June 2018 | $7.20
e h t On track t h g ri
ISSN 1176-0397
orest F u s t a Kom r o f p a ills g f o r P r e Timb
Safety under scrutiny again
Gisborne plant gears up
iron test
i r e h t On k c a tr
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EST 1909 EST 1909 BANNER 1 THE SUPPLIER TO THE NEW ZEALAND HEAVY NEW INDUSTRY EALAND HEAVY INDUSTRY THE SUPPLIER TO ZEALA SUPPLIER TO NEW ZEA 16 NZ LOGGER | June 2018
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THE SUPPLIER TO NEW ZEALAND HEAVY INDUSTRY
t h rig Story & Photos: John Ellegard
Roadlining has come a long way from being solely focused on building tracks, landings and skid sites, with maybe a few trees processed along the way.
The new TimberPro TL765C, fitted with a Woodsman Pro FH1350 that is now harvesting trees for the Kuru Contracting roadlining operation near Gisborne.
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EST 1909 EST 1909 EST 1909 BANNER 1 THE SUPPLIER TO NEW WWW SHAWS OTHE NZ ZEALAND 0SUPPLIER 00 HEAVY SHAWSINDUSTRY EALAND INDUSTRY W ZEALANDHEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY TO NEW ZEA June 2018 | NZ LOGGER 17
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Timber Focus
June 2018 | issue 41
34 NZ LOGGER | June 2017
Nearing the end of a long journey… Story & photos: John Ellegard
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LENTY OF PEOPLE HAVE TOLD HIKURANGI Forest Farms (HFF) that the ambitious plan to stop in-forest log making in favour of transporting stems to a stand-alone optimising plant near Gisborne would never work. By the end of July, HFF aims to prove all the doubters wrong as it puts the final touches to a project that began some 18 months ago (not including the planning). It’s been a long journey but the end is in sight, says Ian Brown, General Manager of HFF.
There were times when the company itself doubted whether the Optilog operation at Matawhero would ever work the way it was envisaged. The challenge of taking a ten-year-old log making line from Otago and turning it into a state-of-the-art optimising facility that would double its previous output was looking increasingly difficult, as constant break-downs and a host of other issues took their toll. It was, however, the sort of challenge that appealed to Ian Brown. Fresh from running the Forestry Corporation of New
The Hikurangi Forest Farms’ new Optilog operation from the air.
June 2017 | NZ LOGGer 35
top spot Devon Stewart, of Bluewood Thinng, was first in Forwarding in the Period One results.
Competition is hotting up Dusty Wallis, of Dennis E Hayes Logging, took first place in Mechanised Felling in the Period One results.
TEMPERATURES ARE COOLING BUT THE competition is hot! And you only have to look at the results table for the first period of 2018 to see individuals popping up who have quietly taken on board the positive approach Top Spot assessments use to encourage improvement. The fact there is a mix of participants from new crews versus some of the more established crews right across the country has got to be good for the individuals, crews, forest managers and industry as a whole.
50 NZ LOGGER | June 2017
top spot
Above: Bluewood Logging’s Michael Weatherburn was placed second in Ground Base Extraction in the Period One results. Right: Nigel Hutchinson, of Bluewood Thinning, took out second place in Mechanised Felling in the Period One results. Below left: Marty Blythe, of Mike Hurring Thinning, was second in Forwarding in the Period One results. Below centre: Kelvin Stratford, of Mike Hurring Thinning, was third in Forwarding in the Period One results. Below right: Shannon Todd, of Bluewood Logging, placed fourth in Manual Felling in the Period One results.
June 2017 | NZ LOGGer 51