Healthy Trees, Healthy Futures

The Healthy Trees, Healthy Futures research programme (HTHF) was a five-year cross-sector programme studying Phytophthora diseases. The $10 million programme ran for four years (2015-2019), was led by Scion’s Forest Health team, and managed by FGR. The team put considerable effort into early understanding of red needle cast (Phytophthora pluvialis). Developing cost-effective control measures, and monitoring the disease using remote sensing techniques, were part of the programme. Significant advances were also made in the fight against kauri dieback (Phytophthora agathicida).

Red needle cast research is continuing under the Resilient Forests programme.

Growing Confidence in Forestry’s Future

Growing Confidence in Forestry’s Future (GCFF) was a government/industry research partnership which ran for six years (2013-2019), led by Scion and managed by FGR. It focused on radiata pine, and continued Scion’s internationally renowned research track record based on this species. Its goal was to enable a shift to precision management systems, thereby increasing forest productivity. Research into forestry’s social licence to operate was part of the GCFF.

Research ranged from genetics and breeding through the whole production chain including product quality. The development of new technologies, including applications for remote sensing and UAVs in forest management, were a major feature.

The Resilient Forests programme is carrying forward much of the work done in the GCFF.

Steepland Harvesting

The Steepland Harvesting Programme was a seven-year, $7.6 million Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) between the forest industry and the Ministry for Primary Industries which ran from 2010-2017. The programme was an alliance between government, forest owners, engineering companies, research providers and forestry contractors. It was managed by Forest Growers Research.

The programme was driven by the need to increase forestry’s safety record. Mechanisation was recognised as the key to this. The Steepland Harvesting programme was highly successful in developing and commercialising new technologies for harvesting on steep terrain, several of which are now fully commercialised.

A second seven-year PGP – ‘Forestry work in the modern age – Te mahi ngahere i te ao hurihuri’ – began in 2019.

The Specialty Wood Products Research Partnership (SWP)
The Specialty Species Wood Products Research Partnership (SWP) was a seven-year programme (2015-2023) which invested around $9 million into research and development for specialty wood species. The SWP aimed to kick-start a high-value specialty wood products industry based on alternatives to radiata pine.
Four species/species groups were included: cypresses, Douglas-fir, non-durable eucalypts and durable eucalypts.
  • Aims of the partnership included to:
    • increase the planted area of cypresses, Douglas fir, durable and non-durable eucalypts
    • lift investor confidence in specialty species
    • develop new products with superior performance
    • deliver regional strategies/business cases.
  • Main research providers:
    • Scion
    • Marlborough Research Centre Trust
    • University of Canterbury School of Forestry
    • NZ Farm Forestry Association
The SWP Final Report 2015-2023 describes how these objectives were largely achieved. The report lists all the outputs from the project – these are predominantly SWP Technical Reports, all available on this website. A 2-page summary of the SWP is also available.

Related searchable documents and reports

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