|
Dear FICA Members, Sponsors & Industry
As the colours start to turn on the trees we await the chilly mornings and the dewy starts. It is a bit of an awakening that winter is just around the corner so important to rug up, stay warm and stay healthy to keep the bugs away, we did pretty well in lock down so keep up all those cleaning habits!
The activity continues and last month the export log prices are at their highest for several years, the work is full on and we have started to see some stretch in the supply chain - the ports are chocka, the log transport companies are under pressure and the contractors are all at ends with delays in log lift on the skids. When a bottleneck hits along the supply chain it always effects those further down or in fact those further up too. Chain of custody verifies the path from the input material to the final product, and gives assurance of sustainability but we need to make sure we are all part of that from the nurseries to log traders. Let's not see our world implode again!
On a positive note, I am pleased to promote the successful 2 days at the Rotorua Career Expo this week - thanks to Kim Holland and a group of passionate industry people supporting a large forestry stand and drew in large crowds of interested students. We know that in a competing workforce out in Aotearoa its important we don't stop promoting the value of joining forestry.
FICA have in our bank account subsidy money for the MSD - FICA Silviculture Subsidy 2021 - ensure you get on line and use it! It can be back dated to 1 March and closes 30 September. Register your new workforce today!
We have started the discussions and meetings with stakeholders around the National Contract Template and all going to plan we should have a finalised contract by September 2021. We are also now working with the Workforce Council to draft up a standard employment agreement across the sector and come back out to industry for feedback.
Please we remind you to book your accommodation in Queenstown if you are coming through to both the FISC - FICA Safetree Conference 28 October and then the FICA AGM and weekend 29-30 October. Check the hotels Millennium and Copthorne and quote CODE "FICA2021".
There's plenty going on in the ROVE - Reform of Vocational Education and so we have established a new group called the FRAG - Forestry ROVE Advisory Group. This is a diverse group with new faces which is great to bring about a balanced view to where we in forestry see the Food & Fibre (Primary Sector) transform to. If you received a survey from FICA please we encourage you to complete it please.
The Safetree Contractor Certification Review is progressing well. We get back together to pull all the sub groups together at the end of this month and decide the overall strategy and format for managing the great initiative that is working its way back to alignment of the original task.
End of the month is close and I will be back really soon to celebrate the midway point for 2021, but meantime keep working to top notch standards and show the other Primary Industries what we have, fortunately keeps us going along successfully!
Kia Kaha - Stay Strong
Prue & FICA Board
Prue Younger
CEO, FICA
|
