FICA takes action
FICA HAS TAKEN A PROACTIVE APPROACH to the Log Traders & Forestry Advisors Bill, with a submission to Government to ensure contractors “a seat at the table” and “a voice on the matter” says CEO, Prue Younger.
“While significantly lacking in detail, the Bill effectively proposes the introduction of new legislation requiring forestry advisers, log traders and exporters to register and work to nationally agreed practice standards that will strengthen the integrity of New Zealand’s forestry supply chain,” says Ms Younger.
She adds that the Bill is vague with no detail, a lack of communication to the forestry sector and a limited timeframe for response. “FICA membership will be heavily influenced by decisions made around the Bill, so democratically we needed to express our opinions appropriately,” she explains.
The stated objectives of the new regulations are to:
• Raise professional standards across the supply chain.
• Address concerns that there are no industry safeguards on the quality of the advice being given to smaller owners – leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.
• Support a more open marketplace for the large number of ‘first-time’ forest owners who will be bringing their timber to the market in the 2020s.
• Increase investor confidence in commercial forestry, to support long-term investment, and meet the Government’s broader objectives for land management and climate change.
Ms Younger says FICA felt it important to acknowledge other factors that needed to be considered around the detail of the regulations to the amended Bill, including:
• Alignment to the National Forestry Strategy. Given employment opportunities are at the centre of this Bill, FICA want priority on the sustainability of those opportunities.
• Creation of statistical information through the central registration system would need to be accessible to the whole of industry.
• Involvement of not just the grower, marketer, and exporter but the frontline workforce in decisions that previously have been limited to those that drive market and industry influence.
• Any investment in domestic processing needs to be deliberate in backing good operators and not trying to plug the gaps.
Ms Younger says FICA supports both export and domestic processing and price stability provides sustainability to an industry “fraught with a boom/bust mentality”.
“It alleviates the risk for the contractors and recognises their investment into an industry that is ranked the second-highest export contributor to our country post COVID-19 and is a key industry to support the rebuild of the NZ economy,” she says.
She adds: “There are definitely some strong and varied viewpoints on the Bill across different sectors within the industry. The submission put forward by FICA was with the clear intention to provide outcomes that do not disadvantage members and this sector and would serve to enhance future sustainability, profitability and workforce engagement/retention within the sector.
NZL