NZ Logger July 2021

July 2021

g n i d n a t S l l ta

ISSN 1176-0397

ap g r e load e h t ng i g g u Pl

one man’s forestry journey

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contents J U LY 2 0 2 1

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FOREST TALK Are ETS planting targets realistic?; Nash donations raise uncomfortable questions; Timber first for public projects says Government; It’s all about biodiversity; Demonstrating select felling in continuous cover forest harvesting; Reprieve for some...; Australian forestry contractors struggle as last fire salvage wood goes; Oil and logs up and rising; New Zealand innovation at its best; Forestry champions toasted; New broom sweeps clean; Felling and crosscutting made easy; Carbon Forestry 2021: A changing landscape.

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SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST Taupo-based Thomassen Logging is among the first in New Zealand to get the Tigercat 865 loader, the Canadian forestry equipment manufacturer’s first loader in this end of the market.

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TALL TIMBER Recently retired from both the Forest Owners Association and Forest Growers Research, Russell Dale’s career in forestry spans close to five decades and a world of knowledge.

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FORESTRY TRAINING Wintec’s newest teaching space at the Kōkiri Centre in Whaingaroa, Raglan, offers hands-on experience to young recruits.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 44 fica 46 top spot 51 new iron 54 classifieds

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor

On the cusp of change

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ding Stan ll ta e ing th Plugg

ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: JOHN ELLEGARD

July 2021

r gap loade

one man’s forestry journey

Bring on the chainsaws !

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2 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

FORESTRY IS CHANGING. IT’S NO LONGER ABOUT EXOTIC PLANTATIONS versus natural conservation or dollars versus biodiversity, but rather a community-based, economically satisfying, rewarding, and challenging mix-up of elements. Recent events have highlighted the integral role forestry plays, and will continue to play, in New Zealand’s bio-based economy as we move forward.

Buzzwords like ‘low carbon future’, ‘net emissions’, ‘carbon sinks’ and ‘climate mitigation’ have been bounced around for some time but they are, at last, starting to take shape with the final recommendations from the Climate Change Commission recently tabled in Parliament, and an expected Emissions Reduction Plan later this year.

A veritable think tank came together to discuss these issues at the recent Carbon Forestry 2021 conference. The way forward is bumpy at the very least but there was a buzz of possibility in the air, a sense of potential, an awareness of huge mountains still to climb and a healthy note of trepidation as, going forward, we navigate what is essentially an economy all of its own.

Though there are certainly hard questions to tackle as you’ll see in our Forest Talk pages, it all comes back to that subject we know so well… our forests and the trees that sustain us. Take care of those and, granted within a new paradigm, the rest is bound to follow.

Our Tall Timber feature this month highlights a personality who knows all about taking care of those trees. Russell Dale’s career reads like a walk through the New Zealand forestry industry. He has been involved in everything from shaping and negotiating massive deals, to community integration, playing a central role in New Zealand’s forestry industry bodies and charity outreach.

As he looks back, his experience is our gain, as knowledge of the past helps us plan for the future.

And, of course, there is no future without education. Also in this issue, we take a look at an institution offering hands-on training that gives students a true taste of the forest. And some are starting even younger, with opportunities in forestry training offered at High School level.

Forestry may be changing but a solid grounding, a strong work ethic and safety first will always be at its root.

Until next time, stay safe.

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forest talk

Are ETS planting targets realistic?

IS THE CLIMATE CHANGE COMMISSION RISKING FOREST planting rates by incentivising more production forestry than needed with the current Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)? Many in the forestry sector think so.

The final recommendations from the Climate Change Commission were tabled in Parliament recently with Government producing an Emissions’ Reduction Plan later this year.

Farm Forestry Association President, Graham West, says he acknowledges the Commission still expects an additional 380,000 hectares of plantation forests to be planted in the next 15 years as a major means of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from the rest of the economy.

But he says owners of farmland who are considering planting exotic woodlots may have second thoughts.

“Decision-making about the value of carbon when planting trees is complex enough as it is. Cashflow is a critical factor. Now farmers and forest investors will be looking at even more uncertainty, if carbon credits are under review,” he says.

“The government needs to note that the Commission itself says there is the risk of a perverse outcome of discouraging forest investment through changing the ETS.” Forest Owners Association President, Phil Taylor, says the 380,000-hectare projection of exotic forests, to meet the Commission’s gas budget, was always going to be problematic to achieve, but even more so now.

“The net stocked area of New Zealand’s plantation forestry has fallen by 40,000 hectares in the past two years. That reduction isn’t a good basis to put the brakes on plantation planting within the next ten years.

“After more than a decade, the ETS has only just begun to work the way it’s meant to. That is to incentivise emissions reduction. It’s

Farm Forestry Association President, Graham West.

Forest Owners Association President, Phil Taylor.

a strange time to pull it back.”

Mr Taylor says if the Commission doesn’t get the net emissions reduction it expects from forests over the next 30 years, then the government will have to force tougher and bigger cuts out of transport and agriculture.

He adds though, that he’s waiting to see how Government develops policies to implement the recommendations from the Commission.

“We are pleased the government already seems to have abandoned its ideas of trying to restrict planting forests on the better classes of land where a quarter of the current national estate is already growing.

“And it’s important to realise that the forest contribution to fighting climate change is not confined to the trees themselves, but the downstream use of timber and wood products. The Commission’s reference to forests’ role in ‘a thriving, low emissions bioeconomy’ is hugely important for environmental and economic reasons,” Mr Taylor says.

“Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash, has also made it clear that the government’s Wood First construction policy really means using timber construction wherever possible.” The recent announcement of a timber first strategy for government buildings will no doubt provide some incentive.

Mr West adds that there are also strongly positive features in the Commission’s report.

“The government has been asked to encourage ‘additional carbon storage in smaller blocks of trees on farms’. We hope to see that implemented with some sort of grants scheme.

“We have long advocated for policies which assist ‘mosaic’ landscapes of smaller forest blocks interspersed with other land use. This has been acknowledged.” NZL

Nash donations raise uncomfortable questions SOME $50,000 IN MONEY DONATIONS FOR last year’s election to Forestry Minister Stuart Nash include at least half from players in the forestry and regional development field.

Some are calling on Mr Nash to return the money even if he did take the donations in good faith.

A spokesperson for Mr Nash says: “After the election the Cabinet Minister met with the Cabinet Office to discuss a range of interests and the management of any possible areas

4 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

of conflict. The Minister continues to ensure that no conflict exists or appears to exist between his personal interests and his portfolio responsibilities, in accordance with the guidance in the Cabinet Manual.”

His acceptance and disclosure of the donations comply with laws around campaign finance, but critics say it is nonetheless ethically worrying.

Over 16 days in September 2020, he received: $5000 from Andrew Kelly,

formerly Managing Director of Lumber Link and a range of other forestry and timber companies; $9503.80 from Tenon, a Taupobased timber company; and $5000 from Red Stag, Rotorua-based timber processing company.

Mr Nash’s spokesperson adds: “Minister Nash has an extensive network of contacts in the forestry sector since first graduating from the University of Canterbury with a forestry qualification in 1993.” NZL

forest talk

Timber first for public projects says Government GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE getting new support to reduce carbon emissions generated by construction of new buildings, with the release of practical guidance to shape decisions on public projects – essentially Timber First for Government.

The Ministers for Building and Construction and for Economic Development and Forestry say the Procurement Guide will help government agencies, private sector suppliers, designers, and construction and industry representatives to make the right decisions.

The advice in the Guide is aligned with the aims of the Building for Climate Change programme, to lower emissions in the construction sector and prepare buildings for the future effects of climate change “I have long been a champion of greater use of low-carbon materials like timber in building and construction projects, and want that embedded in decision-making and design thinking across the wider public sector,” says Forestry Minister Stuart Nash.

Agencies that are required to apply Government Procurement Rules must now apply the Procurement Guide to decisions

Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash.

about new buildings with an estimated value of $9 million or more.

Government agencies must now clearly record decisions about the way they choose design options. If they choose a design that is not the lowest possible carbon option to meet their project brief they must identify the reason for this, and have the decision signed off by their Chief Executive.

The Guide is in line with the recommendations of the Climate Change Commission’s final report. It is a first step and will be modified and updated over time. NZL

It’s all about biodiversity A NEW INTERNATIONAL REPORT SAYS TREATING CLIMATE, biodiversity and human society as coupled systems will be key to successfully mitigate the effects of climate change.

The international report on Biodiversity and Climate change co-sponsored by IPBES (the 137 nation biodiversity policy platform of the United Nations) and IPCC (the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) says connecting the climate and biodiversity spheres is especially crucial at this moment when the world seems to be gearing up for stronger actions on both.

“The scientific community has been working for some time on the synergies and trade-offs between climate and biodiversity.

Achieving the scale and scope of transformative change needed to meet the goals of the UNFCCC and CBD and the Sustainable Development Goals will need to rely on rapid and far-reaching actions of a type never before attempted,” the report warns.

A key finding of the report is that limiting global warming to ensure a habitable climate and protecting biodiversity are

mutually supporting goals.

It has been shown that several land- and ocean-based actions to protect, manage and restore ecosystems simultaneously support climate mitigation, climate adaptation and biodiversity objectives, with multiple contributions to people’s quality of life. These are often referred to as nature-based solutions (NbS).

These include avoiding and reversing the loss and degradation of carbon- and species-rich ecosystems on land (e.g. indigenous forests) and in the ocean.

Sustainable agricultural and forestry practices can improve adaptive capacity, enhance biodiversity, increase carbon storage in farmland and forest soils and vegetation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says the report.

Increasing sustainable agricultural and forestry practices was one of the key actions identified to achieve these aims. This includes measures such as diversification of planted crop and forest species, agroforestry and agroecology. NZL

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 5

forest talk

Demonstrating select felling in continuous cover forest harvesting

All the logs in this image were harvested as single trees from the standing forest within 150m of the truck.

Story: Jim Childerstone

WHAT’S THE POTENTIAL OF PERMANENT carbon forests allowing select stem harvest as an added income under a continuous management system?

This is being ably demonstrated by John Wardle on the family’s 121 hectare Mount Oxford foothill property, ‘Brookside’.

The property includes a mix of native black beech and exotic conifers of which 27ha had been planted in p radiata back in the 1970s.

This has been select-felled over a period totalling 10 sessions of single stem extraction.

And in March this year roughly 40 tonnes of logs per hectare were harvested from a 5.7ha plot totalling 228 tonnes.

This was described by John as one tree out of 10 being felled and processed.

So what are the returns for the Wardle family who have been involved in tree growing and management for more than 50 years?

John reports this system has yielded a $1400 per hectare, per year net income in recent harvests.

To achieve this, a number of crucial factors needed to be taken into consideration.

For a start, only trees measuring 60cm DBH are selected for felling after reaching 30 meters in height.

John Wardle, although 85 years old, undertakes this job.

The woodlot has been pruned to 6 metres, allowing natural regenerating stock to be tended during the growth periods.

But it’s the way the trees are felled and removed that proves to be the most critical exercise, John explains.

A specialist two-man, three-machine logging crew, Curle Logging with Brad Watson and Richard Pierson, takes on the job, essentially a ground-based operation.

This includes a 20-tonne excavator with grapple head, a skidder winch and stationary de-limber on the skid site.

The area is well tracked so that trees are carefully felled manually with minimum damage to growing stock within easy reach

6 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

increased prices for logs in the domestic market of hauler lines.

Whole trees are pulled through the delimber the Wardle family could bank on even better returns. at the landing/loading area.

This must also beg the question, can On an average day John says the crew can handle up to 70 tonnes onto stacks, yielding up permanent carbon forests being established in various parts of the country not incorporate to five cuts per stem.

John says only a small percentage of S30, less similar systems?

The New Zealand Forest Owner’s Association’s than 10%, were sold as export, the rest, mostly P (NZFOA) Phil Taylor, says the NZFOA has only and A grades, were sold to local mills.

Apart from a bee-keeping enterprise, the considered a very high level view/policy on Wardle’s regularly harvest black beech on parts permanent carbon forestry. “Our position is of the remaining property under a similar select that this method is an acceptable approach for sequestering carbon in forests, provided it stem system.

This was reported by the writer nearly 15 does not occur on land that might be otherwise years ago during a field day, including Green used for productive uses – be it forests with harvesting (of any type as long as the harvest Party members who were suitably impressed.

This is carried out through the Sustainable is material) or any other primary productive use Harvest permit under the 1993 Amendment eg, sheep and beef farming.

“To the extent that you can manage to the Forestry Act allowing single and small groups of trees to be felled (select stem and permanent carbon forests with production, all be it not clearfelling, this would be consistent coup systems).

John explains this yields a further $700/ha with the FOA position.”

The ETS also provides for production from annually with a big emphasis on conservation values, actively promoting improved habitat for “Permanent Forests” provided at least 30% of crown cover is maintained at all times, he adds. indigenous birds, reptiles and invertebrates.

This thus appears to be consistent with the These efforts earned the Wardle property an Open Space Covenant by the QE2 Trust in 2008. FOA position and the ETS regulations, he says, Retired forestry researcher Nick Ledgard, ex adding that it begs the question whether it is Canterbury University Forestry School and Scion practical to achieve on a significant enough scale Research congratulated the Wardle’s on their to make it qualify as “mainstream forestry”.

For more on biodiversity and ETS targets efforts after a recent visit.

Contacted by NZ Logger, he says this system turn to the coverage of the Carbon Forestry indicates possible limits on clearfell harvesting conference on page 14. NZL of plantation forests, eliminating “risks associated with enviromental To date there have been 10 harvests from this continuous cover forest. The current harvest will damage, soil-diversity losses and remove just three trees (all 60cm+ DBH) from very obvious visual impacts – all amongst those in the image. of which attract negative attention from the public”.

“The obvious alternative is continuous cover forestry, but the industry tells us that this is not economic for them. The Wardle’s are demonstrating that this does not have to be the case.”

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forest talk

Reprieve for some...

Whakatāne’s packaging mill has been thrown a lifeline.

WHAKATĀNE’S PACKAGING MILL HAS BEEN THROWN A LIFELINE by a consortium of local and European private equity investors.

As one of the Bay of Plenty town’s biggest employers, the deal (no valuation has been disclosed) will save jobs. The statement announcing the deal said the mill would stop producing packaging for liquid products – essentially paper-based drink packaging – and concentrate on “high quality folding box board, carrier board and food service board, all of which are currently manufactured at the mill”.

The new owners intended to invest heavily in the plant to make it “a more competitive operation to support customers in New Zealand and around the world,” says Ian Halliday, who will become Chairman of Whakatāne Mill.

The consortium is led by London-based Dermot Smurfit, along with Swiss-based investor Raymond Alan Dargan and involves Aucklandbased Ross George, a founder of Auckland-based private equity firm, Direct Capital. Dermot and Ross are listed as 33% shareholders of Power Paperboard, a company recently registered in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, workers at Norske Skog’s Tasman Mill now know for sure they’ll be losing their jobs. The mill stopped production at the end of June, with most taking redundancy this month as a clean-up is completed at the site.

The closure affects about 160 workers, including more than 30 E tū members who work in maintenance.

“There’s a strong sense of mourning that the mill is shutting down – it’s been a big part of the town’s history for several generations and is the reason Kawerau township was built in the first place,” says E tū industry spokesperson Bruce Habgood.

“While the mill now isn’t the huge employer it used to be, there are many other businesses that were created to support it – and they may really suffer ‘death by a thousand cuts’ once the mill is gone.”

Eric Luck, Norske Skog’s Regional President, says the ongoing secular

8 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

decline of the newsprint industry was the key reason for the decision.

“It’s the end of an era, but the structural change in the newsprint industry provided no viable alternative for paper production at Tasman.

“The domestic market for newsprint has shrunk considerably and so too have export markets. COVID-19 has hastened the decline.

“Unfortunately this closure is a reflection of the challenges that our industry has faced.”

The Tasman Mill commenced newsprint production in 1955 and produced more than 15 million tonnes of paper during its 66-year history.

He says Norske Skog will work to conclude the sale process of the mill’s assets as quickly as possible.

Mr Habgood adds that the closure highlights the importance of workers being unionised, so that they have access to collective agreements that contain redundancy provisions and protections.

“Some of the workers at the mill are of an age and skillset that means they aren’t so employable anymore and might never work again. We also really need businesses to have their own transition plans going forward so that workers have choices and alternatives.”

E tū organiser, Raymond Wheeler, says E tū will also be discussing reskilling and training opportunities for all mill workers.

Having a ‘Just Transition’ plan in place is crucial to ensuring workers have a future when businesses close, and this includes provisions such as social insurance as the Government proposed in Budget 2021, he says.

“A Just Transition is vital, both now and for future generations to come, and is a concept which the Climate Change Commission has recognised is key in transitioning to a low-carbon future.

“We also need to continue to progress the Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) for the forestry and wood processing sector and see what can be done to bring more of the manufacturing supply chain back to Aotearoa New Zealand.” NZL

forest talk

Australian forestry contractors struggle as last fire salvage wood goes AUSTRALIAN FORESTRY CONTRACTORS MAY HAVE DELIVERED their last load of fire-salvaged wood to the Hyne Mill at Tumbarumba, but for forest contracting businesses and their workers, there is no cause for celebration.

“These businesses need urgent support and assistance to service their business debts, with equipment that no longer has a use or can be sold in support of their workers,” says Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) General Manager, Stacey Gardiner.

“The forestry industry and governments have known this resource cliff has been coming since the bushfires. While there has been support and grants made available to the industry to support bushfire recovery, very little to none of this has reached forest contracting businesses,” she adds.

Forest contracting businesses face a significant reduction in contract quotas in plantation resource in the South West Slopes region. The Forestry Corporation of New South Wales has cancelled contracts with forest contracting businesses. New contracts were recently awarded based on reduced volumes which have left many businesses with reduced or no future work, and significant exposure

with large debts unable to be paid.

“The resource reduction is expected to result in over 50 direct forest contracting workers being laid off by year-end. This includes those that worked tirelessly to harvest and haul the salvaged wood to the mills. The indirect impact on the region, businesses and jobs will be significant,” Ms Gardiner adds.

The New South Wales South West Slopes forestry region around Tumut and Tumbarumba was hit particularly hard by the bushfires with around 45,000 hectares of softwood plantations (about 40% of the area planted) burnt.

Unfortunately, over half the burnt trees in the fire-affected region were too young to save, with the salvage focus on getting all the trees older than 19 years and as much as possible of those over 12 years.

All up, around 2.7 million tonnes of timber has been salvaged in the Tumut/Tumbarumba region.

Work is also well underway to regenerate the forests damaged during the blazes with 4,500 hectares replanted last year and another 7,000 hectares on track for this year. NZL

Oil and logs up and rising PRICES FOR OIL AND LOGS ROSE SHARPLY in the March 2021 quarter, while import and export prices continued to fall overall, says Stats New Zealand.

Export prices for forestry products rose 7.0% in the March 2021 quarter. Within that category, prices for wood exports rose 9.1% over the quarter to reach the highest prices on record, slightly exceeding the previous peak in the June 2020 quarter.

“Strong international demand for logs, especially from China, continues to drive up prices for New Zealand wood,” says Business Prices Delivery Manager, Bryan Downes.

Overall, overseas trade index (OTI) import and export prices both fell 0.8% in the quarter to March 2021. Prices remained well below those recorded a year ago, with annual falls of 6.3% for imports and 7.2% for exports.

Terms of trade rose 0.1% in the March 2021 quarter but remained down 0.9% annually.

The terms of trade measures the purchasing

power of New Zealand’s exports abroad and is an indicator of the overall state of the economy. A rise in the terms of trade means New Zealand can buy more imports for the same amount of exports.

Falling import prices were led by electrical machinery and apparatus, down 6.1% on the quarter, while falling export prices reflected price decreases for dairy products (down 2.4%) and meat (down 1.5%).

“Although commentators are predicting rising inflation as the global economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re not yet seeing that reflected in our headline OTI figures,” says Mr Downes.

“Instead, we’ve seen modest declines across most goods categories, offset by strong growth in prices for particular commodities, including oil and logs.”

Import prices for petroleum and petroleum products rose 13.8% in the March 2021 quarter, as COVID-19 restrictions have eased around the world. However, prices remain

well below pre-COVID-19 levels, down 30.3% in the year to the March 2021 quarter.

“The recovery in oil prices, globally, reflects increasing demand as economies emerge from lockdowns and travel restrictions, as well as tightening supply due to reduced oil production,” Mr Downes says.

Services import prices rose 12.0% while export prices fell 0.4% in the March 2021 quarter, leading to an 11.1% fall in the services terms of trade.

The increase in import prices was carried by a 52.2% increase for transportation services – setting new records for the largest quarterly increase and highest levels since the series began.

“The dramatic rise in import prices for transportation services reflects increased costs for sea transport,” Mr Downes says.

“Container shortages, port congestion, and increasing demand for consumer goods has led to increased shipping costs around the world.” NZL

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 9

forest talk

Wood Engineering Technology’s current production site and greenfield for expansion.

New Zealand innovation at its best WOOD ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY HAS OPENED ITS OPTIMISED Engineered Lumber (OEL) production line in Gisborne. The plant is the only one of its type in the world and the company’s breakthrough product, OEL, is one of only seven engineered lumber products ever commercialised.

Speaking at the opening, Wood Engineering Technology Chair, Angus Fletcher, said, “This is the biggest development in wood processing in over 30 years. But more importantly OEL is helping New Zealand address its biggest challenges – climate change, productivity, regional development, and the need for higher density housing.

“For years New Zealand has been talking about moving up the value chain to improve our productivity in the primary industries.

Our disruptive technology turns unprocessed logs, that would have otherwise been sent overseas, into an innovative high value product.

And it does it in a fully automated, artificially intelligent, robotic factory in less than 12 hours while creating skilled, higher paid jobs in our regions. New Zealand innovation at its best.”

Opened by Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash, he also highlighted the construction of Wood Engineering Technology’s second OEL production line. When complete the Gisborne location will have six production lines, producing up to 140,000 cubic meters of OEL, and employing over 130 people.

“OEL is 40% stronger than structural lumber. This, and its guaranteed consistency, creates opportunities for wood-only, higher density, multi-storey residential buildings. OEL is an affordable zero carbon substitute for concrete and steel in building and construction. We are getting a lot of interest from those involved in providing social housing.

“The environmental credentials also stand out. Our research shows that one cubic metre of OEL has absorbed over 900kg of CO2 from the atmosphere, while the same volume of concrete releases over 400kg of CO2 into the atmosphere. OEL is produced

10 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

in a Net Zero Energy plant and can play a leading role in helping to decarbonise our built environment.

“It also addresses the New Zealand productivity issue. OEL adds 300% to the value of an unprocessed log and has a productivity of greater than $500 per worked hour. The New Zealand average is only $68 per hour worked. Our little plant in Gisborne is certainly punching above its weight.

“After 16 years in development, we would not be here today without the support of our partners and funders. Specifically, I must thank the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund, Technology NZ, Callaghan Innovation, Scion and Trust Tairawhiti.” NZL

Forestry Minister Stuart Nash (right), with Taha Rakau Stuart, Rongowhakaata Poutikanga, turning the sod on Wood Engineering Technology’s second OEL production line in Gisborne.

forest talk

Forestry champions toasted THE FORESTRY INDUSTRY OF TE TAIRĀWHITI RECOGNISED THE skill and expertise of the best across the industry at the recent 2021 Eastland Forestry Awards.

More than 60 entries were received across the 14 sections and in the end, it was Ben MacArthur from Speirs Logging who was crowned the Supreme Skilled Professional of the Year after earlier winning the award for Faller Mechanised or Manual Excellence.

Ben has been at the forefront of using certain machines and a key contributor to innovation and mechanisation on the East Coast. He started in the industry as a teenager and has worked his way up to be a respected foreman and high-skilled mentor and leader. Speirs Logging, known for its high production rates and focus on reducing environmental impact, also took the Crew of the Year crown.

Dan Gray from Forest Management Solutions was honoured for his outstanding health and safety commitment, and particularly for his drive to keep forestry drug-free.

Judges were most impressed to see an array of environmental initiatives underway throughout Te Tairāwhiti, but the award went to Forest Enterprises for its commitment to always putting the environment first.

Other awards included Jess Bourke from Logic Forest Solutions, who won the Emerging Leader prize, Aratu Forests’ Wayne Trafford for Outstanding Innovation Excellence, Kilioni Tuakalau from Vailea Silviculture for Forestry and Establishment Excellence, Grant Walker from Raywood Contracting as the Roading Civil Excellence winner, Mike Blazey from Stirling Logging for Harvesting Excellence, Kevin McKay from McKay Cartage for Cartage Excellence, Maria Jeffery from Stubbs Contracting for Woman in Forestry Excellence, Samantha Harrison from ISO Limited for Logistics Excellence and Hoana Materoa Rewi-Kurangi who won the Industry Support Services Award.

Judges, Ian Brown, Woodhill Consulting Managing Director, Alan Paulson, Managing Director of Tairāwhiti Timber Training, and Jeff Cornwell from Health and Safety New Zealand, faced a tough task to find just a single winner in many of the sections, saying they debated long and hard over most sections. “It is good to see we have a lot of skilled men and women out representing so many different parts of our industry,” says Alan. “The level of skills, training and caring is impressive.”

Long-time forestry and trucking stalwart, Dave Pardoe, was honoured for his passion and commitment to the industry after decades of work and, more recently, driving the Tairāwhiti Road Transport Training Trust where he is endeavouring to fill a critical need in the region.

Eastland Wood Council CEO, Philip Hope, remarked, “I would like to thank the sponsors and acknowledge all of the nominees, their families and colleagues for enhancing the reputation of the forestry industry in Tairāwhiti. We too are grateful for the leadership of the forestry companies and service providers who have supported the Council in

Skilled Professional of the Year, Ben McArthur (right), with the Chairman of the Eastland Wood Council, Daniel Williams.

Photo: Stephen Jones Photography. recognising and celebrating excellence in our industry”.

MC for the evening for the awards, which were held at the Farmers Air Events Centre, was comedian and television show host, Jeremy Corbett.

Awards • Skilled Professional of the Year (sponsored by Eastland Wood Council): Ben MacArthur (Speirs Logging).

• Emerging Leader (sponsored by Ernslaw): Jess Bourke (Logic Forest Solutions).

• Logistics Excellence (sponsored by Pacific Haulage): Samantha Harrison (ISO).

• Woman in Forestry (sponsored by Blackstump Logging): Maria Jeffery (Stubbs Contractors). Runner-up: Henrietta Raroa (Rewi Haulage Logistics).

• Outstanding Health and Safety (sponsored by ISO): Daniel Gray (Forest Management Solutions).

• Industry Support (sponsored by FICA): Hoana Materoa Rewi-Kururangi (Rewi Haulage Logistics).

• Forestry and Establishment Excellence (sponsored by Competenz): Kilioni Tuakalau (Vailea Silviculture).

• Faller Mechanised or Manual Excellence (sponsored by Forest Enterprises): Ben MacArthur (Speirs Logging). Runner-up: Peter Oliver (Stubbs Contractors).

• Harvesting Excellence (sponsored by Summit): Mike Blazey (Stirling Logging). Runner-up: Izaac Davey (Lift Harvesting).

• Cartage Excellence (sponsored by MITO): Kevin McKay (McKay Cartage). Runner-up: Steven Kent (Pacific Haulage).

• Crew of the Year (sponsored by UDC): Speirs Logging. Runner-up: Wild Hog Logging.

• Environmental Initiative Management (sponsored by Transdiesel): Forest Enterprises.

• Roading Civil (sponsored by Eastland Port): Grant Walker (Raywood Contracting).

• Outstanding Innovation Excellence (sponsored by JNL): Wayne Trafford (Aratu Forests).

Sponsors: GOLD – UDC, ISO, Transdiesel, Ernslaw One, JNL, BDO, Forest Industry Contractors Association, Eastland Wood Council SILVER – Aratu Forests, Competenz, Eastland Port, Summit, MITO, Forest Enterprises, Pacific Haulage, Te Uru Rakau – NZ Forest Service, WIDE Trust BRONZE – Ngati Porou Forests, Universal Engineering, Bain & Sheppard, Shaw’s, Integrated Safety Solutions, Trimble, NZME, NZ Safety Blackwoods, Finance NZ, PF Olsen, The Gisborne Herald, Deals on Wheels NZL

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 11

forest talk

New broom sweeps clean IN OCTOBER 2020 THE FORESTRY AND Wood Processing Workforce Council decided it required the services of a professional project manager to assist in gaining better traction with its initiatives. In January 2021 Nick Fahey was contracted for a period of six months to provide professional project management services for the Council. Nick has 20 years project management experience across the public, private and community sectors. The position is funded by a grant from the Forestry Growers Levy Trust.

Nick’s first task as Project Manager for the Council was to undertake a review of the initiatives the Council had scoped out since early 2020 and to make a set of recommendations about which best fitted the Council’s mandate under its Action Plan, and how these might be more effectively progressed. The Council has approved all of Nick’s recommendations and as a result has refocussed its efforts on four projects. These are: • Job Enrichment Through Mentors – General Skills Project: Designed to provide forestry trainees with a mentor-supported Unit Standard-based training programme that will extend their industry knowledge beyond simple task-based training to impart a more holistic understanding. A limited silviculture pilot to trial an App to support the programme is currently being developed.

• The Leadership Programme – Lifting Capability Project: This programme has already been rolled out by the Forestry Industry Safety Council (FISC), through independent facilitators, to

nearly 500 forestry workers and contractors and the programme development continues. This particular project aims to correct the perception that leadership skills are ‘soft’ skills rather than essential skills, and gain NZQA accreditation and, therefore, eligibility for TEC funding. In addition, it aims to capture knowledge of successful leadership training and capability building programmes, at all levels, within the forestry sector.

• Forestry Employment Standards Project: Aims to achieve industry-wide agreement to adopt standards that support fair pay and working conditions, and encourage improvements in workplace employment practices that attract, appropriately remunerate, develop and retain a skilled, safe, and productive workforce. The project is currently in the process of gaining industry feedback on fair pay and working conditions, before shifting its focus to bringing parties together to develop a set of standards.

• Assess Current Qualifications Project: A stocktake of current available vocational and tertiary education qualifications in forestry and wood processing has been created, and once its coverage is confirmed, the next steps will include gaining industry feedback for a gap analysis and providing a channel for the industry’s views on what is and is not working in workforce training. Consultation is underway with the newly established Food & Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (FFCoVE) to avoid duplication of effort and to ensure the project’s findings contribute to wider efforts in the vocational education sector.

Project Manager, Nick Fahey.

In addition to clarifying aspects like scope and approach, and putting a rigorous project framework in place, a major part of refocusing these projects is gaining funding for those parts of the programme that currently lack this.

The intention is that, over the next months, significant funding will be secured, and the Council will be able to more fully deliver on the transformational role for which it was established. Watch this space for updates.

The Forestry and Wood Processing Workforce Council was established in early 2020 to oversee the high-level Action Plan to develop workforce capability for the industry. It does this by working on projects to meet objectives in the Action Plan.

Find out about the Forestry and Wood Processing Workforce Action Plan 2020-2024 at: http://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/40366Forestry-Wood-Processing-Workforce-ActionPlan-20202024. NZL

Felling and crosscutting made easy THE NEW H423 FROM WARATAH FORESTRY EQUIPMENT IS designed to carry out a wide range of harvesting jobs from early to late thinnings, and even light regeneration harvesting. With multi-tree-handling qualities, a compact frame design and a strong power-to-weight ratio, it is designed for fast and precise felling and crosscutting.

“The Waratah H423 provides fantastic performance in thinnings,” says Brent Fisher, Product Marketing Manager for Waratah. “Its short frame, fast feeding and optimal capacity position this model to make quick work of any thinning job that comes its way.”

Ideal for thinnings and other fellings where the tree diameter at breast height is 150-350mm (6-13 in.), the 955 kg (2,105 lb.) H423 features strong, fast feeding in a nimble design.

Additionally, the H423 boasts a 420mm (16.5 in) tip-to-tip delimbing diameter, providing ample range, and when combined with its 580mm (22.8 in) cutting capacity and optional multi-treehandling equipment, it offers productivity in varied diameter stands.

The H423 also hosts a variety of features that make it both reliable and easier to service – extending productive time.

This new model features next generation hose routing from the boom to harvester head and well protected hoses to the feed motors, making interference from understory or limbs a thing of the past. Likewise, serviceability to the main valve is easier and possible

thanks to a new hinged valve cover and improved access to greasing points.

The Waratah H423 is currently available to customers in New Zealand, Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America. NZL

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Carbon Forestry 2021

A changing landscape CARBON FORESTRY 2021 LEFT delegates with plenty to think on. One of the primary messages that emerged was a sense of how much there is still to learn and all the potential, challenges and scope that brings with it. Highlighted too was the danger in assuming too much or forecasting too precisely. We are, literally and metaphorically inhabiting a changing landscape.

This was made clear by keynote speaker, Chairperson of the Climate Change Commission, Dr Rod Carr, who kept delegates enthralled over zoom with his wealth of knowledge on the subject.

The Commission “is not all things climate change” he emphasised, rather taking an advisory role on policy to achieve statutory targets and the role New Zealand needs to play in this challenge “that belongs to the world”.

In helping New Zealand achieve and sustain net zero emissions, there are a range of likely scenarios or pathways to take, with forestry just one piece of the pie, encompassing agriculture, energy and other essential components, he said.

“Without forestry, New Zealand can’t achieve its domestic targets. With forestry come risks and opportunities. We must continue to plant exotic forests for carbon sequestration and to support the bioeconomy, which requires a substantial rate of planting that in turn offers challenges as well as business opportunities,” he said.

This requires a new set of skills, a more diverse range of trees, typically native and longer growing, so that we don’t just create carbon stores but hold our emissions past the 2050 deadline with forests acting as carbon sinks too, he explained.

The challenge is significant, needing to add some 20,000 hectares a year by 2025 alone and will require industry cooperation as well as government support in research, science and education, he added. In this way we can enlist those with the knowledge and skills to contribute to creating a legacy for our children rather

14 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

than allowing the market to disenfranchise unborn generations.

That being said, we also need to protect our established carbon stocks and the impact of forests on communities needs to be understood and mitigated.

Increased planting will create additional demands on forestry output too, all in all creating enormous demands as well as opportunities for the sector.

In short, the forestry sector has a significant part to play in meeting international obligations. “Every tonne of emissions we don’t reduce through domestic action we will have to pay someone else in the world to do on our behalf. This could cost billions into the future,” Dr Carr concluded.

Other speakers were equally engaging.

Director of Institutional Commodities for Jarden, Nigel Brunel, said carbon delivery has been described as “the non-delivery of an invisible substance to no-one”. What this means in real terms is that we have come a long way from the intensity-based, carbon tax first established as an international agreement in the late nineties. Simple cap and trade wasn’t much better but the Paris Agreement of 2015 kickstarted the more collaborative approach we see today. The concept may have begun at a glacial pace, but so-called Carbon forestry is now doing more than taking root.

A solid message that emerged from the conference is that forestry is now our cheapest source of carbon removal and can help meet targets for transmission to a low carbon economy in a cost-effective way.

The forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is delivering positive climate change and economic rewards.

So just who is buying this invisible carbon? Managing Director of New Zealand Carbon Farming, Matt Walsh, knows that answer. With some 67 million trees in the company portfolio, about 90,000 hectares in all, primarily on marginal land, the company can boast 22 million tonnes of carbon stored (equivalent to taking all cars off New Zealand roads) in

Above: Director of Institutional Commodities for Jarden, Nigel Brunel.

Below: Managing Director of New Zealand Carbon Farming, Matt Walsh.

consultation with land partners including iwi groups and poor communities who benefitted with significant payouts.

That being said, there are three primary buyers – voluntary, compliance and investment buyers.

Voluntary buyers generally want units

with environmental and social attributes – to tell a story and maintain their brand.

Compliance buyers are those legally required to buy offsets and surrender them to Government, typically via emissions trading schemes eg, oil companies. They want the lowest cost unit but are becoming conscious of social responsibility.

Then there is the growing segment of investment buyers who expect strong future demand. The auction programme is proving to be a fascinating taste of what this group will bring, moving forward.

One thing is clear, said Mr Walsh, global demand is greater than supply, particularly for voluntary units, and opportunity abounds.

And it’s not just any unit buyers want – it’s about quality. Therein lies an opportunity for New Zealand to lead.

The attributes that count?

• Native trees – the market pays extra for carbon credits that come from native trees.

• The ETS Permanent Forest Category to be introduced in 2023 creates extra quality attributes for the carbon credits that come out of it and will command a

higher price premium.

• Biodiversity benefits – creating habitats for wildlife and encouraging biodiversity.

• Social benefits are increasingly important, giving back to our communities.

• Similarly, community benefits add value.

• Native regeneration (or reversion) is a science-based approach based on 50 years of Kiwi research.

So, sums up Mr Walsh…

Buyers are increasingly sophisticated about unit quality.

The trend is towards buyers seeking higher quality units.

Units with additional quality ‘attributes’ will enter the market.

Of course these attributes could combine and ultimately, the more climate capital New Zealand attracts, the less taxpayer money we’ll need to spend reaching the Paris target, he adds, keeping in mind ensuring that we stick to the regulations in this increasingly competitive, undersupplied global market.

That’s just a taste of what this fascinating conference had to bring. A case study in Hawke’s Bay demonstrated the true possibilities as exotics enabled natives

and climate change mitigation came to the fore – an example of how mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, conservation and community wellbeing can all come together to invest in our ecological infrastructure.

The economics are challenging and forest conservation itself comes at a cost, said EKOS CEO Dr Sean Weaver. Exotic hardwoods, mixed hardwoods and natives, pinus radiata, indigenous forest – take your pick. Ultimately cost-benefits need to weigh up to manage the risk for both the investor and the landowner.

As commentator, Rod Oram, summed up, “There is a sense of great opportunity and a great sense of ambition around progressing with the issues we are wrestling with. Natural capital is driving our transformation. Often the biggest opportunity lies where your biggest challenge is. Biodiversity and climate change are intimately linked so issues that drive climate change also impact diversity loss – we can tackle both simultaneously.

The biodiversity crisis is also a business crisis. None of this is simple. Everything is challenging. Everything is full of possibility.” NZL

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Iron Test

Plugging th e loader gap Story & photos: John Ellegard

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EST EST EST 1909 1909 1909

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Taupo-based Thomassen Logging is among the first in New Zealand to get the Tigercat 865 loader, the Canadian forestry equipment manufacturer’s first loader in this end of the market.

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EST EST 1909 1909

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Stability isn’t an issue for the new Tigercat 865, which easily lifts this 5-axle trailer.

I

T WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE TIGERCAT decided to fill one of the glaring gaps in its line-up; a compact, purpose-built log loader.

That time has now come with the introduction to New Zealand of the all-new Tigercat 865, which sits under the brand’s mid-size 875.

The 865 gives Tigercat an entry into the highly competitive 30-tonne loader market, where just about every manufacturer has a stake.

Loaders in this segment are the meat-and-potatoes of a harvesting crew’s machinery fleet. They undertake the day-today fleeting and loading duties, constantly on the go, so they’re a vital cog in the system.

They can range from cost-conscious converted excavators to all-out dedicated forest machines built from the ground-up. The Tigercat 865 is positioned at the top of the latter category and it’s priced accordingly.

And that suits Ron Thomassen, the owner of the 865 we’ve come to test, just fine. He’s happy to pay a premium because experience has shown that he’ll likely get many years of faithful, productive service from the Tigercat. He’s owned plenty of the Canadian forestry company’s machines over the years (his fleet currently has more than 20 working across his nine central North Island crews), so he should know.

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Ron’s machine is the second Tigercat 865 to arrive in New Zealand, following the launch in Canada. The first, which is sporting a Duxson GX171 grapple, is working for Whisker Logging in the lower North Island.

Strictly speaking, the new Tigercat 865 is bigger than your average 30-tonne loader because it weighs in at 32.4 tonnes, minus the grapple. That puts it slightly above Caterpillar’s entry level forestry loader, the Cat 538, which tips the scales at 31.6 tonnes and also the John Deere 2156G, which weighs in at 30.7 tonnes.

Those two machines are obvious direct competitors for the new Tigercat 865 as they are purpose-built for the forest, sporting a tall rear-entry cab (optional on the John Deere) and have similar specifications, although they don’t quite match the power output of the newcomer.

It was the power output and the way in which the grunt is delivered to boom/arm, implement, slew and track motors, in addition to the size of the machine, that persuaded Ron to dip deeper into his pockets for the 865.

“We’ve been running Sumitomo 240s and 300s and they’ve been good for us – we’re getting another 300 built up right now – but with the Tigercat 865 we’ve got a bigger and faster machine SERIOUS POWER FOR BIGmore TIMEreach,” LOGGERS than what we normally use and it has says Ron. There were other things that ticked the boxes: “Yeah, the big

ALWAYS SWING A BIG STICK

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A NEW DAY.

KEEP PRODUCTIVITY MOVING FORWARD. A NEW DEERE.

Now rated 21 metric tonnes the 1910E increases your capacity to move more wood..... and that’s what it’s all about. Built forest-tough, with robust axles together with increased diesel power providing the strength to carry hefty loads over long distances and deliver solid tractive performance in every operating condition. Combine this with durable booms and Intelligent Boom Control (IBC) system, upgraded hydraulics and electrical components that won’t let you down. Plus, with forward-thinking advancements in rotating and levelling, and ergonomically advanced cab, operators are kept safe and comfortable for maximum productivity and reduced fatigue.

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JohnDeere.co.nz/Forestry TRACTAJCF63265_NZ_1910E_LM

The long boom and arm provide a reach of well over 10 metres to place this load, which is going to the Red Stag mill near Rotorua.

cab, it’s nice and high with lots of vision. It’s very user-friendly when you get up there. And you climb up through a safe rearentry door and that’s pretty important these days for operator safety and well-being.

“For the mechanics, it’s real easy for them to access through the fold-down sides and platforms to stand on. That little door through (the counterweight) to the rear is a good idea.”

Access door That rear access door created in the middle of the counterweight is a very unusual feature that we haven’t come across before.

Unlike the larger 875, this smaller Tigercat doesn’t have a full opening clamshell bonnet to provide access to all four sides of the engine compartment. It has a fixed 4.3-tonne counterweight built onto the rear of the machine, making it difficult to reach down to the back of the engine, where the turbocharger, starter motor, electric cooling fan and oil filter are situated. Hence, the reason the Tigercat design gurus decided to carve out a large opening in the middle of the counterweight, accessed via a lockable door, so those vital areas can be reached. A neat idea.

That same access door is also found on the Tigercat 850

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processor, a model we don’t see in our market. Tigercat used the 850 to create the 865, employing the same undercarriage, upper frame assembly and running gear, and then grafted on the tall riser cab from the 875, together with a longer boom and arm.

The result is a versatile machine that not only works well as an efficient log loader but has enough grunt and stability to run a processor up to 3.4 tonnes in weight as an option.

The primary function, however, is to load logs and the 865 has been designed to be compatible with multiple loader configurations, including several boom options that can accommodate various sizes and types of grapple, with or without a live heel.

The Thomassen Logging 865 doesn’t need a live heel because it is working with a road lining crew in Kaingaroa Forest and all it does is fleet, stack and load logs at the roadside, not shovel stems. So, it is equipped with the standard log loading boom and arm that delivers a 10,515mm reach.

The 041 crew is just a small, four-man operation that was opening up a new block just to the north of the KLC mill in the SERIOUS POWER FORourBIG TIME LOGGERS heart of Kaingaroa when we undertook Iron Test in mid-May. By that stage, the 865 had already been working for two months

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EST EST 1909 1909 |TOCALL WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 944 894894 WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 944 THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER NEW TOCALL NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 20 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

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Above: The only time the boom masks visibility on the right-hand side is when it is lifted vertically – otherwise the operator can easily see over it.

Above right: The new Tigercat 865 has good speed and precise control of the boom, arm and Ensign grapple.

Right: Even with logs piled this high, the operator has a great view of the top of the stack.

alongside the crew’s Tigercat skidder and harvester, leaving a young apprentice to undertake Quality Control on the ground.

Producing around 300 tonnes of wood each day, this crew is very productive for its size and the new Tigercat 865 had to hit the ground running when it arrived.

“We did have to get ABs (AB Equipment) back to adjust the pressures a few weeks after it went to work, but since then it’s been going really well,” says Ron. “There’s a young bloke on it, he takes real good care and it’s got no scratches at all. He’s pretty fussy and takes his boots off in the cab. Nice to see that in a young fella.”

As we arrive on site, Shaun Field, our guest Iron Tester for this month, and I make a mental note to remove our boots before we step into the cab to help keep it clean. But it’s the exterior that grabs our attention first.

Pushing the Boundaries For a supposed compact loader, the 865 certainly pushes the boundaries. It’s the tallest machine in its class, with that big cab topping out at 5,350mm above ground – that’s only 20mm less than the overall height of the Tigercat 875 – and without

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an exterior platform it’s very difficult to clean the outside of the windows. Just as well the cab folds down for transporting.

The 865 could have been even bigger had AB Equipment specified the optional F7-162 long track frame that adds a further 300mm to the length of the tracks, instead of sticking with the standard F6-152 undercarriage. It will be interesting to see if that decision has any effect on the stability of the 865, particularly when lifting a heavy trailer off the back of a truck.

We had expected the smaller car-body to be quite confined but as operator, Tainui Brown, opens the bonnet, side hatches and storage compartments we’re impressed by how much space has been squeezed into the smaller dimensions.

When the bonnet is lifted it reveals a pair of steps down into the engine compartment that makes it super-easy to access the front of the engine and cooling system. Drop the flap on the left side and you can stand on the platform to reach all the hydraulic components and filters. Then you’ve got the nifty door into the rear, through the counterweight. And inside that monster riser under the cab is a cavernous storage space for tools, oils, grease etc.

Good to see a sturdy corner post and plate protecting the

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boom, which also serves as a grab handle to haul yourself up onto the tracks so you can climb the five steps up to the rear of the cab. An easy and safe pathway to the top of the machine.

Inside the cab, it’s an environment we are very familiar with, having experienced it on the first 875 that Thomassen Logging allowed us to Iron Test back in 2016.

Got to love the space behind the seat that an instructor can use to watch over a novice operator.

And the view from up here is outstanding, providing almost 360 degrees across the whole skid site, with only the boom interrupting vision on the right, although far less than other machines in its class so that’s a bonus. You hardly

notice the two reinforcing bars built inside the floor-to-ceiling polycarbonate front screen. A rear-view camera provides a constant watch on everything behind the machine, even though the operator can easily see through the rear window. The pair of windows set into the floor beneath the foot pedals provide a view of the front of the tracks.

One of our favourite features is the slot designed into the left panel for the operator to drop dockets for truck drivers to pick up via a trapdoor on the outside of the body. Shaun Field describes the rest of the cabin environment and controls in his Iron Test column on page 28.

The 6-cylinder, 6.7-litre, Tigercat FPT N67 common rail diesel engine that powers the 865 is part of the same family that is used in a number of Tigercat machines, all running to Tier 2 environmental specifications for our market.

In this machine, the FPT N67 delivers a peak power output of 159kW (230hp) @2,100rpm, compared to the 210kW (282hp) @2,200 rpm in the Tigercat 875 but they both drive through the same hydrostatic transmission. With a 600-litre fuel tank, the 865 can go for up to four days between refills.

The tall cab on the new Tigercat 865 is borrowed from the bigger Tigercat 875, along with the standard LED lighting package.

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ALWAYS SWING A BIG STICK

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Tracks firmly planted The all-important hydraulic system utilises load-sensing main pumps, while two dedicated motors drive the slew. This set-up has worked very well for Tigercat in other machines, providing plenty of swing power without affecting the lift or implement action. On paper, the slew speed is quoted at 8rpm, the same as on the 875, which is not surprising given they share components. But the speed is short of the John Deere 2156G’s lightning-fast 12.6rpm and the Cat 538’s 11rpm.

For lifting, the two 135mm pistons on the boom are complemented by a 150mm ram that moves the arm, backed by plenty of hydraulic flow to facilitate lifting a grapple full of logs or the heaviest trailer.

As a log truck pulls into the main skid site, Young Tainui climbs up to the cab to demonstrate how it all works.

The trailer on the back of this Watchorn truck is only a fouraxle unit, so it lifts off easily and once it’s hitched, Tainui begins piling 5.9s grabbed from the stack behind the Tigercat onto the three bunks. The longer boom and arm means he doesn’t have to re-position for every fill, just swing back and forth. While the slew doesn’t appear that fast on paper, in practice it’s quick enough for Tainui to have the truck fully loaded within minutes.

But it’s another of the Tigercat 865’s attributes – 222kN tractive force – that is called into action next when the truck loses traction climbing the slippery slope out of the skid. Tainui grabs a log and positions it in front of the 865’s chassis to give the trailer a nudge

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up the hill. Then he carries on to the second skid around the corner where another log truck is just pulling up, this time equipped with a five-axle trailer.

The heavier trailer doesn’t faze the 865 one bit. Tainui smoothly cranes it off the truck without any hint of rocking on the tracks.

It helps to have in excess of four tonnes of counterweight on the back. As if to prove the point he stretches the boom and arm out to place the trailer further back and still manages to keep the tracks firmly planted on the ground. Tigercat says that with this boom and arm configuration, the 865 still has a hydraulic bare pin lift of 6.88 tonnes at 9.14 metres out, so with the grapple added it can safely lift 5.7 tonnes almost fully outstretched.

After loading this truck, Tainui swaps places with Shaun so he can conduct his part of the Iron Test, piloting the 865 back to the main skid to try out fleeting and stacking until the next truck arrives.

That provides a good opportunity to catch up with Tainui, who feels very fortunate to be entrusted with a brand new purpose-built loader, even though he’s only been with Thomassen Logging for just two years.

He was previously on a Sumitomo 240, which has gone to another crew. While he liked the Sumi, Tainui says the Tigercat has taken log loading to a new level.

“I was pretty excited when I found out I was going into this… such an awesome machine,” he says.

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Facing page: Travel speed in ‘rabbit’ is reasonable rather than fast, but there is plenty of power in those track motors.

Above left: There is plenty of space behind the operator’s seat in the rear-entry cab.

Above centre: Thomassen Logging’s Tigercat 865 operator, Tainui Brown, has only been with crew 041 for two years.

Above right: Tanami Transport driver, Trevor Samuel, collects the docket from the chute.

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Above clockwise: This unique opening through the counterweight of the Tigercat 875 provides access to the back of the engine.

Note the camera and floodlight above it; The fold-out side door is strong enough for the operator to stand on to do daily checks and change filters; Great access down into the engine compartment; The stairway up to the cab is a safe and easy way to arrive at your work station.

“You sit up higher than in the Sumi so it’s got more visibility all around. I like the windows in the floor, too, good for seeing where the tracks are. Didn’t have those in the Sumi. And instead of climbing up the side of the cab to get in, it’s nicer to walk up and come into the rear of the cab.”

Well balanced In spite of the extra height, Tainui says the 865 is well balanced, even with heavy loads in the grapple and he goes on to add that the whole machine feels quick and very precise.

Creature comforts in the cab rate highly with Tainui, including the radio that sounds clearer and is now equipped with Bluetooth and an A/C system that delivers more fresh air flow. On cold winter mornings he can also benefit from heating in the suspension seat and when warmer summer weather comes around, he can swap to air cooling in the seat.

Access to daily checks has improved and Tainui is also impressed

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with the changes made to the design of the Ensign 1730 specified for this machine, making it easier to grease the working parts of the grapple.

Meanwhile Shaun has been enjoying his stint in the operator’s seat, much to his surprise. It’s been a while since he was in a loader and while he prefers more exciting challenges, like his current gig in the seat of a tethered Tigercat 855 harvester, this test has shown a new side to what is normally a run-of the-mill task.

Put that down to a machine that has been designed especially to make log loading easier and more enjoyable.

Is it worth paying extra for a Tigercat 865 over an excavator conversion? Depends on your viewpoint. You do get a machine that’s purpose-built for the task, including higher cooling capacity, a better operating environment, stronger undercarriage components and taskoptimised hydraulics.

In theory, that should convert into high productivity, a longer working life and fewer breakdowns. What price do you put on that? NZL

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iron test: Shaun Field

Fast, but not furious I HAVEN’T LOADED TRUCKS IN YEARS – out of choice because I don’t really like loading. But if I had to work in one every day, I could happily settle for the Tigercat 865.

It’s an enjoyable machine. For a 32-tonne machine it’s seriously tall. You can see lots from that height, pretty much 360-degrees around you. Reach is huge and it’s very responsive. It does everything you want it to do.

Heaps of power. And fast, too. The slew power and lifting are just what you want.

Good pressure to the grapple. Great layout in the cab. And serviceability is wicked – access for your daily checks is easy, just flip that top open, walk in and everything is right there and you can stand on the left door flap to reach the filters. Even has that trapdoor in the middle of the rear counterweight.

Never seen that before. They’ve definitely laid everything out well.

I do like a machine with a rear-entry cab.

You don’t want to be climbing up a side ladder to get to a cab that high. And the little chute for passing down the dockets to the truck driver gets over one of the problems of having such a high cab – it’s been done before but actually works well in the 865.

Tigercat cabs are known for being very operator-friendly and this one is especially

so. The controls are set up very much like the older Tigercat levelling harvester that I’m driving at the moment. Seat is very similar, with heating and cooling in it. The stereo is better placed than in my machine, easier to reach and you can hear it much more clearly.

Having a loader but with harvester joystick made it second-nature to me – the controls are identical to mine, minus the saw and other harvester buttons. Instead, you just have open and close for the grapple on your right joystick and the rotate buttons on the top. Simple.

Tainui now has the hydraulics tuned up to suit the way he works and it responds very well. The faster you go the faster it works.

But for tricky operations, such as lifting a heavy trailer off a truck, you need to be more careful, so there’s a heavy lift feature that can be activated, which drops the engine revs and puts more into the hydraulics to make lifting smooth and precise.

For loading logs, you leave it on the normal setting and make use of all that grunty power. You don’t feel big grabs in the grapple when it starts to lift – no effort, just grab what you want and away you go.

Very impressed with how well that machine runs the grapple – it’s not something you think about until you jump into a machine

Iron Tester, Shaun Field. that does it so well. It’s reactive and really responsive whereas some other machines I’ve tried in the past can feel a bit sluggish and slow to close or open.

The fine response is nice. It doesn’t tear or pinch when you want to pick up a single log to place on the truck, so you aren’t damaging the wood.

Walking between the skids shows good tractive power. It doesn’t walk that fast but it is definitely grunty and walks around with ease. For a fleet, sort and stack machine it’s perfect. And it’s got the capability of running a small harvesting head. You put a 24-inch head on and it would still run it perfectly.

The 865 is my kind of machine. NZL

Left: The view from the seat is unrivalled in this class of loader.

Below: There’s a good view down to the front of the tracks through the windows in the floor, but someone forgot to take their boots off before sitting in the seat!

Right: Regular operator, Tainui Brown, keeps his cab clean and tidy.

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Tall Timber

A man of action StoryStory: Hayley Leibowitz

F

“

ORESTRY IS NOT JUST ABOUT BURLY men and women wielding chainsaws and driving big yellow machines. It’s an industry that provides scope for a broader range of involvement than most others, with opportunities in a wide range of disciplines from technology to biotechnology, business, finance, and people, land and environmental management,” says Russell Dale.

And he ought to know. Recently retired from both the Forest Owners Association (FOA) and Forest Growers Research (FGR), his career in forestry spans close to five decades and a world of knowledge.

Looking back, he has no shortage of notches in his belt. His involvement in the Forestry Corporation of New Zealand led to the resolution of long-term supply contracts and the sale of the business, with “an exceedingly good return for the Crown”. He

32 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

is proud of his role in building “a high performing and successful forestry and wood processing company”. Then there was the establishment of a new forest management company for the Central North Island Forestry Partnership (CNIFP) that enabled receivers to sell and bring in new owners with the right resources and interests, adding value to NZ’s leading strategic forest asset.

And over the years, Russell has never backed away from industry involvement on all levels. “The reorganisation of industry research activities, taking a more strategic approach to R&D investment and helping our research organisations become more focused on industry priorities and delivering outcomes of value,” is just part of the legacy he can be proud of, in not only recommending, but having the opportunity, to implement those changes.

Back to basics But where did it all begin? In the bush of course. Russell first became interested in forestry through school geography studies and an interest in tramping and the outdoors gained through an active involvement in scouting. This is what he credits with his “early learnings in leadership, self-reliance and being able to look after myself and others in the outdoors”. Growing up in Christchurch, access to mountains and the outdoors was easy. This led to a degree in forestry science at Canterbury University School of Forestry. Though his initial interest was in mountain land management, Russell quickly became aware that there were more opportunities in commercial forestry.

There began a fascinating journey encompassing much of the recent history of the New Zealand forestry industry. His first job was during the school holidays pruning trees at

1 Bottle Lake Forest on the edge of Christchurch.

Then he secured a four-year cadetship with New Zealand Forest Service (NZFS) to train as a forester. After graduation Russell was posted to the King Country, spending time at Pureora and Te Kuiti working on a range of indigenous forest management projects including conversion of indigenous cutover to exotics.

This also involved introducing riparian margins in indigenous harvesting areas and working with Forest Research Institute scientists to set aside scientific reserves to protect podocarp forests.

He also worked on the introduction of selective logging trials at Pureora, the team’s enthusiasm not dampening even after a TV crew in a helicopter declared “but we can’t see the difference”. Part of Russell’s responsibilities at the time included managing a survey of the Kaimai Ranges to get a better understanding of the impact of browsing animals on the forest and land – this followed a series of devastating floods in the area.

“Leading field surveys in the area gave me valuable leadership and people management experience,” he says.

2

Moving North His next move was to Auckland Conservancy office in Auckland in 1976 as Environmental forester to look after recreation, Forest Park management and indigenous scientific reserves. A variety of roles followed, more focused on exotic forest management across the Auckland Conservancy (King Country to Aupouri Forest in the North) culminating in being appointed the Assistant Conservator of Forests for Auckland Conservancy. He counts as one of his career wins, playing a leading role in the introduction of grazing into Auckland Conservancy Forests when pampas grass invasions were threatening the viability of the forests. He also led the Forest Service input into a major land use survey in the King Country that followed proposals by NZ Forest Products to afforest large areas of state and private land.

“During this time there was increasing public opposition and antagonism against logging in publicly owned native forest such as Pureora, Whirinaki, Tihoi and Westland,

3 4 1: Russell Dale (centre) working on the 1974/75 Pureora Forest Indigenous Survey.

2: Russell in 2016 as CEO of Forest Growers Research.

3: In 2019 with Phil Taylor, Chair of Future Forests Research and Chair of the Forest Research Committee.

4: An article from 1976 covering the New Zealand Walkways Commission, King Country proposed Tawarau Forest walkway.

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 33

Tall Timber

and this resulted in the spotlight shining on the financial performance and efficiency of the Forest Service,” says Russell. “Following the near economic meltdown and in the midst of a divided society (the time of the Springbok tour, anti-nuclear protests and the like) under Muldoon and change of government in the mid-eighties, Government made the decision, as part of sweeping changes, to disband the Forest Service and split its functions. It was spilt between a new Department of Conservation, Ministry of Forestry (policy, forestry encouragement) and a new commercial organisation, NZ Forestry Corporation – with responsibility for all of the exotic commercial forest, timber processing and remaining commercial activities in indigenous forests in Westland and Southland.

“As a result, in 1986/87 a lot of people lost jobs and there were large clearing sales of plant and equipment as the NZ Forestry Corporation adopted an outsourcing business model for all forest operations. It was a difficult time for a lot of people.”

1: At a 2019 Forest Growers Research field visit to Robert Holt Arboretum, Hawkes Bay with MPI staff, standing next to an impressive E fastigata.

2: Russell (left) in 1995 presenting the FCNZ Red Stag Rotorua Business Award to Bev and Scott Thompson of Damar Industries.

3: Russell (centre) in 1995 in his role as FCNZ General Manager Forest Resources.

4: Planting selected Californian Coastal Redwoods in Whakarewarewa Forest in 2013.

5: In 2013 (far left) with the Future Forests Research Board.

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Tall Timber

1 Corporatisation and privatisation In 1987 Russell secured a position with the Northern Region of Timberlands, the forest arm of Forestry Corporation, a State Owned Enterprise, as Business and Planning Manager. This covered most of the North Island except the Central North Island. His role was to help develop a viable regional business unit from a group of former Forest Service forestry assets.

“After two years of negotiations with Government over the value of the forestry assets to be purchased by Forestry Corporation – procedures for valuing commercial forests of this scale did not exist at the time – Government decided to establish their commercial value by selling the forest assets, through an international tender process, at the end of 1989 to private investors that included Ernslaw One, Carter Holt, Fletcher Challenge, Rayonier and Juken,” says Russell.

The Central North Island forests – Kaingaroa, Whakarewarewa and Rotoehu – could not be sold due to issues with long-term log sales contracts with Fletcher Challenge, he explains. A new State-Owned Enterprise was formed, Forestry Corporation of New Zealand, incorporating these forests along with the Waipa sawmill, with its head office in Rotorua. Russell was appointed General Manager Planning and Resources and moved from Auckland at the end of 1990 to take on this role, with his family following in early 1991.

“The objective was to establish a successful, high performing, forestry and wood processing business, get the long-term supply contracts with Fletcher Challenge onto fully commercial terms and prepare the business for sale,” he says.

“After a long, expensive and at times bitter arbitration process, the log prices paid by Fletcher Challenge for sawlog and pulplog supply were moved to more commercial rates, a significant back payment was made

by Fletcher Challenge and the way was cleared for a sale of Forestry Corporation along with associated long-term sale

36 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

contract commitments.”

At the conclusion of a 12-month international tender process the business was sold at the end of 1996 to a consortium of Fletcher Challenge, Brierley Investments and CITIC (a Chinese government-owned investment company) for some $2.2 billion (Forestry Corporation paid the government $1.2 billion in 1991).

Following the sale, Russell was appointed General Manager Forest Resources for Fletcher Challenge Forests, based in Rotorua, responsible for merging the forest operations of Forestry Corporation (180,000ha) with those of Fletcher Challenge (130,000 ha) into an integrated forestry business comprising over 300,000 hectares.

New challenges “After a restructure and a move towards a more centralised structure, I left in 1998 and was appointed as Regional Manager for Carter Holt Harvey Forests Central region based in Tokoroa. Major challenges in this role were rearranging forest growing contract arrangements, working on a cultural change process and managing harvesting and log supply contracts to improve efficiency and value recovery,” says Russell.

“By 2002 the Central North Island consortium was in financial trouble and receivers were appointed.

“Carter Holt Harvey Forests showed interest in both acquiring and managing the forest for equity investors but eventually withdrew. They continued to provide advice to the receivers who were keen to establish their own management company and remove Fletcher Challenge from the management role,” he adds.

“I assisted with this and in early 2003 was appointed as Chief Executive of the management company to establish and take over the management of the business from Fletcher Challenge Forests. This was successfully achieved and in late 2003 the forest assets were sold by the receiver to the Harvard University Endowment Fund for $1.2 billion – a billion dollars less than

2 what the consortium had paid three years earlier.”

In late 2005, Russell left Timberlands and spent three years on a range of consulting tasks in Australia and New Zealand, including looking at how the New Zealand Forest Growers could reorganise their research arrangements to put industry more in the driving seat and ensure better outcomes from research for forest owners.

“In 2008 a new company, Future Forests Research, later becoming Forest Growers Research, was formed and I was appointed as Chief Executive and Research Manager for the Forest Owners Association from 2014, a role I held until I retired at the end of 2020. The role involved identifying industry research needs and priorities, securing funding from Government and industry sources, including the Forest Growers Levy Trust, partnering with research organisations to undertake the research and, importantly, communicating the outcome of the research to end users across Government and industry.”

With a wealth of experience behind him, it’s no surprise then that Russell was recognised by the New Zealand Institute of Forestry as Forester of the Year in 2010 and was awarded the Institute’s top award, the Kirk Horn Award, in 2018.

Not all plain sailing Of course, despite all his achievements, it’s not all been plain sailing. There have been the practical challenges of business like “being in the position of implementing changes or initiatives that you don’t personally agree with” but ultimately for Russell, it comes down to people: “Being involved in downsizing and restructuring due to market downturns or business changes that lead to people losing jobs or

1: Russell at Parliament in 2019 for the Primary Growth Partnership presentation.

2: At the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing with the High Commissioner.

3: Breakfast in Chongqing en route to Beijing as part of the Minister of Forests China visit in 2018. From left: Lees Seymour, Peter Weir, Robert Green, Phil Taylor and Russell Dale.

4: At Wingspan Trust with a native falcon – karearea – as part of an FOA group visit in 2018.

5: Taking the NZIF New Zealand Forester of the Year award in 2010.

6: At the Future Forests Research annual conference in Napier.

5 having to relocate is always the hard part of management.” Some of these changes impacted him personally but he always landed on his feet, “fortunate in being able to secure new opportunities and roles”.

Another difficult aspect for him over the years has been dealing with serious accidents and four fatalities in forest operations that he oversaw – one drugrelated felling accident and three road accidents. Then there was a serious fire that resulted in the loss of 250 hectares of forest.

Still, it’s Russell’s resilience and ethical approach that have always carried him through. “I have a high standard of personal integrity and respect for others, being open and honest with people and accepting that as a manager or boss you don’t have a monopoly on good ideas or what is right.

I believe in being fair and seeking winwin outcomes to problems or disputes.

Essentially, I believe you should lead by example and deal with people how you would want to be dealt with.”

He’s certainly done that, being involved in an impressive list of industry organisations over the years, including as: Forest Owners Association Executive and Committee Chair, Forest Technology Board member, Chair of Biotech Company GEENZ for a period, STIMBR (methyl bromide) board member, FGR CEO, National R&D manager for FOA, NZ Institute of Forestry Chair of the Fellows Committee as well as on the Institute’s Council, and on numerous forest research advisory boards and steering committees – ranging from biotechnology to forest management, forest protection to harvesting and supply chain management.

Community input has also been important, chairing school Board of Trustees and as President of the Rotary Club of Rotorua.

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And in his various roles, along with upheaval, Russell has seen plenty of change over the years, not least of which has been the introduction of technology in all aspects of forest management, administration, forest protection, resource assessment and harvesting equipment and trucking.

“There are a lot less people involved now, due to technology and mechanisation – in harvesting especially, less so in forest establishment and silviculture. A growing focus over the years has been on health and safety and environmental performance. In 2010 FGR started a new harvesting research programme with the vision of “no worker on the slope, no hand on the chainsaw,” says Russell.

“In 2013 we had a terrible year safetywise and this provided greater incentive to mechanise and get people away from hazardous activities such as tree felling and breaking out. This has led to increased mechanisation and we are seeing the benefit of this in reduced accident rates,” he adds.

Another change he has noted during his career has been the increasing outsourcing

of the workforce in all forest and harvesting operations. “At the same time we have seen increased regulatory controls like the Resource Management Act, Health and Safety in Employment Act and National Environmental Standards to name a few.

“It has been interesting to watch the changing role of Government from being heavily and directly involved up until the 90’s, through to exiting with little involvement and interest, through to recently becoming actively supportive and directly involved again,” says Russell.

Forward thinking As to the big issues facing forestry today, Russell says conflicts over land use, attracting new wood processing investment and a high reliance on a single export

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 37

Tall Timber

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1 2

1: A 2018 Douglas fir XLam evaluation with Minghao Li, Associate Professor, Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University Of Canterbury.

2: Skiing in Hakuba, Japan, 2017.

3: Russell completing the 210km round Port Phillip Bay bike ride in Melbourne in 2014.

38 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

market for at least 60% of our log harvest stand out: “The conflict over land use stems from the common view in New Zealand that land not in grass is not in productive use.

Recent issues in the East Coast and the Tasman District have resulted in outright hostility towards forestry, particularly in some areas like Wairoa. In addition, people need to change their practices to be more resilient. Our reliance on a single species is viewed as a major issue by society.

Of course, the increasingly complex and expensive regulatory costs don’t help. On top of that there’s a relatively low level of investment in R&D in forest growing and almost zero investment in innovation by the wood processing sector. That all needs to be addressed.”

Where then is forestry headed? Russell is clear on that: “Forestry has an incredibly exciting future. Trees can provide raw material for everything that is made from oil. As the world aims for a low carbon future, trees and wood products will play an increasingly important role in a circular bio-based economy.”

To that end, he stresses that forestry is “not just a career for males” and a greater degree of diversity is needed. This starts at school, ensuring maths and sciences are well covered for all, along with “early handson experience wherever possible across a range of activities”.

As to his own future, Russell is looking forward to spending more time with family, friends, his children and grandchildren, “boating and fishing on our lakes, working with Rotary, biking, exploring New Zealand and further afield when COVID permits, catching up on a backlog of home maintenance chores and restoring a 70-year-old Ferguson tractor”.

He says he will continue to be involved in forestry “through the NZIF, our family’s personal forestry investment and some other business interests”.

“Those countries that have a forest resource like New Zealand will increasingly see this as a key strategic asset for their future well-being,” he adds. NZL

Forestry Training

The chainsaws

ARE OUT!

40 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

StoryStory: Louise Belay

Opposite: Tree pruning is part of the learning for Raglan-based arboriculture students.

Left and above: Tawera Riki doing his practical chainsaw assessment.

Story: Louise Belay

T

HE AROMATIC SMELL OF A LAMB stew on the stove and the comforting sound of potatoes being mashed for lunch is a warm welcome to the site of Wintec’s newest teaching space at the Kōkiri Centre in Whaingaroa, Raglan.

About 250 metres away, the sound of chainsaws cutting into the gnarly old pines by the beach is a sign the Arboriculture Level 3 class is getting a practical lesson from their tutor, Nooti Waho (Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Tongoiti).

Waho says, “The pine area is starting to get out of hand. There is pine regeneration, a bit of gorse and the property owners want more recreational area. On the students’ chainsaw practical days, we are selecting trees to remove and trees to remain to encourage an environment for native restoration. As the native trees start establishing, more pines can be removed in the future, giving the area diversity and character.”

Waho, who grew up in Taupō where he gained his forestry experience, loves it here at the Kōkiri Centre. He completed Level 5 Arboriculture at Wintec in 2020 after two years as an adult student, winning a

2019 Wintec Adult Learner Award on the way. Now he works for Wintec, supporting Arboriculture tutors, John Woolford, Dan Goodman and Jonathan Summers in Raglan.

“Tree identification, tree pruning, and tree health are the more important aspects of arboriculture, and Level 3 gives our students an introduction to these disciplines,” says Waho.

“Our arboriculture students need to be competent chainsaw operators before they venture into climbing, pruning and tree care.

That’s where I can help, and I am honoured to be part of their learning experience, kia ora.”

Waho says arboriculture is physically demanding and as the students have progressed through their first semester, moving from chainsaw training to tree care and climbing, they’ve encountered something they may not have expected: “They’re telling us this course has been a major life change for them, and their lives are better for it.”

Waho splits his time between tutoring in Raglan, working as an arboriculturist and teaching chainsaw safety and use to

Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). As a recent graduate, he knows first-hand how tough it can be to be a student and there is a real sense of whānau and community in this group.

“They have a long day, and there is a lot to learn, so once a week we have a shared lunch to get everyone together.”

Waho has supplied the meat for the main course.

“I pruned my aunty and uncle’s plum trees and they gave me a sheep. The chops are now in the pot,” he smiles.

“Johnny, who is on kitchen duty today, was working on a cruise ship before he joined us, and I asked him if he could make an Irish stew. He knew what I meant straight away.

It’s lunchtime and the stew is ready. The ute and trailer are loaded up with chainsaws and safety gear, and the group make its way to the kitchen.

“Don’t forget my pine stool,” calls out one of the students. She has fashioned a four-legged stool from a pine stump during chainsaw practice and it goes on the tray too.

Raglan students were quick to take

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 41

Forestry Training

Above left: Nooti Waho, a Wintec Level 5 Arboriculture graduate has returned to teach at Wintec’s new delivery site at the Kōkiri Centre at Te Kōpua in Raglan.

Above right: Nooti Waho (front left) with students, Wintec staff and community partners at a whakatau (welcome) for the commencement of the new Arboriculture L3 programme at Whāingaroa ki te whenua Kōkiri Centre.

up the opportunity of free arboriculture training this year. The class of 12 is full, with an even mix of male and female. Waho says it’s good to see more females in the arboriculture industry. They are all engaged and keen to learn.

The first cohort of students is at Level 3, basic arboriculture and they have the option to progress to Level 4 in the second semester from July this year, to qualify as an arborist. At Level 5, arborists learn technical and supervisory skills and there is also a Level 6 diploma.

Fast forward to the end of the semester and Nooti says they are all doing well. Only one student has left the course and three

have gained employment locally. Two other students have been inspired to start their own business once they qualify.

The Kōkiri Centre at Te Kōpua is on land that was famously returned by the Government to iwi in 1983, thanks to Māori land rights activist, Tuaiwa (Eva) Rickard.

The former golf course is framed by the sea and the estuary, and for some years, Te Kōpua has been the site of a camping ground which has funded improvements to the site.

Wintec now offers free Level 3 Horticulture, Landscape Construction and Arboriculture courses at the Kōkiri Centre on Riria Kereopa Drive. NZL

Starting young

T

OKOMAIRIRO HIGH SCHOOL AT Milton has taken on board the fact that forestry is a great career prospect in the Otago region and sees no need to wait until pupils have passed school age to formally train in forestry skills.

Tokomairiro offers NZQA Unit Standards to learners working towards NCEA Levels 1 and 2, as well as an option to gain a Forestry Qualification, which includes up to 40 credits at Level 3.

There are three programme pathways: 1. A Forestry Pathways Course for senior students still enrolled in school.

2. A youth Guarantee Course for school leavers aged 16-19.

3. An Alternative Education programme for those under 16 who have disengaged at school.

As well as delivering standards on site, Tokomairiro offers practical components and supports students into work experience while assisting with applications for suitable employment.

The programme is supported by the Forest Growers Levy Trust.

This past year, during the COVID lockdown, the students worked on knowledge unit

standards for pruning and planting through distance learning.

Tokomairiro is supported by practical interaction visits to local forest companies – City Forests, Ernslaw One and Wenita Forest Products.

Wenita CEO, Dave Cormack, says it’s difficult to get skilled machine operators and silviculture contractors, particularly pruners, in Otago and Southland.

“This course certainly helps to de-mystify the industry and debunk some of the misconceptions which parents so often have about safety, professionalism and career opportunities for young people in the industry,” says Dave. “Alistair McKenzie, the course tutor, still works in the forest and has a good network of industry contacts and his experience and knowledge feeds into the content of each course.”

Dave says the courses provide the experience for a range of forest operations and further training opportunities during the course. Some of the participants may decide to move into silviculture or harvesting work when they leave secondary school. Others might consider further forestry education at polytech or university, or go into farming.

Stanley Moko (18), trainee from the 2020 Tokomairiro Forestry Pathways course, is already reaping the benefits: “When I completed the course, I was able to look at all the job opportunities the forestry industry has to offer and gain a broad knowledge of the forest areas of trees grown in the Otago / Southland area.

“I found that the skills gained were suited to silviculture and I was able to improve on my planting, pruning, thinning and general chainsaw skills on this course. As a result I was able to get a full-time sustainable job with a contract forestry crew and will move from pruning to planting in a couple of months.

“I like the close team atmosphere and friendship. It’s great!

“After planting, I will be able to move to a thinning crew to get more experience in that field. Also, I am working towards a National Certificate in pruning of which I already have some modules from the course.

“As well as gaining full-time work for myself, my stepfather is going to gain employment from the same contractor. He has the skills but is out of work.”

First published in the NZFOA Bulletin.

42 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

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Left: Wintec arboriculture students also get their learning offsite at a week long camp at McLaren Falls.

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www.fica.org.nz

Social Media Reaches Far and Beyond Prue Younger, CEO Message

A few years ago, no one would have ever told me I would be looking after six Facebook pages, counting the Likes, the friends and sharing the platform for the purposes of marketing more than radio and print material. And to add to that it has exploded to Snapchat, Instagram and now TikTok! Where to next one may ask and how powerful has Facebook become? You do get to hear the good, the bad and the ugly stories and in forestry its becoming a well oiled machine. Everyone I know has a Facebook page, has a social media presence – can share, can tag your mates into a site they have never been before, just like that – and then you can boost and you pay an arbitrary amount to boost to thousands and to people you have no association with?

Lifting your ratings can be easily achieved in a short time and building up a Facebook page is pretty exciting. I know over the period of my time at FICA we started with a following of 125 and have now grown that to well over 1100. A word of caution though, posts can end up anywhere as people share and tag others into the post.

Recent postings that have made their way over my desk have taken me aback. The quality of posts and the activity being posted on forestry sites has left me a bit dismayed. I have been shown footage posted on a very prominent forestry Facebook site including the faller stopping during the back cut to adjust the camera, the faller not retreating and observing as the tree falls, and again not looking up to monitor tree top movement and not assuming correct body position to allow this. One instance is of the faller with his hand on the tree as it falls while he watches the camera. It goes on – a faller clearing scrub around the base of a tree after felling cuts started, and this was on a tree being used as a driver. All clearing and preparation at base of tree and establish-ment of escape route is to be done before felling cuts start and it is critical when tree driving to minimise time trees are in a cut up state before being grounded. Definitely incorrect warm start technique. To name a few more – left arm bent instead of straight, saw bar pointing to front of operator instead of to left of body and a basic Level 2 chainsaw operating error.

Tree drives being done with driven trees not having wedges in the back cut are also becoming very common.

The other concern is that these posts are on a platform that can go viral, like the young girl videoed the other month, standing at the window calling a goat the F–bomb! (Shocked at what comes out of the mouths of babes these days.)

FICA has been working exceptionally hard in spending truckloads of money on positive workforce recruitment campaigns the last 18 months and through sheer 44 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

negligence that hard work can be dumbed down immediately.

If you do something irresponsible online, as well as damaging your own reputation and potentially harming others, you may be subject to formal disciplinary procedures and possibly lose your position in your workplace or in the industry. And you might ask what counts as irresponsible?

Use your common sense. If it is hurtful, defamatory, libellous or inappropriate in the physical world, it is online too. Irresponsible behaviour can include: • making derogatory comments about individuals or organisations, even as a joke, • sharing confidential information about others, • sharing sexually explicit, racist, homophobic or inflammatory material, • flaming or trolling – deliberately provoking arguments, or disruptive behaviour, • making allegations about others.

There are two golden rules to follow.

1. If you would not say it to someone’s face in a public place, don’t say it online.

2. Do not rely on privacy settings – anyone who can see your content can download it, copy it, take a screen shot and then share it publicly.

Your digital footprint is the data trail left by your interactions in the digital world. It is a public record of what you said, what was said about you, what you liked, retweeted or shared and where you are or have been.

This information on Facebook as we know is often used for marketing purposes and employer checks. It also makes it very easy for others to gather information on you to impersonate you or commit fraud. Less public, but something you need to remember is that there is also a record of what you have clicked on, what you’ve searched for and your IP address. Remember, they will find you!!

You may want to think about what you want your social media use to say about you. Try to keep your personal and professional identities separate. Communicate positively, not negatively and choose quality over quantity.

I read this quote about social media the other day which might be the take–home from this article… “some people need to realise that Facebook is a social network not a diary”.

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

Harvesting Period 1 r WHAT BETTER WAY TO HELP GET THROUGH the drag of winter than by featuring some of the folk who have highlighted their skills in the first period of 2021?

We also welcome back to harvesting folk at Wenita Forest Products.

It’s good to see you back in the competition and showing up in these results.

Next month we will have our first set of silviculture results.

Sponsors – they don’t have to do this, but they choose to!

Awesome companies, awesome people and awesome support!

They back you and your workmates to succeed as professionals, so why wouldn’t you support them?

They believe in what we do and what you do.

So, a big ongoing thank you to our Strategic Partners – STIHL and NZ Logger and sponsor SWAZI.

Matiu Williams.

46 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

The best way to keep our industry working is to get out and support those businesses that support New Zealand.

Participating Companies This competition wouldn’t be what it is without our participating companies.

We understand the commitment it takes from them to be part of Top Spot and value their ongoing support and feedback.

Our ongoing thanks to Rayonier/Matariki Forests, Wenita Forest Products, Port Blakely, Crown Forestry, CMH Logging, Hauraki and Moehau Logging, Thomassen Logging, Te Waa Logging, Inta-Wood Forestry, Otautau

Norman Rewita.

Contractors, Heslip Forest Contracting, Waikato Forestry Services, Makerikeri Silviculture, XMen Forestry, Central Forestry Services, Mangoihe Logging, Kohurau Contracting, Dennis E Hayes Logging, Ernslaw One, Blue Wood Logging, Mike Hurring Logging, McCallum Harvesting, Whisker Logging, Kaha Logging, Lahar Logging, Dempsey Logging, Moutere Logging, JBD Harvesting, McDougall Logging, Forest View Logging, Kimberley Logging, Dewes Logging, Manaia Logging, Storm Logging, Eastside Logging, Veal Forestry, McHoull Forestry, Pride Forestry, Bay Pine, Penetito Forestry, FM Silviculture, Forest View Forestry, Wayne Cummings, Rodco Forestry, Johnson Forestry, Pro Forest Services, Eastside Logging.

Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

Contact Shane Perrett on 0274 781 908, 07 3483037 or at primefm@xtra.co.nz NZL

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

1 results 2021 FUNCTION Breaking Out Cable

Manual Tree Felling

Forwarder Operation

Ground Base Extraction

Shovel Logging

Mechanised Felling

Mechanised Felling and Processing

Mechanised Processing

Machine Operation on the Landing

Skidwork

Yarder Operation

CREW

FOREST

PARTICIPANT

PLACING

Forest View Logging

Ernslaw One Bulls

Stephan Hose

1

Mike Hurring Private

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Sylvester Reeves

2

Forest View Logging

Ernslaw One Bulls

Retimana Dahya

3

Bluewood Logging

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Shannon Todd

1

Forest View Logging

Ernslaw One Bulls

Dave Leckie

2

Mike Hurring Logging

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Kelvin Stratford

1=

Mike Hurring Thinning

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Marty Blythe

1=

Bluewood Thinning

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Devon Stewart

3

Te Waa 17

Crown Forestry

Matiu Williams

1

Griffin Logging 2

Wenita Forest Products

Norman Rewita

2

Roxburgh Contracting 1

Wenita Forest Products

Kyle Mikaere

3

Mike Hurring Logging

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Walter Beamsley

1

Mike Hurring Private

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Reef Aston

2

Griffin Logging 1

Wenita Forest Products

Sam Blue

3

Thomassen 13

Crown Forestry

Des Church

1

Mike Hurring Private

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Dean Beauchamp

2

Te Waa 17

Crown Forestry

Manawa Waa

3

Mike Hurring Thinning

Ernslaw One Tapanui

James White

1=

Bluewood Thinning

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Nigel Hutchinson

1=

Mike Hurring Thinning

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Alister Hudson

3

Mike Hurring Logging

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Dave McKee

1

Forest View Logging

Ernslaw One Bulls

Barry Jenkins

2

Roxburgh Contracting 2

Wenita Forest Products

Rodger Mathieson

3

Bluewood Logging

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Adam McIvor

1

Mike Hurring Logging

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Tex van Rossen

2

Bluewood Logging

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Clint McIvor

3

Forest View Logging

Ernslaw One Bulls

Ron Wishnowski

1

Bluewood Logging

Ernslaw One Tapanui

Kane Heads

2

Te Waa 17

Crown Forestry

Paerangi Ranginui

3

Roxburgh Contracting 2

Wenita Forest Products

Blair McColl

1

Mike Hurring Private

Ernslaw One Tapanui

David McKenzie

2

Forest View Logging

Ernslaw One Bulls

Phillip Parr

3

PERIOD 1 2021 RESULTS July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 47

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

Manawa Waa.

Kaha Harvesting’s Chris Winter opening up new setting up the back of the Waimarino.

Paerangi Ranginui.

Kyle Mikaere.

48 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

The boys from Kaha Harvesting at smoko time. With venison, lamb and sossies on the hot plate, these guys are like one big happy family.

Blair McColl.

Rodger Mathieson.

Looking towards the boundary of the Waimarino Forest and the Whanganui River.

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 49

50 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

new iron

TOMBLESON LOGGING GETS A NEW CAT

NEW TIMBERPRO FOR DOUGLAS LOGGING

Nick Tombleson has recently added a new next generation Cat 336 into his Tombleson Logging operation in the Woodhill Forest. The big Cat replaces a trusty 336DL and is running a Woodsman 750.

The 336 was guarded by the team at PFS in Hamilton and Nick is very happy with the overall performance of the unit. The new Cat was sold by Terra Cat Territory Account Manager, Mark Costello

Peter, Raewyn and Brad Douglas and the team at Douglas Logging from Dargaville have recently taken delivery of a new TimberPro TF 840D. Mike commented to John Kosar of Komatsu Forest NZ that he is “very impressed” with the new “D Model”. “I have had a few of these over the years… going back to the A model,” says Mike. Pictured from left: Mike Stevens (operator) with John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ). Photographer: Jessie.

ELTEC/WOODSMAN COMBO FOR TOHAIA Tohaia Harvesting has taken delivery of an Eltec LL317L log loader/harvester package fitted with a Woodsman Pro 750,

by Shaw’s. This is the first Woodsman for Tohaia and features paint marking on the head. This Eltec machine is performing all the log-making duties for the crew located in Maramarua Forest.

SATCO FOR DAWSON & HAVARD Dawson & Havard has taken delivery of a new SAT630E-S2 felling grapple. Delivery day was wet and rainy.

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 51

new iron

ANOTHER DUXSON FOR ROSEWARNE

JOHN DEERE FOR TDF AND MOIR

Rosewarne Logging has added another Duxson GX181HD Grapple fitted to a John Deere 2156G to its logging operation up North.

Even with the roar in full swing, this beast isn’t afraid to show its head! The teams at TDF and Moir Logging have taken delivery of this new John Deere 648L-II Log Skidder, sold and supported by the Drummond & Etheridge Nelson crew.

ENDURANCE GROUNDBASE GETS GRAPPLE EXCAVATOR Endurance Groundbase has added a FX3026G purposebuilt grapple excavator to its operation. The machine is fast and capable on the skid, easily lifting 5 axle trailers and fleeting well. The machine also performs well off the skid, coming in at 33-tonne high and wide fully bush rigged; a nimble machine with good power for anything asked of it. Sold and delivered by Scott Bonnington.

FIRST WOODSMAN PRO FOR HOVELL LOGGING Hovell Logging of Te Araroa, recently took delivery of its first Woodsman Pro head – the big Woodsman 850 tree harvester. The 850 is combined with a Hitachi ZX400 base machine and installed with the Loggic control system.

This is owner William Hovell’s first harvester with this crew and he is liking the ease of the Woodsman Pro package.

52 NZ LOGGER | July 2021

new iron HITACHI FOR HAWKES LOGGING Curtis and the crew from Hawkes Logging have taken delivery of a new Hitachi ZX400L-5G processor. With Pro Steel guarding package, Duxson arm, boom and plumbing package, this machine is ready to take on Northland’s logs!

BUTTON’S NEW TIGERCAT 875 Dave Button of Button Bros Logging, based in Canterbury, has just taken delivery of his first new Tigercat 875, Dave has an 880 as well, but this time fitted his existing Waratah 625 processor to the smaller 875 and is very happy with how it handles this head. The 875 has the 880 undercarriage which gives it better stability. Pictured from left: Josh, Shane, Russell, Mark, Craig and Allan from Button Logging. The machine was sold By Steve Varcoe of AB Equipment, Christchurch.

BOAPOD FOR HIGH COUNTRY HARVESTING Waimate-based High Country Harvesting is turning wasted time back into profit with its new BOApod hydraulic hose repair and maintenance trailer. Directors, James Cook and Rhys Ferguson, took delivery of the BOApod to reduce downtime on machinery and costs of hose bills. Now, the High Country Harvesting team can get back up and running in under 30 minutes when a hose blows, and can carry out preventative maintenance to avoid unplanned downtime on the job.

POWER AND STABILITY A new Volvo L180H with an Ensign 3.2m3 log fork and logging counterweight CDC steering single hydraulic lever with proportional slider for the log grab. Lou, the operator, loves everything about the machine from the smooth hydraulics to the transmission. Lou is also amazed at how much lifting power and stability it has over the previous loader. Machine sold by Marcus Stevens of TransDiesel.

July 2021 | NZ LOGGER 53

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