MEDIA RELEASE

First operator accredited under new system

Friday 19 October 2007

A new accreditation system is allowing forestry operators in the Bay of Plenty to cut through the red tape and get on with their work.

Danny Arbuckle of Whakatane recently became the first person to be accredited under the Forestry Operators Accreditation System, which has been set up by Environment Bay of Plenty.

The new system allows an accredited operator to carry out a large proportion of their forestry harvesting or forestry earthworks in the Bay of Plenty as permitted activities, without going through a resource consent process.

Environment Bay of Plenty Chief Executive Bill Bayfield says it’s an example of the regional council being leaders in both the industry and in the country.

“It’s the first time we’ve embarked on something like this, so it’s great to see Danny become the first operator to gain accreditation,” he says. “It’s a valuable asset for a harvester, reducing costs, time and bureaucracy.

“This is the first accredited operator system of its type to be tried in New Zealand and it will be followed with interest by other regions.”

Mr Bayfield says to gain accreditation operators must first apply to Environment Bay of Plenty and have met specific criteria.

“Accredited operators are those that have a proven track record in the industry. They also need to demonstrate that they understand and apply the principles of good environmental management in a practical way. Finally, they’ve also had to pass a number of NZQA qualifications.

“The environmental performance of the accredited operators will be closely monitored by the regional council.”

The accreditation is designed to benefit both the operator, and the regional council.

“Because they can bypass the consent process, accredited operators should be able respond faster to the commercial needs of the market. This also means they can be more efficient, without compromising environmental standards. And because they’ve gone through the training, we’re confident that they know what rules apply to them, what they can and can’t do, and what’s best for our environment.”

For further media information please contact Andy Larsen, Acting Principal Consents Officer on 0800 ENV BOP (368 267).

ENDS

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