Introduction
Welcome to the first edition of Wood Matters for 2010.
READ MOREWelcome to the first edition of Wood Matters for 2010.
READ MORE2010 has started well with recovery of house construction starts in NZ and Australia now inevitable. Both countries face a catch-up from low building activity in 2009 plus increased immigration. Meanwhile China's infrastructure boom has kept up demand for export logs.
READ MOREJanuary started with twelve regional Safe-Start events all across New Zealand (from Winton to Kaitaia).
READ MOREThank you to those that have engaged PF Olsen to process their applications for post-1989 and pre-1990 forest land.
READ MOREWith the relative certainty of the NZ Emission's Trading Scheme (especially in comparison to the failed Kevin Rudd-backed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation), there is growing activity in the market. Nigel Brunel of OM Financial gave a "conservative" estimate that about 1 million tonnes of New Zealand Carbon traded for between NZ$20-NZ$21 per tonne in January.
READ MOREJanuary and February saw increases in log prices both from export logs and domestic logs (pruned and structural). There are strong indications that export prices will lift again in March. The A-grade price is currently over 100/JAS m³ at main NZ ports and is forecast lift by 10% in March.
READ MORERecent staff developments have resulted in one secondment to Malaysia and three new appointments:
READ MOREWelcome to Wood Matters last issue for the year.
READ MOREAs forecast by many commentators in advance of the COP15 Copenhagen Climate Change conference, there is no new international binding agreement to replace or extend the Kyoto Protocol yet. Work on that will continue during 2010 leading up to COP16 in Mexico in November.
READ MOREMAF held an informative workshop for PF Olsen to assist us with understanding the Emissions Trading Scheme for forestry. One part of the workshop was "How to define forest land".
READ MOREOn November 20th, the Silver Lake set sail from Port Chalmers with a load of PF Olsen client logs destined for China.
READ MOREIt's hard to ignore the stark contrast between the log market now and this time last year. Domestically, last December we were facing the unknown, but daunting, repercussions of a major global financial crisis.
READ MOREFollowing the resignation of John Rogan in November, Mike Hodgson is due to take over the role of Regional Manager, Southern North Island in January 2010.
READ MOREWe have discovered some confusion about what is post-1989 forest. You must look at when the land was originally planted, not when the current tree crop was planted.
READ MOREThe following are some important points regarding pre-1990 deforestation exemptions.
READ MOREMAF, in their latest Sustainable Forestry Bulletin, updates key changes in the legislation relating to the recently passed Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading Scheme) Amendment Act.
READ MOREIn response to two key questions from PF Olsen, MAF provided the following answers (slightly modified by PF Olsen).
READ MORESome solid detective work by Hew McKellar, President of the Western Farm Co-operative Forestry Company Ltd and Hunterville-based farm forester, has revealed an important opportunity for some forest owners to spread their harvesting revenue over five years.
READ MOREWe know that concrete, steel, aluminium and synthetic composites all compete with wood and fight for market share. Well, we have come across a breakthrough innovation in applications for wood. Might need a little refining to get a lot of uptake (good for mother-in-laws perhaps?)
READ MOREDuring the month, Peter Clark, PF Olsen's CEO presented the Key Note address at the ForestTECH 2009 technology showcase in Rotorua in early November.
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