The NZFFA National Conference will be held in Cambridge, Waikato.
Date: Monday 20th to Friday 24th April 2026.
Day 1 – Monday 20th April – Cambridge Town Hall
8am – Registration desk opens
8:30am – 4:30pm - Special Interest Group meetings
8:30am-9:30am – AMIGO Acacia Action Group
9:30am-10:30am – Poplar/Willow Action Group
10:30am – Morning tea
10:45am-11:45am – Cypress Action Group
11:45am-12:45pm – Indigenous Action Group
12:45pm – Lunch
1:15pm-2:15pm – Eucalypt Action Group
2:15-3:15pm – Oak Action Group
3:15pm – Afternoon tea
3:30pm – 4:30pm – Sequoia Action Group
5.30pm - 9.00pm - Opening dinner and Quiz at Good Union Restaurant - Cambridge
Day 2 – Tuesday 21st April – Cambridge Town Hall
8am – Registration desk opens
8am – 10am - Councillors’ meeting
10am - 10.30am Morning Tea
10.30 - 12noon - AGM
12noon - 12.30 Lunch
12.30pm - 3pm Speakers
Our speakers on Tuesday –
Jarred Mair is the Chief Insight Officer at MPI. He leads MPI’s Insights team taking a systems view to track and analyse the impacts from: geopolitics, trade, market shifts, new technologies, value chain enhancements, emerging business models, farming systems and inputs – and maps the implications back onto New Zealand’s economy. Expect a different slant on farm forestry.
Kees Weytmans is a well-known NZFFA member from Gisborne. He will be entertaining us with some of his experiences in forestry in many parts of the world, ranging from logging in the Netherlands through various forest-related work in Surinam, Zambia, Somalia and Nepal.
Jon Sherlock is a local Waikato hill country farmer. He will be speaking on his recent conversion to using virtual electronic fencing, how it has improved the farm’s productivity and how it could be used to protect forestry blocks integrated into a livestock farm.
Diego Elustondo is with the Bioeconomy Science Institute - Maianga Taiao, as their Portfolio Leader for the Trees to High Value Wood Products section. His topic will be “Adding Value to New Zealand’s Alternative Forests”, with a focus on redwood, eucalyptus and poplar.
We will have a panel of 3 speakers on safety in small scale forestry – Paul Solomon from Worksafe, Rowan Struthers from FICA (Forest Industry Contractors Association) and Joe Akari from FISC (Forest Industry Safety Council) will cover “Understanding Your Obligations under the 2025 Forestry ACOP (Approved Code of Practice)”. Overcome your fear of acronyms, and maybe save a life!
4:15pm – Buses leave Cambridge Town Hall for our Awards Dinner venue
4:45pm-9pm - Awards Dinner and entertainment at the Vilagrad Estate.
9pm – buses leave Vilagrad for Cambridge
9:45pm approx – Buses arrive back in Cambridge
Day 3 – Wednesday 22nd April – “Native Forestry Focus”, Cambridge area
8am - Buses leave Cambridge from outside Subway.
Day 4 – Thursday 23rd April – “Classic Forestry”, Taupo area
8am - Buses leave Cambridge from outside Subway. Buses are now full. No seats left for the Taupo trip.
Day 5 – Friday 24th April – “Farm Forestry Focus”, Te Awamutu area
8am - Buses leave Cambridge from outside Subway.
Extra session's
Monday 20th April: Day 1- alternative trip - Hamilton Gardens.
Saturday 25th April: post-conference visit, “Older Podocarps management” day
Remember to book your accommodation early.
Waikato branch looks forward to seeing you here!