When I write this newsletter, what's top of mind is the effect of climate change on this world. It's nearly every day there is something monumental happening. The Moroccan earthquake just happened over the weekend and now the discussion about El Nino at the end of the month for NZ which will bring hotter temperatures and high winds from the west and the subsequent very dry spring/summer. For forestry that's a concern with fires being on the top of the list of risks. Much like they have been experiencing in Canada we have had some of our members sent over there to manage fire fighting crews as they struggled to have the resources to keep them under control.
The Forestry Ministerial Advisory Group made some good points in a recent report on the East Coast - Tairawhiti Inquiry Report with consideration to land use change on both pastoral and forestry land understanding the highly erodible spoils coupled with frequent weather events in the future.
With the elections coming up, the industry will be focused on any policies that will influence forestry going forward. The current government have acknowledged that their thinking is backing regional jobs and onshore manufacturing to grow the economy. But, a change in party leadership may put a very different spin on our sector across many faces of forestry.
The general feel around the industry is although there is some stabilising of export markets, there is still a fair way to go...but there is also a sense of getting on with what is ahead of us, whether it be at full capacity or reduced production, to endure a bit of sustainability. The crystal ball is still foggy!
Next week is Mental Health Awareness (MHAW) week - 18 – 24 September. MHAW is run annually by the Mental Health Foundation and has been since 1993. This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme is Five Ways, Five Days. Life has been a rollercoaster lately, with stress and overwhelm hitting us from all angles. We've faced uncertainty, unfamiliarity, and hardships that have left us with mixed emotions. In bringing you the Five Ways for the Five Days of MHAW, it gives us a set of proven tools to boost our mental health when we need it.
So lets all take a moment next week on a daily basis to support others and encourage friends and whanau to pick up these tools too.
Be a Mate in Forestry - hei hoe te ngahere
