Te Reo Kakariki Issue No. 06

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Te Reo Kākāriki ISSUE 06

Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R MARCH 2020

Tēnā koutou Message from the Chair Ko te Reo Kākāriki tēnei e mihi ana ki a koutou e noho whānui ana ki te ao. Tēnei te tuku pānui atu kia mōhio koutou mā ngā mahi e kawea nei ki muri, ki mua rānei mō te tupu rākau ki runga i o tātou whenua. Nō reira ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Ki a rātou kua whetūrangitia, e kemokemo mai rā i te rangi, kei te tika ngā kupu e kīia nei ‘He tātai tangata ki te whenua, ka ngaro. He tātai whetū ki te rangi, mau tonu, mau tonu’ Nō reira moe mai koutou, okioki atu. Ka hoki mai ki a tātou e noho nei i te ao mārama me te kī, tēnā koutou, tēnā rā tātou katoa.

COVID-19 – ALERT LEVEL 4 We are now at Alert Level 4. The directive from Government is lockdown. Stay home, be safe, be kind. It is up to us to do our part. If we don’t, the consequences are dire and we risk the lives of many, including our own whānau. We also risk the continuation of the lockdown for much longer. Our forests are closed and will remain closed until the alert level reduces. Several of our Tūwharetoa entities, including the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, Te Kotahitanga and Tūwharetoa Fisheries, and many hapū and marae are working behind the scenes to ensure support is available to whānau. How that looks and how that will be delivered is work in progress and will be subject to strict controls to ensure compliance with the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4. We are also asking that whānau not take matters into their own hands by doing things that may compromise their own health and those of others or may put unnecessary pressure on our health and

MARLENE CLEMAS ASKS A QUESTION AT THE 2020 LTFT AGM, WAITETOKO MARAE.

emergency services. That means no hunting and no fishing. We have many whānau out there working hard to continue essential services – doctors, nurses, ambulance staff, police, checkout operators and other supermarket staff. So let’s spare a thought for them and keep each other safe by staying home as much as possible. While this is all going on, we do have some good stories we want to share with you. Life in forestry has evolved over the past 50 years, and we share some of these stories in this newsletter. We follow Flight Logging workers Rau and Hapeta Flight, daughter and son to owner contractor Dave Flight. We also have an update from our recent forestry graduates Matiu, Reihana, and Maria and learn about the work they are now doing following the completion of their recent studies. We profile new Trustee Ngahere Wall and get his perspectives on what it means to be a Trustee in Lake Taupō

Forest Trust. We provide an update on our foresty operations and markets. If you know anyone in the ‘Do you know these people or their uri?’ section, please contact our owners services team. In February, the Trustees approved a 2019/20 distribution of $5 million, and this will be paid in April, as is explained in the newsletter. Lastly, I want to thank you, the owners, for your continued support of the Trustees and staff over this unprecedented time. Please be safe, take care, and be kind. Our whānau are the most important, and we can only keep them safe if we do our bit. Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manaaki i a tātou katoa. Mā Ihoa o ngā Mano e manaaki.

Binky Ellis Chairperson


Pānui to Owners COVID-19 – Lake Taupō and

Lake Rotoaira forest trusts office closure In light of recent developments and announcements from Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, the Lake Taupō Forest Trust office will be closed until further notice. Our services will continue. However, capacity is limited, and you may experience some delays while the closure is in place. Emailing is our preferred method of contact. If you do not have email, you can still phone our office number 07 386 8839 and leave a message. We will endeavour to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Forest access closed The Lake Taupō and Lake Rotoaira Forests are closed and will remain closed until further notice. Owners are asked to not venture out onto forest lands under the current COVID-19 restrictions. When Government relaxes the alert level, the Trust will consider opening the TE REO KĀKĀRIKI

forests. Until then, please whānau, stay safe and look out for each other.

Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust Kaumātua Health Assistance grants These will continue to be processed. Application forms can be requested by emailing ownership@lrft.co.nz. We will not be accepting mail by postal box, so please email your completed and signed application form. If you need to speak to us by phone, you can do so by phoning 07 386 8839 and leaving a message. Your phone enquiry will be handled as quickly as possible.

Tangihanga grants Tangihanga grants will continue to be processed. Application forms can be requested by emailing ownership@ltft. co.nz. We will not be accepting mail by postal box, so please email your completed and signed application form to ownership@ltft.co.nz. If you are unable to do this, contact our owners’ services team on ownership@ltft.co.nz or phone 07 386 8839. Your phone enquiry will be handled as quickly as possible.

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New registrations and changes to personal details If you are registering for the first time or need to update your personal details, including your bank account, contact our team by emailing ownership@ltft.co.nz or phoning 07 386 8839.

Forest Trust annual distributions This will proceed as planned, on or about 17 April 2020. Remittance advice notices will only be issued on request, and you will need to provide an email address for these to be sent. If you have changed your bank account recently, it is important that you scan and email your verified bank account to us at ownership@ltft.co.nz. Please be sure to have these changes to us no later than Tuesday, 14 April 2020. All other enquiries should be directed to ownership@ltft.co.nz We will continue to keep owners updated as developments unfold, so please check our website and Facebook page for any latest developments. Ngā manaaki ki a tātou, kia marutau, kia atawhai, kia tau te rangimārie.

MARCH 2020


COVID-19 COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS CORONAVIRUS How to protect yourself and others March 2020

What is COVID-19? COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus. There are simple steps you can take to protect you and your family/whānau.

Symptoms of COVID-19 The symptoms of COVID-19 are: •

a cough

shortness of breath.

a high temperature (at least 38°C)

These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have COVID-19. The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu. However, infections with mild symptoms such as cold-like symptoms or no symptoms are likely, but it’s not known how common this is.

How to protect yourself and others •

Cough or sneeze into your elbow or by covering your mouth and nose with tissues.

Wash your hands with soap and water often.

• • • • •

Put used tissues in the bin or a bag immediately.

Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as doorknobs. Stay home if you feel unwell and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453.

Call Healthline 24/7 on 0800 358 5453 if you need to speak to someone.

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Visit www.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus for more information.


Maria Babbington

I started studying the New Zealand Diploma in Forest Management (Level 6) in 2018 at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Rotorua. It’s a full-time course Monday–Friday over two years and is offered only in Rotorua. I travelled to Rotorua most days from Tihoi on the Western Bays of Lake Taupō, making getting to class a small hurdle I had to overcome every day. I think as a forestry student, it would help to have an understanding of the forestry industry before studying, but

when I started the course, I had no forestry experience. This made it harder for me to understand some things on the course in the early days. However, the more I learned and the more questions I asked, the quicker I was able to pick it up. I was lucky enough to receive He Pūtea Mātauranga Forestry Scholarship offered by LTCT, which helped with being able to fund the course and also came with a summer internship at NZ Forest Managers. This gave me some hands-on experience and knowledge early on. What I enjoyed most about the course was learning about all the different software and technology being used in forestry. I have now completed my internship and started on board fulltime here at NZ Forest Managers in Tūrangi in the Planning Department. So far, I have been learning a lot about growth modelling and data collection for forest recovery. I still have a lot to understand about the job, but I am learning every day. I am grateful that I have been given this opportunity to learn here at NZ Forest Managers and hope that someday soon we will be seeing more of our iwi doing the same.

Reihana Fisher

I found the course provided a good grounding in the industry, and the skills I learnt were also transferable into a range of other fields or industries. The degree cemented key concepts I learnt in the classroom through regular practical field trips, which I found beneficial for my learning. The level of difficulty increased towards the tail end of the degree, where we tackled real-life problems encountered in the industry. This was the most interesting yet most challenging part of the degree. Some of these problems included creating roading, harvesting and silviculture plans for actual sites or forests around the country. We also carried out a project to analyse the small-scale forest estate in the Nelson/Marlborough region on behalf of the Ministry for Primary Industries and Nelson Forests Ltd. I also carried out an independent study into whether pruning should continue in the LTFT/LRFT estate. If anyone is looking at undertaking this degree, any practical experience in the industry or background knowledge about forestry would be extremely beneficial. Otherwise, a keen attitude to learn is all you really need. I am now working for Laurie Forestry, Christchurch, as a graduate forester with my role focused on land preparation and establishment in forest blocks across Canterbury, Westland and North Otago. The role also provides an opportunity to be exposed to a variety of other areas, including harvesting and port operations. I am enjoying the challenges so far, and I think it is a good place to begin a career in the industry.

I studied the Bachelor of Forestry Science at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch. This is a professional interdisciplinary degree offered by Te Kura Ngahere – School of Forestry that prepares graduates for managing forest resources by combining core science courses with management, commerce and technology. The degree is a four-year course, which I took from 2016 to 2019, and I am set to graduate with the Bachelor of Forestry Science with honours in April 2020. The course has been an eye-opening experience that has given me a broad understanding of the forest industry in New Zealand. The theoretical knowledge I learnt at university went hand in hand with the summer work experience I gained during my university breaks with NZ Forest Managers. This involved being exposed to a variety of fields within the industry such as silviculture, inventory, mapping and harvesting.

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MARCH 2020


Matiu Wikaira

The most difficult part for me was the scientific components of the degree due to the length of time between having last studied science in high school and beginning the degree. As a mature student, I had to relearn many of the basic principles that my peers already knew, which meant additional hours of study just to grasp the fundamentals of a question before I could begin to work out the answers. While in-depth science knowledge is not a necessity to complete the degree, a basic understanding of science principles is helpful. My biggest recommendation to any potential students would be to ask questions in lectures, tutorials and labs if they are unsure. I found that there is a culture in universities of young students being unwilling to ask questions, even to their own detriment. Our year group was fortunate in that we had several mature students, and we would happily ask for clarification when required. Aside from this, a familiarity with Excel and report or essay writing is highly useful but not essential as students will utilise these two skills so often that they cannot help but become confident with them. I am currently working for Ngāi Tahu Forestry on the West Coast of the South Island. My title is Technical Forester, and my work involves providing support for all members of the forestry team when required and conducting projects and reports for the operational and commercial managers. As the degree provides a broad understanding of the forest industry, I can assist across the full scope of the forest estate whether that be with silviculture, harvesting, logistics or customers. I also conduct GIS mapping when required as there is a designated cartographer on the staff. I have been in my role for four months and am enjoying the unique challenges that the West Coast provides. These challenges were what first appealed to me about working on the coast, and I am confident that the experiences and knowledge that I am gaining in my role will hold me in good standing in the future.

I began the Bachelor of Forestry Science degree with the University of Canterbury (UC) in 2016 but conducted the first year extramurally through Victoria University of Wellington (Vic). I was given dispensation to do this by the UC Forestry School Head of Department due to surgery requirements that I had at the time. I then moved to Christchurch to complete the remaining three years at the University of Canterbury. As UC is the only university that offers a complete forestry degree, the content is very forestry specific. So, the economics classes focus on how economics impact on forestry markets and the skills required to conduct analyses for a forestry company. This placed me at a disadvantage initially as my equivalent papers at Vic focused on generic economics rather than forestry economics. Having been through this, I wouldn’t recommend this approach to other students as there is a steep learning curve once you finally arrive at UC. It’s better to complete the full degree at UC. Also, the LTFT forestry scholarship is only available for UC and not Vic. The most enjoyable part of the degree for me was the interaction with other students and staff within the School of Forestry. As the number of students studying forestry is relatively small, there is an excellent staff to student ratio with open interaction and communication between all. Staff are usually always on hand or available in their office hours to assist students and are often happy to discuss ideas and questions freely in the forestry common room.

UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY FORESTRY STUDENTS IN THE FIELD WITH A CABLE YARDER

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MARCH 2020


Growing up with Forestry Flight Logging – Rau and Hapeta Flight

For Rau Flight and her brother Hapeta, forestry runs in the family. Flight Logging was started in the early ‘80s by their father and former Lake Taupō Forest Trust Trustee Dave Flight. ‘Dad has always worked in forestry, sometimes with a bit of fencing if the forestry slowed down,’ says Hapeta, ‘Back then, NZ Forest Managers approached him to become a contractor in production thinning. He only had a skidder, and we used to go out with him and sit in the skidder while he was driving around. That was awesome!’ Time, not to mention health and safety, has moved on a bit since then. ‘We’re now running seven machines and two men on the ground. We’ve got four excavators that fleet, sort and stack, one processor, one skidder and Uncle Gordy has got his self-levelling harvester – a Madill.’ Rau, who is now Health and Safety Manager at Flight Logging, moved home from Perth in 2019.

‘I learnt early last year that Dad was ill, so I flew back in March to be with him. I think I was only back about a day and he chucked me straight out in the bush with Hapeta.’ Rau, however, was used to working in the forest. ‘I had worked with Dad and a couple of other contractors for about eight years before I left. I started off with Dad as a log-maker. He trained me up, then I moved into Wild Cherry Logging with Binky Ellis. Mum got sick, so I stayed back and looked after her, worked when I could with Dad, and then I moved over to Perth. There, I worked in trades and local government but still outdoors. I ended up with Downer EDI and worked with them for five years as a scaffold estimator. ‘Coming back from Australia was good because I could see where we could use some of the systems that we used over in Australia. When I left, the safety was good, but when I came back from Australia and their safety regulations, I realised that our safety could be a lot better. There are quite a few areas that need a lot of work – the main thing I think is just the crews adapting to that safety culture.’ Hapeta also started out with Flight Logging and then moved away. ‘I started working in the bush with Dad when I was 16,’ says Hapeta, ‘and I’ve

HAPETA AND RAU FLIGHT

pretty much been there my whole life except for four years I worked in Taranaki. In that time, I’ve been mostly in machines. I was only on the chainsaw for about three years, and then he booted me into a machine, and I’ve been there ever since. ‘When I was in Taranaki, I worked with two different hauler crews and a farmlot crew, all in forestry. I’ve been back now for five or six years, and the main reason I moved back up here again was when the forestry around here went fully mechanised and they brought in the processors. Dad rung me up and said “I need a processor driver and none of these guys around here knows how to drive one. Can you come back?” I said, sweet as, and I was on my way, so I got back in when Dad got his first processor.’ The rise of processing machinery to make logs on the skid, rather than manually with chainsaws, has become predominant throughout the industry in the last decade due to the improved safety and productivity it provides. ‘We were one of the last crews around here to get into processors about six or seven years ago – it had been happening with the other local crews and around New Zealand before that. Dad liked the idea of owners working for themselves, and he knew that once he went mechanised, it would eliminate a lot of jobs, so he tried to hang on for as long as he could. However, safety is a big issue, and taking guys off the landing was the safer thing to do. ‘There are now eight people in our crew: Manu as a loader driver; Tane and Boss as a fleet, sort and stack; Tommy is our processor driver; Tuma is our skidder driver who extracts the logs; I do all the bunching for our skidder; and Jim and Mike are on the ground as our quality control. Uncle Gordon is an owneroperator in his own machine, and Rau looks after the accounts, manages health and safety and oversees it all to make sure everyone and everything is running smoothly.’ ‘I think it all comes down to management and leadership,’ says Rau. ‘If you want your crew to stay safe and all have that mindset, then you’ve got to implement it and lead by example. Consistency is big too, so weekly or even daily catchups. If the crew knows that you’re there and they feel supported and they feel you care for their health and well-being, they’re more likely to open up a bit more and feel comfortable. Gone are the days where you just knuckle down and get on (Continued on page 7)

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MARCH 2020


Logging Update March 2020

A downturn in the forestry industry has been taking up a lot of media space in the last few months. New Zealand forestry exports for the year ending June 2020 are expected to decrease by 17.9 per cent to $5.7 billion, driven by falling Chinese demand for logs. This is $0.5 billion lower than the previous forecast released in December 2019. Expectations that the log market would improve after Chinese New Year have been overtaken by trade disruptions due to COVID-19. China currently takes 88 per cent of New Zealand log exports with another 6 per cent going to South Korea, 3 per cent to India and 2 per cent to Japan, so the impact of a Chinese slowdown is going to be big for New

Zealand. In some parts of New Zealand, harvesting crews, logging contractors and port staff have all been affected by the downturn. How much companies are affected is largely due to how much exposure they have to the Chinese market. For Lake Taupō Forest Trust, much of this downturn was bypassed, largely due to the harvesting and marketing strategy followed by the Trust. The strategy is agreed to by Lake Taupō Forest Trust, Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust, NZ Forest Managers and the Crown and specifies that 30–40 per cent of the harvest goes towards export and 60–70 per cent is sold to domestic timber mills. (The Central North Island has the largest grouping of timber mills in New Zealand.) Of the 30–40 per cent that is exported, all goes to South Korea, Japan and India, with no exports from our forests going to China.

FLIGHT LOGGING CREW 2019, L-R, HAPETA FLIGHT, MANU JENSEN, JIM ERU, TUMA HARRIS, DAVID FLIGHT, TANE SIMON, MIKE TRUMAN JNR, GORDON FLIGHT, TOM ROSS.

(Continued from page 6)

with it. Things are changing. Nowadays, you have to sort of wear your heart on your sleeve a bit more.’ Rau and Hapeta are currently both undertaking the First Line Management on Effective Leadership course run by Toi Ohomai. ‘It’s a good course. Dad approached me about it first,’ says Hapeta. ‘He said Forest Managers or the Trust will be running a course. It sort of faded out a bit and then sprung back up when Frankie at the Lake Taupō Charitable Trust put it to us.’ ‘I just jumped on as a way to move forward with the forestry industry’, says Rau. ‘I’m not sure where it will take me, but I’m quite keen to go with it now and see where it leads to. The speakers on the course were good because they brought in their own experiences; it wasn’t just from education. They came in with field experience, so they had a lot of awareness of what people on the course are working with.

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‘The course runs once a week and is designed to fit the workers and the contractors with the hope that they’ll carry on with a diploma and degree. I think it is to help give an insight into when the forest comes back to the Trust and opens up opportunities for owners and current forestry workers to get in and manage their own forests. ‘I’m just learning,’ says Rau. ‘We’re learning with all of that, just reconnecting and trying to get in there with everything. I talk a lot with Dad and Hapeta, because there’s 11 years that I need to catch up on. I think the best way is to get out there and have a go. ‘But I’m excited, I’m very excited for the owners and the Trust. There’s a lot of knowledge here for the owners to have the ability to manage it and do well with it, and the opportunities that can come from it will just be so bountiful for everyone.’

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South Korea and Japan have been established LTFT customers for over 20 years, while India was acquired more recently, around 7 years ago. This has allowed time for good relationships to be developed, which are especially important when the industry faces challenging times as it does now. Therefore, until the declaration of COVID-19 Alert Level 4, there had been little downturn for Lake Taupō or Lake Rotoaira forest harvests. The harvesting crews and logging contractors had been operating according to plan – though log prices had fallen considerably. The declaration of the national shutdown has understandably meant that all harvesting and sales have stopped. Likewise, the domestic mills we sell logs to have all stopped operating, and the ports too have stopped log exports. Like all of the country, the Trust and those who work in our forest are facing uncertain times. We are told the disruption will last at least four weeks, but we must be prepared for a more extended shutdown. While the Trust itself is in a strong position financially to see through a long period of no income, we know that many of those who work in our forests may not be so fortunate. We and NZFM are encouraging our contractors to seek assistance through the Government Support Package to help get them and their crews through and be in a position to resume work when the restrictions are lifted. We are keenly aware too that most of our harvesting contractors will have loans out against machinery, and we are encouraging them to discuss this with their accountants and banks. On a positive note, one benefit of forestry is that if the trees are not harvested today, they simply keep on growing and adding value. We are fortunate in that and have sympathy for industries, such as most horticulture, that require an annual harvest and will be under great pressure. So, it is very early days in the ‘new world’ we are facing, but we are optimistic we will see this through and come out still strong. The Trust fully supports the Government’s management of the threat to our lives and livlihoods, and encourages us all to be careful and follow the health guidelines given out by the Ministry of Health to deal with COVID-19 and make sure we continue to support our whānau, our workers and our industry. MARCH 2020


Ngahere Wall

Trustee Lake Taupō Forest Trust Ngahere Wall is one of the four new Trustees elected to the Lake Taupō Forest Trust in 2019. Ngahere has a background in the forestry sector, working with crews in Lake Taupō Forest in various roles from working as a log-maker and skid supervisor through to health and safety and working with Competenz on training initiatives. A long career in forestry seemed to be in his

sights when a shoulder injury five years ago changed everything. ‘The injury threw me a bit of a curveball,’ says Ngahere. ‘It meant I had to transition out of the bush and take a whole different pathway, but it is like one door shut and another door opened. It allowed me to spend more time with my whānau and more time at the marae. I’m also fortunate that I was pushed into governance positions at Te Pae o Waimihia and Opepe Farm Trust and other trusts. It has allowed me to take the view from the marae to the board table. ‘Lake Taupō Forest Trust is a new challenge, and it is a huge responsibility. I do have some forestry and governance experience that I can bring to the table, but I’ve always been interested in looking at other ways of achieving outcomes from different perspectives. Nothing will change if you don’t consider other options in the first place or other opportunities to do things better. ‘What do we see as opportunities? They can range from economic perspectives to

social and cultural, and we need to look at how to resolve these. We’re into the fourth industrial revolution, and we also have climate change and now coronavirus. How we navigate these challenges is going to be a big part of our future.’ In the June newsletter, we will talk to another new Trustee.

Forest Access Winter access hours Subject to the lifting of the forest closure due to COVID-19, from Monday, 4 May 2020 owner access will change to the winter hours. • Weekday access: 4.00 p.m.–8.00 p.m. • Weekends and public holidays: 7.00 a.m.–8.00 p.m. Summer hours will start again on Monday, 28 September 2020 (the day after daylight saving changes back).

Do you know these people or their uri? The owners below are owed significant funds of unclaimed monies. If you know these people or their uri, we would really appreciate knowing their whereabouts so we can get them registered and have their monies paid. SURNAME

FIRST NAME

SURNAME

FIRST NAME

BELCHER

Tokio

RORE

Rangitapuatia Matairangi

HEPI

Sharlene

RUIHI

Hapainiti

HONA

Raurangi Tipu

SULLIVAN

John Tatara

KUPE

Time

TAMAIRA

Paul Ngahianga

LOCKETT

David Raymond Vivian

TAURI

Hazel

MEIHANA

Martini Otene

TE KAPUA

Pire

MOKE

Tuparitia

TE KAPUA

Tamahou

NGAHORO

Hinehou

TE KIRIKAU

Te Maki

NGAPINE

Te Kohu

TE WHATA

Arana

PITARA

Tori

TE WHATA

Te whataangaanga

POPATA

Taawhirangi

TUTEKAI

Te Rongomau

RAMEKA

Emily

WAETFORD

Rerekura John

RAUKURA

Taupe

WAIMARAMA

Te Rina

REIWANA

Harata

WHANAU TRUST

Maudie and Hiini Northcroft

HEAD OFFICE

81 Town Centre PO Box 102 Tūrangi, New Zealand Telephone: 07 386 8839 Fax: 07 386 0188

CONTACT US

general@ltft.co.nz

+64 7 386 8839 www.ltft.co.nz

IMAGE PERMISSIONS:

Kākāriki courtesy of firinosa/123RF Stock Photo Other images courtesy of Lake Taupō Forest Trust and HUIA


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