All NZIF members are bound by the NZIF Articles of Association and Code of Ethics.
No member except a Registered Member may call themselves, or lead any person to believe that they are a forestry consultant, a Registered Forester or a Registered Member or a Registered Forestry Consultant.
The conditions for each of the membership classes are:
Student Member:
A Student Member:
- Must be currently receiving formal training of a standard recognised by the NZIF Council either in forestry or in an allied discipline;
- Must be :
- A resident in New Zealand; or
- A New Zealand citizen studying at an overseas institution; or
- An overseas student studying at a New Zealand institution; or
- A person who can demonstrate an interest in or connection with forestry in New Zealand or the Institute;
- Must have a bona fide intention of taking up a career in forestry;
- Must be proposed and seconded by two NZIF Members (other than Student members).
Student Members remain as such only while they are receiving formal training or, on completion of that training await entry into full employment. If, on entry to full employment, a Student Member does not make application to advance to Graduate or Associate Member, Council may terminate his/her membership.
The Student Member will receive the weekly newsletter and the NZ Journal of Forestry. Student Members have no rights to vote or hold office.
Student members who meet the following requirements will receive a 100% discount on the membership fee:
- Taking a full time course in an approved forestry related qualification;
- Enrolled for a period of at least one year;
- Study is at a NZ tertiary institute; and
- Student is resident in NZ while undertaking the study.
Graduate Member:
The graduate member class is for those professionals in forestry who have completed a relevant qualification and are working in a forestry related area but have not yet achieved the five years experience necessary to advance to Full or Registered membership.
A Graduate Member:
- Must have completed a formal course of standing recognised by Council in some branch of forestry or an allied discipline;
- Must be working in the practice, administration or teaching of, or research in some branch of forestry;
- Must apply to advance to Ordinary Member or Registered Member as soon as the requirements of those classes have been met with respect to qualifications and experience;
- Must apply to transfer to Associate Member if he/she ceases to be employed in the practice, administration or teaching of, or research in some branch of forestry;
- Must be proposed and seconded by two NZIF Members (other than Student members).
- Have restricted voting rights and may not hold office.
Associate Member:
An Associate Member:
- Is anyone with an interest in forestry, and a person who, in the opinion of Council, will be able to contribute to the advancement of forestry and the objects of the Institute;
- Must be proposed and seconded by two NZIF Members (other than Student members).
- Have restricted voting and office holding rights.
Ordinary Member:
A Ordinary Member:
- Must have been a Graduate Member or an Associate Member for at least two years (this requirement can be waived by the Council); and:
- Has either:
- Completed five years in the practice, administration or teaching of, or research in some branch of forestry; or
- Occupied, in the opinion of Council, a position of standing or experience in the field of forestry for at least five years; and
- Has completed a formal course of standing recognised by Council in some branch of forestry or an allied discipline (this requirement can be waived by the Council);
- Must be proposed and seconded by two NZIF Members (other than Student, Graduate, Associate and Retired Associate Members).
- Have full voting and office holding rights.
A Ordinary Member is entitled to use the initials MNZIF after his/her name
Registered Member:
A Ordinary or Graduate Member may apply to the NZIF Registration Board to advance to Registered Member. A Registered Member:
- Must be an individual person;
- Must have passed a formal course of a standing recognised by the Board in some branch of forestry or an allied discipline (the Board may waive this requirement in special circumstances);
- Must have completed at least five years experience in forestry since graduation or certification, of which at least two must have been in New Zealand, and have reached a level of expertise recognised by the Board;
- Must display an understanding of the basic principles underlying the forestry process involved in the members particular area of qualification and expertise, to an extent that allows interpretation and application to different situations that may reasonably be expected to be encountered in the course of the members endeavours. The Board may establish satisfaction of this criterion by interview, examination of written examples of the applicants work, knowledge of the particular course of study undertaken by the applicant, or by other appropriate and reasonable means;
- Must have undertaken ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) for a minimum period of three years preceding application;
- Must reaffirm in writing his/her intention to abide by the New Zealand Institute of Forestrys Code of Ethics;
- On receipt of the application the Registrar, must inform the membership of the application. Any member of the Institute may object to any application for Registration by lodging a written notice with the Registrar, specifying the grounds of the objection;
- An applicant for registration may be recognised as having:
- General skills in forestry;
- General skills in forestry but with specialist skills in a specified area; or
- Specialist skills in specified areas (but without general skills in forestry).
- Have full voting and office holding rights.
Registered Members must apply before 30 April each year for their annual practicing certificate to be renewed. The application must include:
- A statement of CPD activities undertaken in the preceding 12 months;
- Reaffirmation of compliance with the NZIFs Code of Ethics;
- The annual fee.
Failure to comply will lead to cancellation of Registration.
Registered Members registration is subject to periodic review by the Board. Failure to complete the review can lead to cancellation of registration.
Complaints against Registered Members are processed by the Registration Board.
A Registered Member is entitled to use the words Registered MNZIF or Reg. MNZIF after his/her name and to use the appellation Registered Forestry Consultant (Registered Trade Mark number 267996, owned by the Institute) and/or Registered Forester
Retired Member:
- An applicant to be a Retired Member must be a Registered, Ordinary or Associate Member who:
- Has been a financial member for at least ten years; and
- Has reached the age of entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation; and
- Is not in paid employment; or
- At the discretion of Council;
- A Registered Member who has been a Registered Member for at least five years immediately prior to advancement to a Retired Member will be known as a Retired Registered Member. Retired Registered Members may not claim or lead people to believe that they are still a Registered Member;
- A Ordinary Member and a Registered Member who has been a Registered Member for less than five years prior to advancement to Retired Member will be known as a Retired Ordinaryl Member;
- An Associate Member who advances to Retired Member will be known as a Retired Associate Member;
- A Retired Ordinaryl Member shall be entitled to use the initials MNZIF after his/her name.
- Retired and Ordinary Retired Members have full voting and office holding rights.
- Retired Associate Members have restricted voting and office holding rights.
Honorary Members
An Honorary Member is a person who (not being a member at the time) is elected as an Honorary Member at an AGM of the NZIF. Nominees must have been outstanding in:
- Service to the Institute; and/or
- Contributing to or influencing the practice of forestry in New Zealand.
- Have full voting and office holding rights.