http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.fica.org.nz en-us Sun, 23 Aug 2026 20:02:42 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168824/forestry-sector-backs-independent-facilitator-for-tairawhiti/ The New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA), Eastland Wood Council (EWC), Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) and Ngāti Porou Forests have jointly backed the Government’s decision to appoint Doug Leeder as an independent facilitator to support land transition and long-term forestry management in Tairāwhiti.NZFOA Chief Executive Dr Elizabeth Heeg says the appointment provides an opportunity to make progress on difficult questions around land use, woody debris and forestry-rel... Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:43:10 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168824 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168733/fica-e-newsletter--august-2026/ WHAT HAS FICA DELIVERED FOR MEMBERS THIS MONTH? Tairāwhiti contractor issues taken forwardMet directly with contractors around consenting, compliance and wider supply-chain issues affecting productivity.Better return-to-work supportCarePass and Telehealth pilot approved, giving participating contractors better access to medical and return-to-work support.Stronger contractor financial evidenceThe Financial Health Survey is giving FICA real data to support contractor advocacy.Forestry keeps ... Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:25:14 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168733 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168707/tairawhiti--productivity-is-bigger-than-the-crew/ Tony Hill of Hill Logging picked me up at 6:00am for a visit to his steep country winch-assist (SWY) operation east of Mangatu Forest. Many readers will know Tony through his role as NZ Logger Magazine's "Iron Tester".Tony comes from a logging family originally based in Tokoroa. When his father's contract ended, the family relocated to Tairāwhiti and Tony has spent much of his career on the East Coast, most recently working for Ricky Kuru before establishing his own business. Like many contract... Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168707 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168728/worksafe-snapshot/ FICA meets with the WorkSafe forestry inspectorate team every six weeks to discuss emerging industry issues, enforcement trends and areas of concern.WorkSafe completed 526 forestry assessments during 2025/26, with 25% resulting in enforcement action and a total of 207 enforcement measures issued.The key enforcement areas were:Mobile plant and vehicle safety (26%) including traffic management failures, rollover risks and unsafe machinery. Hazardous substances (17%) including shortcomings in ... Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:37:37 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168728 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168727/a-practical-win-on-the-living-wage/ FSC has formally approved and published an interpretation of the New Zealand Forest Stewardship Standard that recognises the living wage agreement negotiated between FICA and First Union. The interpretation is effective immediately and can now be applied by FSC auditors. Until now, uncertainty around FSC requirements meant some auditors interpreted the standard as requiring every worker, including trainees, to be paid the full living wage. This created a major barrier to training, as contra... Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:34:49 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168727 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168726/forestry-gets-a-seat-at-the-table-with-competenz-2-0/ Workplace vocational training will move to the new Competenz 2.0, a decision endorsed by the FICA/NZFOA Forestry Training Committee. It is designed to ensure forestry retains strong industry influence over training delivery and future workforce development. The new arrangement will provide forestry with a dedicated training team, a Head of Forestry role, continued access to trainers and assessors, and direct industry input through the Forestry Training Committee. Forestry will also particip... Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:29:49 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168726 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168725/your-data-is-giving-fica-a-stronger-voice/ Our Financial Health Survey is the most comprehensive snapshot we’ve ever collected and confirms many of the issues contractors have been raising for some time, including profitability pressures, rising costs, workforce challenges, and concerns about the future resilience of the sector. The FICA Board has agreed that the benefits of releasing high-level survey findings to members outweigh any potential risks, which are considered limited, provided appropriate safeguards are maintained.&nb... Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:28:01 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168725 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168713/tower-inspector-workshop/ Following strong interest from across the industry, FICA is pleased to confirm that the inaugural Forestry Tower Inspectors Workshop will be held on Thursday 10 September 2026 at Rydges Wellington Airport, from 9:00am to 3:00pm.The workshop has been developed primarily for forestry tower inspectors and will provide an opportunity to discuss inspection methodologies, certification and regulatory updates, tower modifications, lessons learned from the field, and opportunities to improve consistency... Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:30:25 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168713 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168711/acc-invoices-are-coming--what-businesses-need-to-know-about-levy-changes/ With ACC employer invoicing coming up, businesses need to be aware of changes to how ACC levies are now calculated, following recommendations from the 2024 levy consultation and agreement by Government. This means levy invoices may look different this year.These changes are designed to make levies fairer and easier for businesses to understand. The impact will vary depending on each business and how its levy is paid.Interest now applies to all new plansAll instalment plans now use the same annua... Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:20:59 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168711 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/post/168710/lost-workdays-continue-to-have-an-impact-on-new-zealand-business/ ACC has released its annual ‘Injuries in New Zealand’ report, providing insights into how New Zealanders are getting injured and the impact those injuries have on people, workplaces and communities.Each year, ACC accepts more than two million injury claims. Behind every one of those claims is a person whose life has been disrupted - often affecting their ability to work, support their whānau and stay connected to everyday life.Injuries continue to have a significant impact on businesses, wo... Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:18:29 +1200 http://www.fica.org.nz/blog/#post168710