry in respect of soil conservation, provision of clean water and reduction of nitrification also not fully recognised.
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