Scion principal scientist Dr Michael Watt. Photo / Graeme Murray
Rotorua and Whakarewarewa Forest will be the backdrop to a global forestry conference that is set to attract up to 500 remote sensing specialists to the city in just over 18 months’ time.
Scion has successfully secured a bid to host ForestSAT 2024, one of the most prestigious international conferences on the application of remote sensing technologies for forest monitoring and modelling.
Previous conferences have been held in Germany, United States, Chile, Italy, Spain, France, Sweden and Scotland. For the first time, the conference will be in Australasia over five days, starting September 9 in 2024.
Scion’s general manager for forests to timber products, Dr Henri Bailleres, said the event will be an incredible opportunity to showcase New Zealand and Scion.
“Scion has a strong remote sensing group with international outreach and a wide industry network within the New Zealand forestry sector.
“The hosting of ForestSAT in Rotorua by Scion highlights the excellence, standing and reputation of our science with our global peers, as well as showcasing Rotorua as a premier tourist destination.”
Scion principal scientist Dr Michael Watt, who leads many remote sensing areas including modelling of forest carbon capture and use of hyperspectral imagery, presented at ForestSAT 2022 in Berlin.
He said he was impressed with the overall quality of presentations at the event and thought that New Zealand had a reasonable chance of hosting the next conference.
Working closely with Tourism New Zealand, the Scion team, led by Watt and Bailleres, submitted an application that was unanimously approved by the ForestSAT board of directors.
“What New Zealand and Scion does is unique globally,” Watt said. “Our group’s research is competing on the global scene and is attracting interest from many overseas forestry companies and research organisations.”
Global heavyweights in remote sensing for forestry were expressing their excitement about the opportunity to visit New Zealand in September 2024.
Founder of ForestSAT and former conference chairman, Dr Juan Suarez, said Rotorua was one of the most important innovation hubs in forestry science worldwide.
“Hosting the conference will enable Rotorua to cement its global reputation in this area, connect academia with a forestry industry actively embracing new tools and technologies and attract new practitioners that can lead the transition to 21st-century forestry.”
Canada’s research chairman in Remote Sensing, Dr Nicholas Coops from the University of British Columbia, said he was looking forward to attending ForestSAT for its stimulating talks and impressive field tours, with the added benefit of enjoying New Zealand’s scenery.
“The conference has a strong history of bringing together leading practitioners and academics working in this field from across the world. After a very successful meeting in Germany, it is fantastic to know that this event will be held in New Zealand who are leaders in the application of spatial analysis technologies to forest management.”
RotoruaNZ chief executive Andrew Wilson said confirmation Rotorua will host the international conference was fantastic for the city.
“International conferences are a critical contributor to Rotorua’s visitor economy. Typically, they are scheduled for the quieter shoulder seasons, providing a welcome boost to local employers as other tourism markets soften.
“In addition, delegates have a higher average spend and length of stay as they look to find novel ways to contribute to the destination and local community.”
Work to organise the conference, planned for September 9-13 next year was now under way. The conference committee includes Scion’s portfolio leader Claire Stewart, and key members of Scion’s data and geospatial intelligence group. Collectively, they will provide attendees with several technical sessions and field trips that explore world-class recreational and productive forests.
After six years at the helm of Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Karen Vercoe (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Makino, Te Arawa) will leave the organisation in April to take up a new role.
Vercoe’s new role will be with Te Tari Taiwhenua, Department of Internal Affairs as its deputy chief executive of Māori, strategy and performance.
Trust chairman Geoff Rolleston said Vercoe’s departure will be keenly felt across not only Te Arawa Lakes Trust, but the wider iwi, whose wellbeing and prosperity have been her primary focus and driving force, particularly in recent years.
“While there is an element of sadness to Karen’s departure, her new role will see her make a meaningful contribution to Te Tari Taiwhenua, and in turn, positively impact the mahi it does with and for Māori.”
Vercoe has been an invaluable asset to Te Arawa Lakes Trust, undeniably helping to improve the lives of whānau across the rohe, Rolleston said.
“In her time leading the trust, Karen has grown the team from two employees to more than 100, growing its environmental contracts immeasurably to support our mandated mahi through our lakes settlement. In doing so, she has created dozens of jobs for whānau across Te Arawa rohe.
“In addition, she has led other kaupapa to help drive better social, economic, cultural and environmental outcomes for Māori, including establishing Te Arawa Covid Hub, while also actively enabling the development of Te Arawa Climate Change Strategy.”
Vercoe’s existing and previous roles have centred around honouring obligations to hapū, iwi and Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the advancement of Māori across business, development, health and other areas.
She said she will treasure her time at the trust and was incredibly proud of the mahi her team does across the rohe.
“It has not been an easy decision to leave the organisation that I feel so passionate about, but I know our incredible team will continue to carry out the trust’s crucial mahi, protecting our wai, whenua and whānau, now and into the future.”
Vercoe received the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2021 for services to Sport and Governance and was awarded the Dame Mira Szászy Māori Alumni Award in 2016.
In 2020 she was selected for the Common Purpose global leadership programme and in 2018, was one of 25 Māori women selected for the Australia New Zealand Indigenous Women’s Business Network.
Vercoe is a current board member for Sport NZ, and was the elected chairperson of Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa and Data Iwi Leaders Forum.
Vercoe is a double international, representing Aoteaora in touch and in rugby for the Black Ferns in 1996.
Renowned luxury boutique lodge Peppers on the Point is set for change in 2023, returning to its heritage roots as an independent brand and property in March.
From March 31, the lodge will become On the Point – Lake Rotorua when it leaves the Accor Portfolio.
Lodge manager Ann Gregor-Greene said the move allowed On the Point – Lake Rotorua to further focus on the lodge’s unique point of difference in the luxury accommodation sector.
“We are extremely excited about the developments that 2023 will bring for us, our trade partners, and our guests.
“The move back to being an independent brand allows us to fully celebrate our unique heritage and our point of difference in the market for discerning guests.”
The original homestead was built in 1903 and has been in the Main family since 1977, before opening as a lodge in 2004.
The stormy weather events that occurred across New Zealand in January led to a drop in consumer spending in several regions at those times and may have dampened spending more generally over the month, according to new data, but a weakening pattern suggests wider economic factors are also at play.
Consumer spending data recorded in January 2023 through Core Retail merchants in Worldline NZ’s payments network (excluding hospitality) reached $3.04 billion nationwide, which was down just 0.7 per cent on January 2022 but up 15.9 per cent on January 2019.
In the Bay of Plenty, consumer spending data reached $214 million, which was down 4.2 per cent on January 2022 but up 13.9 per cent on January 2019.
Worldline NZ’s chief sales officer Bruce Proffit said consumer spending patterns were generally weak over the full month of January 2023, with annual spending growth up (+1.6 per cent) in the first seven days and down (0.7 per cent) in the last seven days of the month.
“While spending was higher in the first week of January compared to the same week last year, this was not consistent across all regions – and notably, the mixed regional pattern that persisted into the last week of January showed a drop in the three largest regions,” he said.
“The stormy weather that occurred at each end of the month – Cyclone Hale and then the deluges across the upper North Island and especially in Auckland – is undoubtedly one factor, but the general nature of the dampened spending also suggests a trend towards wider restraint by consumers.”
The monthly regional figures showed annual spending declines were highest – in percentage terms – in Bay of Plenty (-4.2 per cent), Wairarapa (-3.6 per cent), Gisborne (-3.4 per cent) and Wellington (-3.2 per cent). Spending growth was highest in Otago (+8.2 per cent), Southland (+6.9 per cent) and West Coast (+6.7 per cent).
Seasonal kiwifruit employers have joined forces with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to host a harvest hiring day in Katikati next month.
The harvest hiring day will be held at the Pātuki Manawa Digital Hub, 21 Main Rd, on March 1 from 10am to 1pm.
A media statement from MSD said seasonal employers were keen to meet jobseekers and will be on hand to promote their upcoming vacancies and talk about what working in their industry entails. Jobs on offer include seasonal packhouse and orchard roles, as well as more permanent career opportunities. Some employers may have travel options available.
Anyone curious about what kiwifruit picking and pruning involves can put on a headset and see what it’s like to work in a kiwifruit orchard through virtual reality (VR).
In addition to seasonal opportunities, VR users can explore a variety of jobs and career paths.
VR is an innovative and interactive way of connecting jobseekers to local employers and giving people a taste of work in various industries through simulating actual tasks.
“We’re committed to connecting people into work and our hope is for attendees to walk away with a job,” it said. “There are loads of jobs and it’s free so pop down and check it out.”
Kiwifruit harvest hiring days were also being hosted in Rotorua on February 27 and Greerton on March 2.
A 7-tonne sculpture by a has been unveiled in Tauranga's Red Square.