Final Report Template
Project Title:
Improving access to practical information on cypresses and
eucalypts
Project Number:
401298
Date of Report:
July 31st 2015
Note: The Final Report is due to your Project Adviser within two months
after the project completion date.
If any material supplied in, or attached to, this report contains confidential
information, or is otherwise unsuitable for wider dissemination, please clearly
mark accordingly and highlight directly with your Project Adviser (including the
reason for wishing to treat the material in this manner).
This information from Sections 2 – 5 and Section 11 will be published on the
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website unless you advise us otherwise.
1. Milestone Summary Table
Milestone
Milestone
Completion Date
Percent
Number
[As per SFF contract schedule]
Complete
Original
Actual
401298-1
Detailed project plan completed
30/09/2014
100
401298-2
Filming on three videos completed and
31/12/2014
100
post-production underway
401298-3
Up to five more videos filmed in May
31/05/2015
100
and early June: Establishing cypresses,
under the Official Information Act 1982
thinning eucalypts, and
sawmilling/utilisation of cypresses,
sawmilling/utilisation of eucalypts
401298-4
All resources complete and available via
the NZFFA website. Media release
30/06/2015
100
issued.
Released
2. Project Objectives
This project aimed to produce basic, practical grower information on cypresses and eucalypts, the
two most promising diverse species-groups in New Zealand. Both species have been successful y
grown on a wide range of site types, but on a limited scale, for many years. We knew that basic
grower information on cypresses and eucalypts was badly needed, so we proposed to produce a

series of short, farm forester-led videos, complemented by downloadable web-based information,
giving basic, best-practice advice on growing, harvesting and utilising these species.
The most significant variation that occurred during the project was that we produced more, shorter
videos (11 instead of the six planned), and more handouts, than original y planned. This was because
we realised that the information would be better delivered in shorter segments, and shorter videos
communicate key points better than long ones.
3. Approach
The approach behind the design of this project was based on two key proven aspects of extension to
farmers:
1982

(i) farmers learn best from other farmers - this is the rationale behind the proposed videos. The farm
foresters chosen to present the videos are acknowledged experts in their field.
Act

(ii) extension resources need to be available in a variety of formats, and available over time - by
providing videos, and web-based material that can be downloaded and printed out, we are giving
farmers a choice of resource formats. The material will be available for many years on the NZFFA
website; it will also be reasonably easy and cheap to update as necessary. Members of the project
team are experienced in design and delivery of web-based and hard-copy resources.
4. What were the main findings from this project?
The project was successful in that the resources have been produced; we learnt quite a lot along the
way about the chal enges that go with producing short, informative videos out in the forest.
Information
This was not a research project so there are no ‘findings’ as such.
5. What difference has this project made to your group / community of interest /
industry?
We hope the outputs from the project wil  be useful to novice tree planters, especially farmers, keen
to try cypresses and eucalypts as alternatives to radiata pine. This in turn will lead to larger areas of
Official
well-managed diverse species in the NZ landscape, and greater quantities of high-quality, high-value
timber eventually becoming available in the marketplace.
the
6. If you did the project again what would you do differently?
There were a number of key learnings about producing videos on a relatively low budget. These
included:
•  The timing of filming the videos should have been better planned – this was especially the
under
case for the videos on planting eucalypts and cypresses. Instead of trying to simulate planting
conditions outside the planting season, the videos would have been better if they had been
filmed on-site during the planting season in genuine conditions.
•  The content of some of the videos would have been better with stronger directing during
filming, with closer attention to detail in the content.  Once we left the site it was difficult to
add to the content.
•  Also we did not budget to al ow for contingency time, so had to film on the days planned,
regardless of weather conditions. This proved challenging on a couple of occasions.
Released
So the main conclusions are that producing good quality training videos takes careful planning,
experience in terms of directing, and a contingency time allowance.
7. Is there anything the SFF could have done differently?
No

8. Is there anything that you have learnt that would be useful for new project
teams?

See item 6 above. Making good videos is not as easy as it might appear. It takes a lot of planning and
skill, both in filming and in directing.

9. Where to from here – what are the next steps?
1982

The resources are now available on the NZFFA website and will be publicised; also the hope is that
Act
the Information Notes will be distributed at farm forestry field days, workshops etc.

10. Financial summary
The project was completed to a high standard and under budget.  The final cost (excl. GST)
was $27,305 against the original estimate of $29,000.  Including the final Milestone 4 claim, a
total of $22,122 was claimed from the Sustainable Farming Fund, and non-MPI funding of
$5,178 was provided by the NZ Farm Forestry Association.  No unspent MPI grant funding
remained at the end of the project.
Information

11. List and attach any major outputs from the project.
The outputs from the project are all available on the NZ Farm Forestry Association website.

They are as follows:
Official
1. Cypresses – information found at http://nzffa.org.nz/farm-forestry-
model/species/cypress/growing-cypresses-for-timber---videos-and-information/
the

Videos
•  Planting cypresses
•  Pruning cypresses – low pruning (first lift)
under
•  Pruning cypresses – medium pruning (second lift)
•  Thinning cypresses
•  Milling and markets for cypress timber

Information Notes
•  Cypress species choice and minimising the risk of canker
Released
•  Establishing cypresses
•  Pruning cypresses
•  Thinning cypresses
•  Growing cypresses for timber – some example regimes

2. Eucalypts  - information found at http://nzffa.org.nz/farm-forestry-
model/species/eucalypts/growing-eucalypts-for-timber---videos-and-information/

Videos
•  Establishing eucalypts on grassland
•  Establishing eucalypts on cut-over sites
•  Form pruning eucalypts
1982
•  Pruning eucalypts for clearwood
•  Thinning eucalypts
•  Milling, drying and processing eucalypts
Act

Information Notes
•  Choosing eucalypts
•  Establishing eucalypts
•  Form pruning eucalypts
•  Pruning eucalypts for clearwood
•  Thinning eucalypts
Information
•  Growing eucalypts for timber – some example regimes

If appropriate, we would like to publish a copy of the above on our website:
please provide an electronic copy for this purpose preferably in Word format.
Official

Report Confirmation
the

Name [Project Manager]
Confirmation
Date
Harriet Palmer
I hereby confirm the

31.07.15
under

above information is true

and correct:

Submission Notes:

1.  Final Reports should be sent electronically to the MPI SFF Fund Administrator
Released
and your Project Adviser (in the same e-mail as the final Request for Payment
form and invoice).  Also attach electronic versions of any resources developed.
Please ensure you put your project number in the e-mail’s subject line:
e.g., 09/999 Final report 2011.

2. Hardcopies of any project resources developed should be posted to the Fund
Administrator and your Project Adviser.

1982
Act
Information
Official
the
under
Released

Document Outline

Final Report Template