NZ Institute of Forestry Loses Honorary Member

New Zealand Institute of Forestry

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9 April 2012

NZ Instritute of Forestry Loses Honorary Member

Members of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry, Te Pûtahi Ngâherehere o Aotearoa, are saddened by news of the death of Honorary Member, Sir Peter Tapsell. “Our thoughts are with his family” said Dr. Andrew McEwen, President of the Institute.

Sir Peter was made an honorary member of the Institute in 1990 after serving as Minister of Forests from August 1987 to February 1990, during the second term of the fourth Labour Government. His three overseas missions in which forestry was a major interest – to Scandinavia, Canada and Chile, to Korea and Japan, and to Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and USSR reinforced Minister Tapsell’s conviction that forestry had much to offer New Zealand and he became an advocate for a closer working relationship between the radiata pine growers of New Zealand, Australia and Chile.

Following the disestablishment of the Forest Service in March 1987 and with the subsequent proposed sale of State forests to the private sector Sir Peter became concerned about the maintenance of New Zealand's forest management standards. He saw a Forest Policy, and maybe a new Forest Act, as a contribution to maintaining a high standard of forest stewardship in New Zealand. He recognised that dialogue was the key to acceptance of both the Policy and the Act and began the process with interested parties Unfortunately he lost his ministerial position before he could complete the task.

“Our members always found Peter Tapsell very approachable and a good listener. He was recognised as a champion of forestry”, said Dr Wink Sutton, NZIF President when Sir Peter was elected as an honorary member of the Institute.

ENDS

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