SWC 2020 Forestry Awards: Event has been cancelled

The SWC 2020 Forestry Awards has been cancelled. This decision was made after consultation with Members and is due to recent changes in travel policies across various organisations and the directive made by the NZ Government on Thursday 19 March.

Due to the current and unprecedented conditions around COVID-19, the Prime Minister’s announcement on banning all meetings indoors in New Zealand to under 100 people and Health directives given on “social distancing”, the decision was made reluctantly on Tuesday 17 March to cancel this year’s SWC Forestry Training Awards that were scheduled to run on the evening of Friday 8 May in Dunedin. The Awards Evening has been rescheduled to run in May 2021. Once the final date has been confirmed with the venue, we will let you know.

What now?

It has been agreed that award nominations received this year for the 2020 Apprentice of the Year Award will still be independently judged and the winner announced (as well as prizes awarded). Apprentices, having completed an apprenticeship programme in the training year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 have but one opportunity to be eligible for this particular award so it’s only fitting that the industry is able to fully recognise their commitment to training.

The many other excellent nominations the SWC received for the other eight awards for 2020 will be kept by the Council. Most can be used, after we make contact with each nominee, for the 2021 awards. Thanks for your understanding and we look forward to hosting the forestry training awards again with you in 2021.