NZ Logger June 2025

June 2025 | 9.50

ISSN 2703-6251

s p a He nt u r g of s p a he ort f m o c f o

A look at the state of forestry in Gisborne

Forest Ranger School anniversary rd

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contents

JUNE 2025

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FOREST TALK Farm-to-forest conversion strategy raises hackles; FSC-only timber policy excludes small forest owners; Wood product exports add to record trade surplus; Radiata pine built to last; NZ’s largest inland port in the making; Injury prompts safety and AI investment; Raising heavy vehicle safety standards; “Still work to be done”; Restoration planting underway in Wellington; NZ’s best Caterpillar operator; Carbon forestry on stage.

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SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST This month our Iron Test team is in the Catlins to test Farrell Logging’s new Komatsu 895HD Comfort Ride forwarder. It’s big and it delivers on its promises.

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SPECIAL FEATURE Forestry is at a crossroads in Gisborne, as declining contractors and increasing economic challenges threaten the lifeline of this vital industry. Loggers don’t give up easily though. “It’s about long-term sustainability,” says FICA CEO, Rowan Struthers.

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LOOKING BACK In mid-1961 an advert appeared for applications for the position of Forest Ranger Trainee with the New Zealand Forest Service. Over the following six-and-a-half decades these forestry stalwarts have caught up for a reunion whenever they can.

The latest being this year.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 38 fica 42 top spot 44 Greenlight New Iron 46 classifieds

June 2025 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor June 2025 | 9.50

ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: TIM BENSEMAN

Heapsnt of gru s heap ort f of com

A look at the state of forestry in Gisborne

Forest Ranger School anniversary rd

Iron Tester, Bill Grant, loading up Farrell Logging’s new Komatsu 895HD Comfort Ride forwarder.

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2 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

Shared connections AS WINTER SETS IN, MANY SMALL BUSINESSES ARE FEELING THE PINCH, and that goes for forestry contractors too. This month we take a deep dive into how people are really feeling in Gisborne, and the impact the beating forestry has been taking there has had on the community.

“When forestry has a downturn, everyone feels it,” says one small business owner.

“Like it or hate it, forestry has a huge impact on how our circle of business goes around in Gisborne. It’s not just the logging trucks, it’s the mechanics, the metal trucks, just everything really,” says another.

The good news is that, clichéd or not, like everything in life, forestry moves in cycles. Just as summer follows winter, there is hope on the horizon. With Gisborne District Council working more closely with the forestry sector to address land use challenges and the former JNL sawmill set to reopen, the proverbial summer could come more quickly than we think. After all, forestry is a long-term game.

Now there’s just that pesky issue of delayed forestry consent times to sort out. If the council is to be believed, there’s a springtime in there somewhere too.

And, over the page, our New Zealand Forest Service Rangers who may have a little less spring in their step these days but are no less enthusiastic, recently celebrated 63 years since their graduation. The Ranger School Reunion, held in Reefton, offered plenty of opportunity for nostalgia, as the attendees retraced some of their steps and relived adventures from their younger days.

From reminiscing about bush adventures (many of them already featured in these pages), to the nearby Reefton Nurses Hostel and the “Turtle Club”, there is no shortage of humour, knowledge and experience in this group. Something we all can learn from.

Nothing like a comfortable shared connection.

And if it’s comfort you’re after, look no further than the object of our Iron Test this month, Farrell Logging’s new Komatsu 895HD Comfort Ride forwarder. One for all weathers.

Until next time, stay safe.

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forest talk

Farm-to-forest conversion strategy raises hackles “The idea that buying seedlings before December RESTRICTIONS ON FULL FARM-TO-FOREST 2024 is an intention to plant is an absolute joke. conversions on LUC 1-6 farmland will be in The Government needs to close this loophole place this year, taking effect from 4 December that’s being exploited. If a forester didn’t own the 2024 – the date of the original announcement, land, they can’t have had any real commitment to says Forestry Minister, Todd McClay. Enabling plant it. Having a contract on seedlings shouldn’t legislation will be introduced to Parliament during be accepted.

Q2 of this year.

“We’re also hearing stories of farmland being “The Government is focused on maintaining bought for conversion to forestry, with the intention strong food and fibre production while supporting of on-selling to foreign investors to get around sustainable land use. We remain concerned about overseas investment rules.” the effect that farm conversions are having on Dr Heeg says, in reality, the new afforestation highly productive land – particularly sheep and and LUC rules have led to a noticeable reduction beef farms in Northland, the East Coast and parts in demand for seedlings, “as reported by our of Otago and Southland,” Mr McClay says. members and nurseries”.

Key changes include: “This decline reflects the increased regulatory • A moratorium on full farm to forest conversions NZFOA Chief Executive, clarity and requirements for genuine planting from entering the ETS for Land Use Classification Dr Elizabeth Heeg. commitments, which discourage speculative (LUC) 1-5 actively farmed land. entries into the ETS. • An annual registration cap of 15,000 hectares “Forest owners do not purchase seedlings without secured planting for forestry entering the ETS for LUC 6 farmland.

• Up to 25% of a farm’s LUC 1-6 land to be planted in forestry for the sites, as this would be neither practical nor economically viable.

“The suggestion that the new rules enable such practices is ETS, ensuring farmers retain flexibility and choice.

• Excluding specific categories of Māori-owned land from the unfounded and overlooks the new process that our industry is restrictions, in line with Treaty obligations, while ensuring required to comply with.”

She says the NZFOA supports a balanced approach to land use pathways for economic development.

Mr McClay says that transitional measures for landowners who that recognises the critical role of forestry in New Zealand’s climate were in the process of afforestation prior to the 4 December 2024 strategy: “It is disheartening that forest owners are subject to a announcement will be available where they can demonstrate new planting policy which appears to target the misconception that forests are being planted at an exponential rate. qualifying evidence of a forestry investment.

“The total plantation forest estate is still smaller than it was more “These sensible rules will give certainty to rural communities, than 20 years ago – representing six percent of New Zealand’s total while providing clarity for foresters,” he says. land area, while sheep and beef accounts for 30 percent of our Unduly hurting foresters country’s land area.

“Even if forestry was to expand by the recommended 894,000 The New Zealand Forest Owners Association’s (NZFOA) Chief Executive, Dr Elizabeth Heeg, disagrees, saying the moratorium hectares to meet climate change targets, that expansion would only on full farm afforestation and the limiting of planting on Land Use be a three percent increase over 25 years.”

She adds that forest owners say more clarity is needed on parts of Classes 1-6 is unduly hurting forest owners who make some of the biggest contributions to our rural economies and climate outcomes. the new policy, specifically how the 15,000ha cap on LUC6 farmland “A large proportion of New Zealand’s LUC6 land is often not able to be entered into the ETS will be administered and what the suited to food production but is ideal for planting trees. In some process will be for allocation.

“The new rules add another layer of complexity which will only situations, forestry on LUC6 land provides a better economic and disincentivise forest owners and farmers from participating in the ETS. environmental return for landowners.

“It doesn’t make sense to have a policy that deters afforestation “The restrictions placed on LUC6 land pushes planting of trees to marginal or less productive land which will have an impact on when the government has clearly signaled more is needed to offset future timber and fibre supply and jobs, as well as limiting forestry’s our emissions.

“New Zealand forest owners are supportive of integrated land use ability to support New Zealand in meeting its climate change where farming and forestry can co-exist, however this new policy obligations.”

Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair, Toby Williams, says appears to restrict forestry rather than recognise it as a vital primary while questions remain over the effectiveness of banning carbon industry and core contributor to climate mitigation.

“We urge the Government to engage with the facts and work farming “we welcome the commitment by the Government, it is becoming clear that foresters are quickly looking for any loopholes collaboratively to refine policies that support both agriculture and forestry.” NZL that remain”.

4 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

forest talk

FSC-only timber policy excludes small forest owners THE NEW ZEALAND TIMBER INDUSTRY FEDERATION (NZTIF) IS calling on the Department of Conservation (DOC) to revise its procurement policy requiring that all timber for key Government-funded projects – such as Rākau Rangatira Phase Two located in Northland – be sourced exclusively from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests.

While intended to ensure responsible sourcing, this requirement unfairly excludes hundreds of small forest owners, including farmers and regional woodlot managers who manage their forests sustainably but are not FSC-certified. This will result in Sawmills being unable to source logs from these small scale woodlots to supply DOC projects when they may have had a strong relationship with the forest owner,” says President of NZTIF, Bruce Larsen.

According to FSC New Zealand, approximately 490,000 hectares of Forests is in the hands of small growers who are uncertified.

“FSC was originally created to combat illegal or unsustainable logging in natural forests in under-regulated regions. That’s not New Zealand. We have one of the most advanced forest management regimes in the world, with strict compliance requirements under laws like the Resource Management Act, Climate Change Response

Act, and the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry.”

DOC’s FSC-only policy imposes an unnecessary burden on small-scale forest owners, many of whom cannot justify the cost or complexity of joining an international certification system that offers little environmental or social uplift in the highly regulated New Zealand context,” he adds.

“The NZTIF believes DOC’s current approach runs counter to the Government’s own messaging around supporting local, natural materials.

“Instead of creating barriers, the NZTIF urges DOC and other government departments to adopt a more inclusive and pragmatic procurement approach – one that recognises the integrity of New Zealand’s laws, the reality of small-scale forestry, the importance of supporting regional economies, encourages domestic processing, and keeps the value chain within New Zealand.

“New Zealand timber manufacturers, small forest owners, and large forest owners are all ready to contribute to a sustainable, value-added forestry future. But government policy needs to create opportunities – not shut the gate.” NZL

Wood product exports add to record trade surplus AN INCREASE OF 42 PERCENT IN EXPORTS OF LOGS, WOOD AND wood articles for April 2025 when compared to April 2024 as reported

by Stats NZ is welcomed by the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of New Zealand (WPMA).

“It is pleasing to see wood products and log exports contributing $481 million towards the $7.8 billion record surplus, an increase of $141 million from a year ago, says WPMA Chief Executive, Mark Ross.

“This increase is encouraging for an industry that is doing it tough, but we need this trend to continue as a means of reigniting and growing our domestic wood processing sector”.

This rise comes on the back of a national trade surplus driven by primary product exports of $1.4 billion, with New Zealand importing $6.4 billion and exporting $7.8 billion of goods in April 2025. Besides wood products the main export contributors were milk products, red meat and fruit. Stats NZ highlighting that the top growth export markets in the last 12 months included ASEAN countries, such as Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, along with Europe and China.

When looking at the $141 million increase in wood product exports in more depth, the key articles contributing to this increase included wood in the rough, railway sleepers, sawn wood, veneer sheets, densified wood, along with particle board, oriented strand board and fibreboard.

“Most of these exports are value-added wood products”, says Mr Ross. “To purposefully grow our industry we need to work together

and invest in domestic processing of logs, which then allows for the creation of higher-value products like sawn timber, engineered wood, and other finished goods.

“After all, a thriving wood processing and forestry industry will create more jobs and economic opportunities in the regions, support our local communities and build economic resilience for New Zealand.” NZL

June 2025 | NZ LOGGER 5

forest talk

Radiata pine built to last A WELL-TREATED RADIATA PINE CAN STAND the test of time – and Scion has the evidence to prove it.

The Crown Research Institute was recently asked to conduct a detailed analysis on a laminated radiata pine cross-arm installed on the Desert Road in 1965 as part of the New Zealand Electricity Department’s transmission network.

The cross-arm has been lying on one side on dunnage (loose wood, matting, or similar material) 100mm off the ground, for over 15 years. It has undergone regular assessments until 1990 as part of Scion’s long-term service test programme.

Measuring 8.5m long, the cross-arms were originally made from 14 horizontally laminated pieces of 200 x 25mm radiata pine and scarf jointed end-to-end to form a finished cross-section of 270 x 165 mm.

They were bolted onto pairs of copper chrome arsenate-treated radiata pine poles, creating H-frame structures. Each cross-arm extended 1.35m beyond the poles at either end, supporting three 110kV conductors — one at each end and one centred between

them. Manufactured at the Waipa State Mill in Rotorua, the timber underwent kiln drying and dressing before lamination.

This recent analysis aimed to assess the cross-arm’s current condition and help predict the remaining service life of similar units still in service.

Scion’s timber durability researchers conducted a visual and microscopic inspection, which revealed localised decay – mainly due to brown rot fungi – where the cross-arm had been in contact with the ground. At this site, the effective cross-sectional dimensions were reduced by 10–15 percent. However, the remainder of the cross-arm showed no significant signs of deterioration. Structural testing showed the cross-arm retained an average bending strength (MoR) of 22 megapascals (MPa), meeting the characteristic strength requirement for GL10-grade laminated timber.

After removing just a few millimetres from the surface, Scion’s team found the underlying timber was still in excellent condition – a remarkable discovery given the cross-arm’s age.

Dr Tripti Singh, Scion’s timber durability expert, says the cross-arm performed as properly treated timber should. “While preservative penetration was likely limited – due to the impermeability at the glue lines and treatment after fabrication – the timber still demonstrated outstanding long-term durability.

“This case is a testament to the effectiveness of proper timber treatment and thoughtful engineering, showing that radiata pine, when handled correctly, can deliver exceptional performance for decades.” NZL

NZ’s largest inland port in the making A LANDMARK $3 BILLION PRIVATELY FUNDED DEVELOPMENT IN Otago, The Milburn Quadrant development, is set to create New Zealand’s largest inland port, boosting the export capacity of the country’s primary industries and future-proofing South Island freight logistics. So says Mark Johnston, Land & Delivery Manager at Calder Stewart, Milburn Quadrant’s developers.

Dunedin’s seaport is New Zealand’s sixth largest by export volumes and provides critical access to sea freight for Otago and Southland’s forestry, dairy and aquaculture sectors. Capacity constraints at Port Chalmers have threatened to impact the region’s economic growth, with a search for alternative sites underway.

The Milburn Quadrant development, located north of Milton, will span over 200 hectares, including a 55 hectare inland port, and connect directly to State Highway 1 and the South Island’s main trunk rail line. The site is already zoned for heavy industrial use and will require no public infrastructure investment.

The logistics facility will also take thousands of heavy truck movements off Dunedin roads, improving road safety and significantly cutting CO2 emissions and road maintenance costs, says Mr Johnston. He adds that the new regional infrastructure will act as a ‘pressure relief valve’ to address storage capacity constraints at Port Chalmers.

He says freight volumes from Central and South Otago are forecast to grow 30-40% over the next decade, driven by seasonal peaks in forestry and dairy exports.

“Milburn is a shovel-ready, future-facing development that solves 6 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

real capacity issues for our exporters. It’s fully privately funded, so it won’t burden ratepayers and offers the scale and connectivity our regional economy urgently needs.

“With Port Chalmers facing container storage limits and the cost of upgrading alternate sites like Mosgiel projected at over $100 million in public spending, Milburn offers a scalable, investment-ready solution designed to meet the growing needs of the Otago-Southland region, without placing an immediate burden on ratepayers or requiring upfront public funding.

“This region is heading into a logistics bottleneck. Without scalable inland port infrastructure, exporters will face rising costs, road congestion and lost opportunities. We estimate Milburn could eliminate over 10,000 heavy truck movements per year by shifting volume to rail.

“There is also a significant amount of farming land being converted into forestry in the lower South Island. These exports are bulky, seasonal and require staging and storage and cannot be stacked vertically like shipping containers. A larger site like Milburn can buffer this better than smaller, fragmented hubs.”

Calder Stewart has already completed Stage 1 of the project, a stateof-the-art campus with offices and a 10,000 sqm steel fabrication facility at Revolution Hills. The company will also build out the inland port infrastructure using its own property, design, manufacturing, construction teams and plant.

The company expects construction on the inland port to begin within 24 months, subject to resource consent approvals. NZL

forest talk

Injury prompts safety and AI investment

TIMBER MANUFACTURER, CLAYMARK IS PUTTING $481,000 into a range of initiatives in response to a worker losing two fingers in a machine at Claymark’s Rotorua factory in February 2023.

WorkSafe’s investigation found the machine was unguarded and there was an ineffective system for maintenance. Training and supervision of workers also fell short.

WorkSafe has now accepted an enforceable undertaking (EU) from Claymark. An EU is a binding commitment to fund and resource comprehensive health and safety improvements. Claymark’s EU includes: • CCTV systems incorporating AI technology to indicate risks to workers’ health and safety in real time, • offering up to 15 trials of the technology to other businesses in the wood manufacturing sector, • microlearning and interactive displays in break rooms to upskill workers on health and safety and • reparation to the victim.

“We are looking forward to seeing Claymark pioneer its AI innovation to benefit the timber processing sector more broadly. Agreements like this are all about enacting positive improvements from an adverse event,” says WorkSafe’s Head of Regulatory Services, Tracey Conlon.

“The initiatives align with WorkSafe’s priority plan for manufacturing, which is one of the most high-risk sectors for workers in New Zealand. Unsafe machinery is a persistent problem in the sector, which businesses cannot overlook.”

EUs are a way for WorkSafe to hold businesses accountable for health and safety breaches. WorkSafe monitors progress on the agreed commitments and can seek a court order enforcing them if they are not upheld.

“We acknowledge the effect this has had on the individual, their whānau, and our wider community, and we are committed to learning from this experience to ensure safer outcomes for everyone,” says Claymark’s Executive Director, Paul Pedersen.

“Through our enforceable undertaking, we see a valuable opportunity to drive meaningful, people-focused change – both within Claymark and across the wood manufacturing sector.”

Claymark’s key initiatives include: • engaging with local communities and schools in the towns where we operate to promote safe wood manufacturing practices and support safe, informed pathways into the industry, • working alongside the Central North Island Wood Council (CNIWC) and other industry bodies to share our learnings and help build a stronger health and safety culture sector-wide, • investing in people through modern, online and interactive training modules, with flexible learning tailored to roles and responsibilities.

“We are also exploring the potential of AI to support smarter, more responsive safety systems and personalised learning experiences,” Mr Pedersen says.

“This is about more than compliance – it’s about creating a workplace where our people feel informed, supported and safe.” NZL

Raising heavy vehicle safety standards A NEW INDUSTRY-LED SAFETY PROGRAMME AIMED AT RAISING standards across New Zealand’s transport and logistics sector has officially launched.

TruckSafe New Zealand is a not-for-profit Safety Management System (SMS) that invites heavy vehicle operators of all sizes to work towards formal certification, with the goal of improving safety, compliance, and professionalism.

The system is modelled on the Australian TruckSafe programme, which has been running for more than 27 years. Studies show certified operators across the Tasman experienced significantly 8 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

fewer crashes and insurance claims, with a 57% reduction in claims recorded within two years of certification.

TruckSafe New Zealand audits will be carried out by independent experts from Avid Plus, using Audit Compliance Solutions technology. Avid Plus brings extensive experience auditing government safety programmes, including ACC’s Fleet Saver, ensuring consistency and evidence-based assessments.

“TruckSafe arrives at a critical time for New Zealand’s transport industry,” says Chief Executive of the NZ Trucking Association and a TruckSafe New Zealand Director, David Boyce. NZL

forest talk

“Still work to be done”

INDUSTRY REGULATOR, WORKSAFE, HAS ALLOCATED 15% OF ITS targeted frontline activities to the forestry sector because of the high rate of acute harm, with the fatality rate for the sector being some 20 times higher than the average for all industries, says WorkSafe’s Head of Inspectorate, Rob Pope.

WorkSafe reset its organisational strategy in May 2024, he says.

“In part, this reset was also about focussing more intentionally on the sectors with the highest harm – forestry, agriculture, construction and manufacturing. To proportion resources between these priority sectors, WorkSafe considered a range of criteria including level of harm and exposure to risk.

“Previously, WorkSafe did not have a centralised and nationally consistent approach to how it planned and monitored the deployment of frontline resources. By allocating our resources in a planned and coordinated way we have the best chance of influencing improved health and safety outcomes, including in forestry,” he adds.

Forestry Industry Safety Council (FISC) Chief Executive, Joe Akari, says while huge strides have been made in improving health and safety in the forestry industry over the last decade, there is still work to be done.

“FISC therefore welcomes any moves by industry regulator WorkSafe that will improve the safety of our people. It is important

that we have a strong regulator. One that is not just seen as undertaking enforcement actions, but also being proactive in providing guidance, influencing leadership to improve safety and promoting targeted interventions.

“FISC’s understanding is that WorkSafe is looking to increase the number of inspectors, which we support. But again, we would like to see them work across the whole spectrum, ranging from guidance and support, through to enforcement.

“Currently at least 80% of workplace assessments are targeted to industries identified as high risk, which includes forestry, agriculture, construction and manufacturing. We expect this to continue.

“WorkSafe has also established sector engagement forums, including forestry, which we feel is a positive initiative in sharing concerns and solutions around keeping workers safe.

“However, while it is still uncertain what the new structure looks like, we were very disappointed that WorkSafe disestablished the Forestry Sector Engagement Manager role.

“Furthermore, we hope that the current reforms to our health and safety law and regulations, led by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden, will build on the lessons learned by the industry over the last decade, and not water down what is working well, in a bid to ‘simplify’ the system.” NZL

DIA DG I ANGONSO E S•E D•E D S IEGS N I G•N D•E D L IEVLEI V RER

forest talk

Wellington City Council staff plant trees at Ohariu Valley Reserve as part of the 2025 restoration planting season, an initiative that aims to plant up to 120,000 native trees and shrubs annually in Wellington’s reserves and coastal dunes.

Restoration planting underway in Wellington “BY RESTORING THE ONCE-DENSE, INDIGENOUS FORESTS THAT cloaked our city, we’re bringing back to life a treasured taonga for generations to come,” says Mayor Tory Whanau who launched Wellington City Council’s (WCC) 2025 restoration planting season at Ohariu Valley Reserve last month. The initiative aims to plant up to 120,000 native trees and shrubs annually in Wellington’s reserves and coastal dunes It is part of a 50-year project to reconnect the Wellington Western and Porirua Western Forests, which have been diminished by fire, logging, farming, the expanding rail network and housing development.

“By creating a seamless ecological corridor stretching from the fringes of Wellington’s south coast towards Porirua, native birds, insects and plants will have a continuous habitat to thrive once more.

“With around 2.5 million plants and trees already established along the town belt and coastal reserves, the Council is well on its way to planting three million by 2030.

“As kaitiaki, we have a responsibility to protect our environment and this initiative is a step against climate change. It will also safeguard our biodiversity by creating sanctuaries for our native species, prevent soil erosion, expand our city’s green spaces, foster community spirit and ultimately enrich the quality of life for all Wellingtonians,” says Mayor Whanau.

Beyond rebuilding native habitats, she says restoration planting fosters a community effort to value and care for nature.

“This community-driven approach ensures that restoration efforts are sustained and impactful, delivering a city where people and nature thrive.”

Over 100 community groups and landowners support the yearly effort, which follows months of ground preparation and careful plant selection tailored to Wellington’s rugged terrain and winds.

“We plant diverse native species to create habitats that support 10 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

birds and other wildlife,” says WCC’s Urban Ecology Manager, Daniela Biaggio.

The Council’s plant list covers a range of Wellington environments, and the plants used for restoration planting are propagated at the Council’s Berhampore Nursery from local seed. These plants are also specifically chosen for their palatability to certain pest species, such as rabbits goats and hares.

This year’s plantings will include: • Toetoe (Austroderia fulvida): a tussock grass ideal for erosion control and habitat restoration • Kanuka (Kunzea robusta): a hardy and resilient plant that thrives on Wellington’s northern slopes, which tend to dry out in the wind • Mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium): improves soil quality • Karamū (Coprosma robusta): dense foliage offers excellent wildlife habitat and abundant fruit for birds and mokomoko (lizards) • Koromiko tāranga (Hebe parviflora): can handle all sorts of conditions, especially windy spots, and its flowers are a treat for pollinators • Māpou (Myrsine australis): provides excellent wildlife cover, effectively stabilises soil, and enhances forest structure • Mingimingi (Coprosma propinqua): offers excellent habitat for small birds and insects and effectively stabilises soil.

Apart from Wellington’s windy conditions, sparse soils and even escaped livestock, she says the biggest challenge to restoration planting is maintenance.

“While many are keen to plant, not as many are excited to invest in the maintenance, weeding, and monitoring. We have been lucky to partner with Conservation Volunteers NZ, which helps us to do a lot of this maintenance.”

To gauge if its restoration efforts are working, the Council tracks how well the new plants are growing, and the variety and number of native birds, lizards and invertebrates throughout Wellington. NZL

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forest talk

New Zealand champion, Mark Morley.

Photos: Tom Buchanan and Inshot Studio.

NZ’s best Caterpillar operator GREYMOUTH CONTRACTOR, MARK MORLEY, HAS SUCCESSFULLY beaten 23 of the country’s best heavy machinery operators, to be crowned the New Zealand champion of the Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge at Wheels at Wãnaka.

A record-breaking 65,000 spectators attended this year’s Wheels at Wānaka. Despite having to perform in front of a huge audience, the 34-year-old negotiated a Caterpillar excavator, wheel loader and a compact track loader around a series of obstacle courses and timebased challenges.

“I think the most nerve-wracking part was having three times the population of Greymouth watching me work,” says the MBD Contracting supervisor.

“The nerves were at an all-time high, but I just tried to focus on doing the best I could, staying smooth and finishing each of the challenges within the tight time limits.”

Despite having limited experience driving wheel-loaders and compact track loaders, Mr Morley impressed the judges with his skills and accuracy and, after two days of competition,

12 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

was announced the champion.

“When they called out my name, I was absolutely gobsmacked. I didn’t know what to think or how to react as I wasn’t expecting to win,” he says.

“I thought I’d done okay at Saturday’s finals, but it was hard to know how you compared to the other operators as they were competing on different machinery at the same time.”

Second and third places were awarded to Manawatu’s Allister Dransfield (Dransfield Contracting) and Cambridge’s Jamie Ashby (C & R Developments).

Terra Cat Chief Executive Officer, Chris Heaton, says Mr Morley’s success at the final Wheels at Wānaka event is a testament to the high skill level of operators in New Zealand.

“The level of competition at this first-ever Global Operator Challenge was incredibly high, and all contestants represented their companies and themselves exceptionally well, while showcasing the versatility of Caterpillar machines,” he says.

“Caterpillar staff helped with the management of the GOC and commented that the hydraulic excavator skills of the Kiwi competitors were the best they’d seen.

“We wish Mark the very best as he progresses to the next stage of the competition.”

As the champion of Caterpillar’s first-ever New Zealand Global Operator Challenge, Mr Morley will now head to Japan in October to take on the best operators in the Asia-Pacific. If he wins there, he’ll progress to the world finals in Las Vegas in March 2026.

“I’m super-excited but also a bit anxious about heading to Japan,” he admits. “I really want to do my best for myself, for MBD and for Terra Cat. “I also feel like I need to perform at my best for all the competitors I went up against at Wānaka. This is a great chance to represent New Zealand on the other side of the world.” NZL

forest talk

Carbon forestry on stage IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! ON 19-20 AUGUST THE CARBON Forestry 2025 conference will run at the Distinction Hotel, Rotorua.

Hosted by Innovatek, Director John Stulen says the event is always well-attended by a wide range of foresters and investors: “It’s the place for forest managers, professional advisers and lawmakers to meet and debate government policy and market changes. This year there is plenty to discuss and debate.”

Key issues this year will be two recent reports from Government agencies. The Climate Change Commission recently released its latest advice on NZ ETS unit limits and price control setting for 20262030. This latest advice to the Government reflects efforts to restore confidence, clarity and certainty in the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Climate Forestry Association (CFA) Chief Executive, Andrew Cushen, says the Commission’s report highlights the need to give market participants the confidence to invest over the long term in supporting New Zealand’s climate goals.

“The advice on ETS unit settings helps achieve that, with a welcome approach of fact-based analysis and carefully calibrated recommendations that will help keep our approach on track while maintaining consistency in our national approach,” he says.

The CFA welcomes the Commission’s advice that underscores the ETS as the main tool for reducing domestic emissions, and that confidence in the market mechanism has improved but remains fragile.

The Commission says the aim of its advice is to support “a credible, predictable and stable market”.

A new report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the

Environment, Alt-F Reset: Examining the drivers of forestry in New Zealand was also recently released. The NZ Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) says it raises critical questions about carbon forestry’s role within the ETS. This report highlights that New Zealand’s current heavy reliance on a single tree species carries both economic and environmental risks.

NZFOA Chief Executive, Dr Elizabeth Heeg, notes that while the new report raises important considerations for land use adaptation in a changing climate, some of its recommendations could be counterintuitive to progressing climate action.

To register, visit: https://innovatek.co.nz/event/carbon-forestry-2025/ Virtual bookings are available. NZL

2024 Carbon Forestry Conference Markets Panel. Panelists from left: Nigel Brunel, Eva Murray, Christina Hood and Dan Williams.

Iron Test

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Farrell Logging regular operator, Craig Braven, unloading the Komatsu 895HD Comfort Ride at the stacks.

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ODAY WE ARE IN THE CATLINS WITH Mark Farrell from Farrell Logging to Iron Test his new Komatsu 895HD Comfort Ride forwarder.

Eastern Southland looks like one of the luckiest parts of the country to be a logger. Smooth rolling hills, nice tall and straight tree stems and bright green grassy paddocks of beef and mutton to ensure a tasty dinner after work. And then you can add in zero early load outs to take a fair bit of stress out of your day.

The weather forecast is for a fine, sunny day and I guess that may be happening up above the rain and wind chill but it isn’t much use to us there.

The old cotton shorts get a good workout drying the rain – soaked camera lens and then the windchill starts to have an effect on stability as the first signs of pre-hypothermia set in. I have to run from one shot position to the next to keep warm despite five layers of clothing. On the plus side there is some good shooting light diffused through the mist.

This is our second time into the Southland eucalypt clearfell operations and it still surprises us to see thousands of tonnes of debarked logs laid out over many hectares waiting for collection. Today there is a difference because there is some extra steep ground in this block, so there is a contract tree faller named Fizzer who has tipped most of the steep area trees over with his Stihl 661 and he also has a 22-tonne excavator down there tracking. It has a quick hitch, so can go from grapple to bucket in a few minutes. Once the tracks are done, the 22-tonne Sumi operator and Mark,

with his Komatsu harvester, will shovel the wood up to the track and process it so the forwarder can collect it.

Bigger tractive effort And it’s a big forwarder. There’s a 7.4-litre engine packing 280 horsepower and a payload of 20 tonnes. This is similar to the Grimmer Contracting forwarder we profiled in the April 2023 edition of NZ Logger but this HD version is over a tonne heavier and has an XT transmission which hugely increases its tractive effort from 262Kn to 307Kn, meaning more power on the hills. This new range shift gearbox has dual parallel hydraulic motors. There is 49 L/min more hydraulic flow at lower RPM and it has some special Comfort Ride features well suited to high SPH (Stems Per Hectare or maybe that should be Stumps Per Hectare) forests such as these which are harvested on a shorter rotation than less heavily stocked radiata stands. But more about that later.

Mark Farrell has been running a harvester for many years in Southland, starting out in a 50/50 partnership with DT King. He then bought out DT King’s share and now Mark, along with his wife Vicki, runs Farrell Logging as a standalone contract harvester owneroperator. Contract forwarder owneroperator, Bill Grant, usually worked on the same blocks picking up the

IronBANNER Tester, Bill BANNER 3 1heads back to the stacks with a 20 tonne load.

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MAKE K A U R I P R OT E C T I O N S E C O N D N AT U R E

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Left: Iron Tester, Bill Grant, takes the Komatsu 895HD Comfort Ride on the final approach to the log stacks.

Centre: The last few trees of the block await the saw as regular operator, Craig Braven, finishes another 20 tonne load.

Right: Self-levelling kicks in automatically as regular operator, Craig Braven, begins unloading. logs that Mark harvested until Bill wanted to retire after more than 50 years in the industry, so he then sold his forwarding operation to Mark and Vicki.

Mark spent time as a hunting guide for some years prior to this, dividing his time between hunting grounds in Canada and the alpine animals in the South Island of New Zealand. He is still mad keen on his hunting, both deer and pigs, and is itching for us to be finished with this test so he can climb into a chopper with some mates and chase roaring stags.

Impressive ride As the forwarder approaches us, Mark points out the cab moving with the terrain and says that the Comfort Ride system in this forwarder is a huge selling point.

During the forwarder selection process, Paul Roche from Komatsu Forest took Mark and his operator, Craig Braven (“Bravo”), to Tasmania to visit the same model machine working there, so Craig could take a proper test drive in real life conditions.

Paul says, “We visited Manuel Hall’s logging business in Tassie.

We were hosted by the Hall family’s long time employee, Screw Wilson, who had been working in the Hall’s business straight out of school and was a couple of years away from retirement. Experience like that is such a great asset to the industry and this proved invaluable in

Regular operator, Craig Braven, loading up a demo load.

discussing the attributes of the new machine - after many thanks we were off to New Zealand with the deal done.”

“We were very impressed,” Mark says. “Bigger drive train with the XT transmission, self-levelling so you aren’t sitting on one butt cheek while loading, the floating cab and also a new bogie with larger hub reductions and lower balancing characteristics are a real game changer for operator longevity. They have also made it a bit smarter, so if you are moving slowly and loading or unloading it keeps the selflevelling function, and when you speed up, it automatically switches to prioritising cab suspension with the longer stroke suspension.”

Mark spends most of his time running the Komatsu harvester: “I enjoy the owner-operator aspect of harvester operation. And I’m lucky I’ve got Craig; he’s a hell of a good fella.”

The crew has been in this block two months and is pretty much done harvesting but has plenty of wood left to forward.

The next block is back home to a valley further East in the Catlins, where Mark says, “I’m on a first name basis with every sand fly.”

Luckily it’s too windy for them here today.

Regular operator, Craig Braven, is limping today due to recovering from a broken femur while out jet boating. Craig starts forwarding about 6:30am each day, so gives the lighting package a good workout during the winter months. When not working he enjoys hunting and getting into the back country, staying in huts and living the hunting life. He has a 4.8 metre Mackraft jet boat which he says is about a two-deer boat and the deer are around 130kg dressed around here.

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“In the higher populated areas the deer are fairly little but around the farms, a good stag might be 130kg. There hasn’t been a lot of aerial hunting going on, so in some areas the numbers have gotten high,” he says.

Craig got into silviculture straight out of school and stuck at that for 11 years, thinning, pruning and planting as the seasons rolled over. He then asked the local logger for a job on diggers to work up his log handling skills before taking a job in Bill Grant’s forwarder and joining Mark when

Insert: Regular operator, Craig Braven, returns to work.

Main: It’s a super wide unit, with owner, Mark Farrell, tree faller, Fizzer, and regular operator, Craig Braven, looking on.

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Above from left: Iron Tester, Bill Grant (left) and regular operator, Craig Braven, with the Komatsu 895HD Comfort Ride; Bill Grant, starts loading up with a decent 400mm eucalypt log; The new XT transmission grunts up the hill with no trouble at all; Craig Braven (left) and machine owner, Mark Farrell, discuss the next log hunting mission.

Below: The all-round tracks make for great traction and soil conservation. the business changed hands. Craig also hops in Mark’s harvester from time to time if required to keep the workflow up, so is a valued all-rounder.

Getting the job done Hamish Hesselin is the local Komatsu Forest Tech Support and he arrives to adjust the control patterns for our new forwarder Iron Tester, Bill Grant. Bill is an acknowledged local expert on the forwarding of logs and owned the predecessor of this Komatsu forwarder, so is wellpositioned to give us feedback on this new one. Bill has come back from holiday and out of retirement to test this machine for us.

After a briefing on the work plan from Craig, Bill sets off down the hill to get some logs.

There is about a 100 metre haul from the processed wood up to the landing and this wood, once stacked, will wait in the queue for some months before being transported to Bluff by the cartage contractor and his loader.

There are some pretty big butt logs that Bill gathers onto the forwarder, ranging from close to 400mm down to 40mm. It’s less than 10 minutes from the time Bill parks beside the logs until he is making his way loaded back up to the stacks. You can read more about his test on the next page.

Contract tree faller, Fizzer, has been felling since he was 16 and is now 42. He has used mostly Stihls in that time but also has time for a few Husqvarna saws. Today he has a couple of Stihl 661’s and a 500i along for tree frightening.

Fizzer works mostly on over size Old Man Pine (OMP) and big Macrocarpa. On a recent job he did he had one log that weighed in at 10.3 tonne at 3.7 metres long so he’s the go to for big wood tree falling in Southland.

He contracts to local sawmills and helps out in plantation forests where required such as here today.

As the weather deteriorates further into what looks like an Antarctic blizzard, Craig parks the 895 up for the day. His Farrell Logging work ute is a Hilux with a very slick looking alloy canopy made by Custom Engineering in Alexandra.

Mark says, “We like these – as well as being great for secure logging tool storage they make good shelter for my pig dogs.”

As we drive out past the enormous log stacks they are testament to the abilities of the 895HD to get the job done in all weathers while keeping the operator well cared for and it must be good to know at the end of the day that there are about an thousand truckloads of logs on the skid.

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Iron Tester: Bill Grant

Plenty to appreciate

I STARTED OUT IN THE FORESTRY industry planting trees in the snow at Tapanui in the South Island and moved on to other silvicultural tasks, pruning and then thinning, so I got a good grounding in the basics of getting through the terrain and seeing how things are done from the beginning.

Prior to that, being born in Tokomaru Bay and raised in Gisborne, I took my first plane ride to the South aged 19 when my Uncle invited me down to work as an apprentice at Conical Hill. He was the NZFS Camp Seargent there at the time.

Rather than being in camp I wanted to be out in the forest, so that’s where I went in 1971. There were two or three silvi crews with six or seven guys in each as crew members came and went.

Once I got out of silvi I went into felling bigger trees – 60- to 70-year-old pines, the old crop. My boss told me those big trees are the easiest to fell. I went through the training and qualification process and was one of the first in the South Island to get my felling qualifications. You had to be very careful not to hit a stump when felling those big trees as they would shatter.

The crew vehicles back then were the old CF Bedford vans. Rough as hell to ride in, they were. And all Cat Yellow, that was the only colour they seemed to come in.

When the Forest Service closed up we all got our redundancy and Ray Harraway bought some of the gear. He finished up on the Friday and started his own business logging the following Monday, so I joined him felling and breaking out. I felled for 20 years all up. I ended up working for Nelson Eade and at one stage Nelson hired a six-wheel forwarder from an outfit in Rotorua and when it arrived at our skid nobody wanted to unload it. I was starting to feel my age a bit and I thought moving into a machine was

1. Regular operator, Craig Braven, climbs up the retractable steps to discuss the engine.

2. The seat and controls.

3. The engine and filter bay.

4. The view from the operator’s seat.

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probably a good next move.

And that’s logging really, you always need to be thinking ahead. So I had a chat to the transporter driver about it and then got in and had a go. Just took it slow and got it safely off the truck. Then I thought, ‘right, might as well go and get a load’, so off I went and I didn’t want to get out of that machine.

Especially when it was raining.

Eventually I bought one of Nelson Eade’s forwarders and went into a 50/50 deal with DT King to start off which was good. Over the years I’ve owned six forwarders and for a while I was running two of them full time.

Good stuff After all that running around felling and breaking out for haulers and tractor crews my knees are buggered now but not too buggered to get in and test this new Komatsu forwarder.

The hydraulic step ladder is a good and solid route up to the cab and the door shuts with a good, solid sound to it. Sitting down, the seat is good and comfortable and Craig Braven (“Bravo”), has the heater on with some nice fresh warm air to knock the chill back. Easy to get comfortable in here.

The gear shift is the same as my old Komatsu but there are a few extra buttons in this one.

One of my issues with forwarders is the feedback from all the stumps we have 1 to drive over. Especially in this sector where there

3

Iron Tester, Bill Grant. are high stocking rates as the gums are all planted close together for maximum production over a shorter lifespan. Over the years various forwarders have given us better seat suspension and better floating cabs with improved shock absorption, but the ongoing problem was the bogie banging and crashing independently of the cab. By the end of the day you would be sore from all that jolting. These guys at Komatsu seem to have sorted that problem out with a bogie brake system to greatly reduce that jolting, an adjustable lateral rigidity function and a great four-point cab suspension system.

So Comfort Ride is a good name for it. It’s a much smoother ride down the hill to the logs than what I am used to.

The cameras and screens are nice and fresh and sharp as I park close to a good

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IFICATION

SPEC S

KOMATSU 895HD COMFORT RIDE ENGINE AGCO 7.4L, 6 cylinder Stage II diesel engine with turbo and intercooler.

Power 210kw @ 1850RPM Torque 1200Nm @1500RPM TRANSMISSION XT Extreme Transmission Computer controlled Hydrostatic mechanical HYDRAULIC SYSTEM Single circuit load sensing system with variable piston pump.

409 l/min @ 1950 rpm.

UNDERCARRIAGE Tracks (Optional): Front bogie 915/960mm. Rear bogie 915/1023mm TYRES: 780 wide Nokian Forest King TRS 2 Tractive effort Speed range

307kN 0-23km/h

BOOM/ARM/GRAPPLE Max reach

8.5m

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REFILL CAPACITIES (LITRES) Fuel tank Hydraulic tank Rear diffs Front diffs Engine oil Cooling system Auto Greaser

245 150 17 17 27 36 2

DIMENSIONS (MM) Length Width Height Wheelbase Ground Clearance Operating weight Payload

selection of logs where Bravo left off and start loading up. This grapple is bigger than I have used previously on a forwarder – good for grabbing big bunches in close but you need to be mindful to reduce the grab size further out. The boom and controls are the same as on my previous Komatsu which was a good machine. Never had any issues with it, no cracks in the boom or anything like that and we used it too. Not every now and then but every day.

There is some very good hydraulic cushioning on this machine, so all the boom movements terminate softly instead of jolting. Good stuff.

Visibility out of the cab is great. No complaints there. Good gate design so you can easily see through to the load while giving excellent protection from the

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logs at the same time.

As the weather starts to get wetter and colder outside that heater is appreciated even more. Can see a couple of blokes shivering out there in the cold.

With 20 tonnes of decent logs on board I sit the grapple on top of the load and start backing up the hill to the stacks; and that is stress-free with the camera feeds to the clear screens. It fair grunts up the steep pinch with no trouble at all with the load on. I love the band tracks all round too.

Maximum traction and really low impact on the soil. And once up at the stacks, the cab automatically goes to the highest position so you get the best view possible for unloading. There’s plenty to appreciate about this machine. Smooth loading. Heaps of grunt and heaps of comfort. I like it. NZL

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Special Feature

The state of forestry in Gisborne Story: Sophie Rishworth

F

ORESTRY IS AT A CROSSROADS IN Gisborne, as declining contractors, increasing economic challenges and environmental scrutiny threaten the lifeline of this vital industry.

Five years ago, there were 22 towers in the region – 70 foot machines that get logs up hills. Today, only eight are left.

Three years ago, there were 118 forestry contractors (who employed teams) working in this region. Today, 36 are left.

The pandemic, followed by extreme weather events has meant the rainy day money in forestry is gone, companies are losing money to stay in this region and the contractors who are left are living week to week.

Erika Herries and her husband Dan started Lumberjack Logging 12 years ago and employ a crew of 10 men. She’s also a board member on Eastland Wood Council and Women in Forestry.

She says many in our community view forestry companies as the “big, bad” foreign entities: “But the reality is they employ hundreds of locals. Forestry is a big industry in this region.”

Keeping their contracting company afloat isn’t just important for their family but for the families of the men they employ, she adds, urging support for the industry in these tough times.

Flow-on effect Infometrics’ 2024 Regional Economic Profile for Gisborne shows 18.6% of this region’s employment is made up of jobs in forestry, agriculture and fishing.

Across New Zealand, these same three industries make up only 5.4% of employment.

Clearly this region relies heavily on primary industries.

Forestry, logging and wood product manufacturing account for 32% of tradeable Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the region.

Tradeable GDP refers to what can be sold outside the region – both internationally and within New Zealand. It supports the overall economy by generating jobs and economic activity. It also creates demand for non-tradeable industries like construction,

As diesel mechanics, Tamanui Hill and David Hayes fix and service the machines in forests around Gisborne. Diesel mechanics are one of the many industries reliant on the forestry industry for work with primary Industries accounting for almost 20% of this region’s employment.

retail, education and healthcare – keeping them thriving indirectly.

Infometrics’ July 2024 Assessment of Tairāwhiti's Tradeable Sector, created for Trust Tairāwhiti, showed this region is more reliant on the tradeable sector than the national average. This means when forestry suffers, it has a wider impact on this region’s economy.

As we know, the flow on effect is felt not only by those directly employed, and their families, but by all the businesses relying on forestry for their work. Diesel mechanics, tyre fitters, hospitality and retail – to name a few – all thrive when forestry is doing well.

The Truck Stop on Awapuni Road is a popular spot to grab something to eat for forestry crews and truck drivers. Owner, Reid Halliwell, says it’s very noticeable “when they’re not all going to work”.

“We’re not getting a lot at the moment – a few truck drivers but nowhere what it used to be like. We’re doing okay, but we’d be doing quite a bit better if they were around. When forestry is quiet the whole town goes funny.”

Ashley Fisher is an accountant, and the

Eastland Wood Council Deputy Chair and Regional Manager for Forest Enterprises, Warren Rance, says among many benefits of forestry is land protection and keeping soil on the hills.

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The Truck Stop on Awapuni Road in Gisborne.

Gisborne Chamber of Commerce President.

“When forestry has a downturn, everyone feels it,” he says, “because we’re heavily invested in it as part of our region. When it’s not thriving, nobody is.”

He says all discussions around forestry ultimately lead to compliance, and this must be taken into an economic context.

“Because if you make something financially unsustainable, it won’t continue.

Delays through compliance mean people lose their jobs and the flow-on effect of people leaving their homes, and Gisborne,

to find other opportunities.

Over recent years, Eastland Port has invested around $140 million into upgrading and enhancing its infrastructure. The port relies fully on the forestry industry which makes up 88% of its income.

Eastland Tyres owner, Jason Jones, says the effect of the recent decline in forestry on his business has been “huge”: “Business is nowhere near what it was like three years ago. Staff levels have downsized and when someone leaves, they’re not replaced.

“Like it or hate it, forestry has a huge

impact on how our circle of business goes around in Gisborne. It’s not just the logging trucks, it’s the mechanics, the metal trucks, just everything really.

“Hopefully with this mill opening it will make a big difference in this area.”

Future prospects Earlier this year Millari New Zealand bought the former JNL sawmill. Some jobs are already being advertised, though no opening date has been confirmed.

Millari New Zealand CEO, Ryan Yari, says

®

EXCLUSIVE NEW ZEALAND DISTRIBUTOR OF GB FORESTRY EQUIPMENT

EXCLUSIVE NEW ZEALAND DISTRIBUTOR OF GB FORESTRY PRODUCTS

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Special Feature

A forestry skid site up Waingake Road. the mill will provide 150 jobs, which would create between 300-500 indirect jobs as a result.

“We are hoping to hire directly from the Gisborne community as our priority, but we are sure people who have left Gisborne to find work would love the opportunity to come back if there were more opportunities available.”

The first year’s projected output is around 80,000m3, with the goal to triple that within five years to between 200-250,000m3.

He says everyone’s excited about what they are doing at the mill in Gisborne.

“The community is behind us 100 percent; our staff are also amazing, and 100 percent committed to bringing the mill back to its former glory.”

Another Gisborne business reliant on forestry (that didn’t want to be named), is a company that sells equipment to the industry and employs diesel mechanics to service that equipment on site.

The branch manager has been in the industry since 1998 and is a former forester.

He says over those 27 years he’s seen “massive changes environmentally”.

But when forestry goes through a downturn, the company’s work slows down and the money owing grows faster – and two years ago they had to cut back on staff, he says.

Working together The multi-decade nature of forestry has meant bad practices of the past are showing environmental impacts now.

Since 2018, the forestry industry has been under increased scrutiny in Gisborne after more than 10 extreme rain events mobilised large numbers of woody debris down hills and into waterways, which 28 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

ultimately ended up along the coastline as a mix of exotic and native timbers.

We know forestry companies have been prosecuted and fined as a result of the pine, and there is now a heavier enforcement presence from Gisborne District Council (Council).

Eastland Wood Council (EWC) and forestry companies are working hard towards better relationships and communication with Council’s forestry compliance team.

Warren Rance, EWC Deputy Chair and Regional Manager of Forest Enterprises, says a strategic priority of EWC is to utilise their combined decades of experience to help educate: “Which means better outcomes for everyone in our community.

“There’s also been seven years of damage control and changes to the way things are done in forestry since 2018.

“It can take years for these changes to filter through and be visible to the public, but we’re on the cusp of that right now.

“Since cyclones Hale and Gabrielle in 2023, every wood count on the town beaches after heavy rain events has shown a steady reduction in the amount of ‘poor practice’ pine among the woody debris.

“This will continue to fall.”

His strong environmental focus comes from a forestry career that’s spanned 30 years and included managing erosion control projects in other countries.

“A real benefit of forestry is protection of the land and keeping the soil on the hills. If we get this right, forestry can continue to contribute to the economy, community and environment.”

Balance and sustainability Council Chief Executive, Nedine Thatcher Swann, strongly believes progress is being

made by bringing the forestry sector and Council together.

“Open conversation and collaboration are essential to addressing land use challenges, and the Transition Advisory Group (TAG) is an excellent example of this kind of cross-sector collaboration. The TAG is developing guidelines to transition erosionprone land to permanent vegetation cover.

“We’ve been engaging in important conversations with key industries through TAG, and as we near the completion of the transition guidelines, this is just the beginning of laying the foundation to future-proof our region’s land.

“Our continued commitment to working together will ensure that we can tackle these challenges head-on, allowing our region to thrive for generations to come.”

Forestry Industry Contractors Association (FICA) CEO, Rowan Struthers, agrees: “Progress is being made in this region because there are more open conversations between Council, as the regulators, and those who work in the forestry industry.

“All the parties have to restore trust in one another, and this can only happen through good communication and people doing what they say they are going to do.”

He says forestry will continue in Gisborne, with some land staying commercial for pine while other land is transitioned into more permanent forest cover.

“It’s about balance between the environment, health and safety, and the productivity to profitability ratio – and it’s about long-term sustainability.”

Gisborne is heavily reliant on the forestry industry for jobs, trade and economic benefits. The recent decline in the industry has seen the region struggle. Open dialogue between the main players is happening now, as they decide how to move forward so this region can thrive again.

Concerning consents FORESTRY CONSENT DELAYS IN GISBORNE are causing frustration within the industry, with concerns over lengthy processing times compared to Hawke’s Bay. While Council defends its approach, industry leaders say slow approvals are costly and disruptive.

A local contractor who did not want to be named says she understands Council wants to be seen to be doing something post Gabrielle “but it can’t be at the expense of an industry”.

“It can take up to 18 months to approve a consent here in Gisborne. Literally over the boundary in Hawke’s Bay the same consent can take two weeks.

“Hawke’s Bay had a terrible time with Gabrielle too. However, Hawke’s Bay supports forestry as a key economic sector for its region.

“Progress is happening but it’s slow.

We just hope for more willingness and openness from Council.”

Gisborne District Council (GDC) Sustainable Futures Director, Joanna Noble, says over the past 12 months, 84% of forestry consents lodged with Council have been processed within the 20 working day target.

“The turnaround time can sometimes be extended when there are complexities and further information required.

“There can also be agreed delays between Council and the applicant to ensure the best outcome for the environment and the applicant.

“The suggestion of a forestry consent taking 18 months is incorrect. The only way a consent would take that long to process would be if Council requested further information and had to wait for it to be supplied by the applicant,” she says.

Eastland Wood Council (EWC) Board Chair, Julian Kohn, says Council’s timeframes have focussed on adjusted processing times for consents.

“This is misleading. The forestry industry is concerned about the overall duration consents take.

“Delays of five to eight months are common. This is a very costly issue for this region.”

He says Council uses two sections of the Resource Management Act (RMA) to ask questions on consent applications, and this stops the clock on processing while they’re answered.

“In contrast, Hawke’s Bay often processes consents in weeks, or a couple of months.

As a result, there are huge discrepancies in the cost of these applications.”

He adds that the EWC has been having regular meetings with Council’s consenting team for around six months to work on these matters: “And communication has improved as a result. However, solutions are not happening quickly enough from the industry’s perspective.

“The main frustration is the inexperience and shortage of some Council staff, which means the forestry work is outsourced to consultants. Many of these consultants aren’t as current with their knowledge as the applicants are within the industry, and often don’t understand basic forestry operational practices, so can’t be expected to provide appropriate feedback to Council.

“Sometimes they ask for information already provided, or it is outside the scope of the consent.

“Delays are damaging to business operations, the environment, and our region’s broader wellbeing.”

Gisborne District Council Chief Executive, Nedine Thatcher Swann.

Ms Noble says Council is looking for a person for a new strategic focused forestry role that would help shape the way they manage their forestry consenting portfolio: “This pivotal role will drive initiatives to support the enabling of better environmental outcomes and the streamlining of internal consenting processes, and will foster positive change by promoting best practice and minimising unnecessary delays.

“The successful candidate will play a central role in shaping the future of forestry for our region.”

New conditions Meanwhile, Gisborne District Council recently introduced new standard forestry consent conditions, developed after more than a year of collaboration and consultation with industry stakeholders.

Council Chief Executive, Nedine Thatcher Swann, says the new conditions, which respond directly to the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use, represent “a significant step forward in advancing sustainable land management in the region”. She says the conditions strike a careful balance between enabling the forestry sector and protecting the environment: “These conditions are an important step toward providing certainty to the forestry sector and meeting our environmental obligations.

“The conditions represent Council’s interim position and will guide decision-making on forestry resource consent applications on a case-by-case basis. They form part of a wider programme of work, with Council continuing to develop a more integrated and holistic approach through its forestry plan change. Council will also remain responsive to emerging scientific data and insights.”

She says: “Both Council and the forestry industry have dedicated significant time and effort to develop these new consent conditions. This collaboration and constructive partnership has resulted in meaningful progress toward finding common ground and setting a clear path forward.

“While some differing views remain, Council is confident that these new consent conditions provide a solid foundation for ongoing collaboration.”

Let’s hope new consent conditions don’t mean additional consent approval time. NZL June 2025 | NZ LOGGER 29

Looking Back

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A TIME TO REMEMBER: Story & photos: Ross Lockyer

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T WAS MID-1961 WHEN AN ADVERT appeared in all the national and regional newspapers for interested persons to apply for the position of Forest Ranger Trainee with the New Zealand Forest Service (NZFS).

At that time, the NZFS managed and administered the entire publicly owned indigenous and exotic forest estate in the country. The Forest Service required a significant cadre of technical and professional foresters to supervise, plan and manage the operations, the workers and forestry stations throughout the country. There were three distinct levels of professional forestry people who were trained or sponsored by the government.

Firstly, there were Woodsmen who were selected from the forest labourer gangs and trained at the Woodsman Schools at Golden Downs Forest in the Nelson District and at Kaingaroa Forest in the Central North Island. Woodsmen were generally employed as labour supervisors and trainers and performed much of the basic skilled forestry work.

Next were the Technical Trainees who were trained at the Forestry Training Centre (FTC) in Rotorua and in various forests to become Forest Rangers. The Forest Rangers generally were involved in all manner of technical forestry operations, personnel training, forest survey and planning, and supervision and management of forest stations. At the third level were the professional Foresters who in earlier years did their forestry degree at Oxford in the UK, but in later years at Canterbury University in New Zealand. The Foresters were the professionals in the forestry business and were involved in forest research and experimentation, and the design and planning of forests among other things.

30 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

1: 2025 Ranger School Reunion barbeque out back of Lantern Court Motel, Reefton.

From left: Reg Wisnewski, Liz King, Jodie, Bob Crooke, Rex King and Mitch Hughes.

2: Out back of Lantern Court Motel, Reefton. John Birchfield (left) and Lestari Lockyer cooking up whitebait patties for the team, 2025.

3: In front of Jos Divis' restored cottage, Waiuta Mine, 2025. From left: Liz King, Jacqui Low (Birchfield), Jude Baker, Lestari Lockyer and Jodie (Bob Crooke's daughter).

4: In front of old Reefton Ranger School lecture room, 2025. From left: Colin Goodrich, Rex King, Reg Wisnewski, Mitch Hughes, Ross Lockyer, John Birchfield, Gordon Baker, Barry McLaughlin and Bob Crooke.

5: Reefton Ranger School, 1963. 2025 reunion attendees from left: Back; 1st Reg Wisnewski, 12th Gordon Baker. Centre; 3rd Barry McLaughlin, 4th Mitch Hughes, 6th Bob Crooke. Front; 1st Rex King, 2nd Colin Goodrich, 3rd Ross Lockyer, 4th John Birchfield.

6: Ranger Trainees at Lyndon Hut in the Craigieburns while planting contorta pine on the shingle screes, 1963. From left: Ross Lockyer, Les Seaward, Alan Nock, Mitch Hughes, Graham Tapper, Graham Watson and John Reid.

7: Ranger Trainees outside Downies Hut, upper Matakitaki River after a succesful chamois hunt, 1963. From left: Ross Lockyer and Les Seaward.

8: Ranger Trainees just completed the trek up the Matakitaki River, over the Sabine, D'Urville and Travers Ranges to Lake Rotoroa. On the road near Murchison waiting for the gang bus pickup back to Dip Flat, 1963. From left: Leith Knowles, Graham Tapper, Bob Crooke (face hidden), Colin Goodrich, Reg Wisnewski, John Scriven, Dave Cameron, John Birchfield, John Edmonds, Tony Newton and Gordon Baker.

9: Ranger School Trainees on Ross Lockyer's 1928 Model A in front of the Reefton Ranger School on a Sunday morning. From left: Graham Watson, Barry McLaughlin, John Reid, Herb Robinson, Mel Davis and Alan Nock (front), 1963.

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June 2025 | NZ LOGGER 31

Looking Back

In 1958, due to the projected demand for more skilled technical and management people to staff the rapidly expanding New Zealand forestry industry, the NZFS introduced the Forest Ranger Trainee Scheme, which was a four-year course of Instruction in forestry, culminating in the NZFS Ranger Certificate. This replaced the previous Technical Trainee scheme with a more complete and professional qualification. The four-year Ranger Trainee scheme started with a six-week induction course at the Forestry Training Centre in Rotorua followed by hands-on forestry experience while living and working at various forest stations located around the country for the remainder of the first year.

Year two commenced with a four-week Hunter Training Course at Dip Flat in the Nelson Lakes region of the South Island.

This was the same course that all the government deer cullers were put through prior to their assignment to native forest protection all over the country. The remainder of year two was spent at the Reefton Ranger School on the West Coast of the South Island.

Year three involved timber cruising (surveying) in native forests followed by the bulk of the year at the Rotorua Ranger School at the FTC in Rotorua. In the fourth and final year, the trainees were stationed in various forests all over the country as junior Forest Rangers.

The Ranger Trainee scheme continued for 10 years until 1968 and trained over 250 Forest Rangers. The final intake went through Reefton in 1967.

Home from home Our intake commenced at the FTC in Rotorua on 8 January 1962 with 30 trainees selected from all over New Zealand. The legendary Forester, Ralph Naylor, was the Officer/ Ranger in Charge (OIC) at FTC at that time and he was undoubtedly the man for that job. At the end of the six-week induction course, one trainee had dropped out and 29 of us were sent off to various forests around the country. At the completion of the course in December 1965, all 29 Trainees graduated with the NZFS Ranger Certificate.

Our second year as Trainees (1963), and the first year when we were all together for the whole year, was our favourite year of the four-year course and a time on which we all looked back with fond memories. The four weeks at Dip Flat Hunter Training School and the trek up the Matakitaki River over the Spenser Range, the D’Urville, the Sabine and down the Travers, was an experience 32 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

Above: Blacks Point Museum, Reefton, 2025. Ross Lockyer with a vintage Pioneer chainsaw as used by NZFS Ranger Trainees in 1963.

Below: Ranger School Reunion, front of old Reefton Ranger School lecture room, 2025. From left: Colin Goodrich, Rex King, Reg Wisnewski, Mitch Hughes, Ross Lockyer, John Birchfield, Gordon Baker, Barry McLaughlin and Bob Crooke.

Looking Back

never to be forgotten for us keen and fit 19-year-olds.

Reefton Ranger School (RRS) Camp was our home for a year, and we all became good mates and actively enjoyed our life in Reefton and the West Coast. We were into hunting, exploring the old mines, frequenting the local pubs – which even in the days of 6 o’clock closing, stayed open until late into the night on the West Coast – and, of course, we had a healthy interest in the local young ladies and particularly the nurses at the nearby Reefton Nurses Hostel.

Two of our number subsequently married Reefton girls and all three of the RRS cook’s daughters married Ranger Trainees from various intakes.

Over the following 37 years those 29 Forest Rangers scattered hither and yon all over New Zealand and around the world, and the majority continued working in a broad range of forest industries, locations and situations. Without exception, in later years, we all agreed that the NZFS Forest Ranger Trainee course gave us an excellent and practical foundation for our chosen careers.

Detective work In 2001, a few of us started discussing the subject of a Ranger School Reunion and work was done to locate and contact as 34 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

many of the original 29 as possible. This was 37 years after we finished our third year training in Rotorua, where we last met as a group, and before we scattered to the four winds. After considerable searching and detective work, we managed to locate 27 of the originals. Only two were never found.

Prior to 2001 there had been a couple of ad hoc reunions involving a few of the guys who could then be contacted. However, the first serious reunion where we were able to contact and invite 27 of the original 29 trainees, was held in Blenheim in 2002 with 13 of us in attendance. Since then, a total of 23 ex-trainees from our intake have attended at least one of those reunions.

Since 2002 we have held a reunion every two years until the Napier reunion in 2024 when we decide that as we were all around 80 years old, we had better shorten the time frame to annual reunions – for obvious

reasons. Reunions have always alternated between the North and South Island, as about half the team live on each Island.

Each reunion was organised by the two attendees who lived closest to the venue.

Hence, the 2025 reunion (the 63rd year since our induction) was held from 11-13 March this year in Reefton and was organised by John and Jacqui Birchfield who live in Hokitika.

In the event, nine of us were able to attend with four apologies for various personal situations. The weather was perfect of course, as it never rains on the West Coast (much), and John and Jacqui put on a great programme for us for the two days of the reunion. These included a visit to the Federation Gold Mine where the miners are already deep underneath the old Waiuta Gold Mine and have connected with the rich and fabled Birthday Reef. We were given a two-

Above: Reefton Ranger School hippy party 1963. From left: Paddy Gresham, Bob Crooke, Rob Woodney (with sign), unknown, Graham Watson, unknown, Colin Goodrich, John Reid, Barry McLaughlin, Ross Lockyer and Al Johnson (standing).

Top right: Ranger School Reunion, in front of Jos Divis' cottage, Waiuta Mine, 2025. From left: Barry McLaughlin, Rex King, Bob Crooke, Ross Lockyer, Mitch Hughes, Reg Wisnewski, Colin Goodrich, Gordon Baker and John Birchfield.

Right: Ranger Trainees on Hunter Training course, upper Matakitaki River fly camp, 1963. From left: Tony Russell, Ian Davies, Rob Woodney, Al Johnson, Jack Palmer; Front; Mel Davis, Les Seaward, Graham Watson and Leith Knowles.

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June 2025 | NZ LOGGER 35

Looking Back

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hour presentation at the Federation Mine HQ which was appreciated by all. We used to visit the old Waiuta Mine back in 1963 where we would inevitably catch up and have a cup of tea with old miner and photographer, Jos Divis, the last remaining Blackwater miner to live at the Waiuta town site. We would also hunt deer up the back of the mine where there were other old mine workings and abandoned mining and logging trails.

During the Reunion we also visited the old Waiuta town site and the ruins of the Blackwater and Prohibition mines which the town was built around. We also visited the now restored cottage that Jos Divis lived in until he died in 1967. It was all very nostalgic for us. In addition, we visited the Reefton School of Mines Museum, the Blacks Point Mining Museum and stamping battery and the new hydro power station being built on the site of the first power station and supplier of public power in New Zealand which started up on 4 August 1888.

As always, we remembered old friends who have now passed on, and reminisced about days long gone.

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his safety helmet and broke his spine in several places as well as fracturing numerous other bones in his body. He was taken to Rotorua hospital, where, due to the extent of his injuries, he was not expected to survive.

However, Tap was a fighter and as tough as old boots, and not only did he survive but, through sheer guts and determination, he became the mainstay and hero of the Burwood Spinal Unit at Burwood Hospital in Christchurch where he worked tirelessly for 32 years. Tap became a paraplegic in 1965 and was in a wheelchair for 48 years. He is believed to have been the longest surviving paraplegic in New Zealand. Tap married Annabel, a nurse he met while in hospital in Christchurch, and they had two children.

The safety helmet without a doubt saved his life and he became one of the first to become a member of the “Turtle Club” – a “Club” started around the 1950s by the NZFS at a time when the only piece of

safety equipment in the bush was the hard hat. There was nothing else. In those days, hard hats were mostly made of aluminium until the plastic hard hat was developed.

Aluminium hats were better than nothing but when you got hit on the head they just dented and you still got a nasty headache – or worse. The plastic hat, however, was designed to crack or destruct on impact and it was the cracking or splitting of the hard shell that protected the wearer from the impact. You automatically became a member of the “Turtle Club” in the event that you were saved from serious injury or death when you were hit on the head, your hard hat cracked and you survived. Any significant impact to a hard hat, whether it cracked or not, required that hat to be scrapped, never worn again and replaced with a new one.

At Burwood, as Projects Officer, Tap devised programmes for patients in

A great mate In particular, we recalled a great old mate, Graham Tapper, known as Tap, who passed away at 69 years of age in Christchurch on 3 January 2013. Up until the time he died, Tap attended every reunion and was a close mate of us all.

In our fourth and final year of training, in 1965, Tap was seconded to Kaingaroa Forest where he was working as a breaker out for the Waipa Logging crew’s hauler operation The crew was working at the time in the Waiotapu Subdivision, compartment 11 or 12, Hillcrest Road. A drag came through a fern patch and hit a hidden fallen tree which, in turn, knocked into a nearby standing tree with a dead top. The resulting widow-maker smashed down onto Tap’s head, shattered 36 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

Ranger Trainee, Graham (Tap) Tapper thinning radiata pine at Rai Valley Forest, Nelson District with a Pioneer Chainsaw, 1963. Photo taken two years before his logging accident which made him a paraplegic for life.

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rehabilitation and re-assessment, liaised with patients returning home and worked with local bodies to improve services and accessibility to public places. He instigated paraplegic games in Christchurch and won three bronze medals in shooting at international level. Tap received the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work in the spinal unit and he will always remain a hero to us.

Our next reunion (64th) is scheduled for March 2026 in Russell in the Bay of Islands and already 12 enthusiastic stalwarts have signed up. NZL

1: Ranger Trainees from Reefton Ranger School planting contorta pine to stabilise shingle screes at the Craigieburns, 1963. Now the government is paying millions to cut them all down!

2: Old accommodation huts, previously Reefton Ranger School. Ross Lockyer outside his 1963 hut, 62 years later.

3: Ranger School Reunion. Evening on Broadway, Reefton after dinner, 2025.

From left: Lestari Lockyer, Jodie, Bob Crooke, Liz King, Mitch Hughes and Rex King.

FICA.ORG.NZ

your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002

A Gift to Yourself The Importance of Annual Health Checks in the Forestry Industry We have a group of forestry mates who meet every year on the first weekend of March — a tradition we’ve kept going for 24 years. It’s a time to catch up, swap stories, and enjoy the camaraderie of the industry we’ve spent our lives in. But two years ago, for the first time, someone didn’t turn up.

Tamati Smith had passed away from cancer. We all knew Tamati as a good bastard — someone who lived a reasonably healthy lifestyle, worked hard, and never complained. But his absence hit home. It made us question our own mortality in ways we hadn’t before.

Come this year’s gathering, the reality sank in even further. Three more of our mates had faced cancer scares.

Thankfully, through early detection and treatment, they are now in remission. But the fact remains — cancer, heart disease, and other serious health conditions don’t discriminate.

Seeing the bigger picture In the forestry industry, we’re well aware of acute incidents — tree fallers, equipment accidents, logging injuries. We probably even know exactly how many occurred last year and who the contractor was. Workplace safety is a constant focus.

As contractors, we generally look after our workers with our annual crew health checks, but what about ourselves as business owners?

When you start conversations about health-related illnesses, a troubling reality emerges: the scale of these issues dwarfs acute incidents. Cancer, heart disease, and other conditions silently take their toll, often going unnoticed until it’s too late.

That’s why an annual health check matters for you as well.

It’s not about being paranoid or weak — it’s about being smart. Just like we check our gear, assess risks and look after the safety of our crews, we need to apply the same diligence to our own health.

A birthday tradition worth keeping An easy way to make health checks a habit? Tie it to your birthday. Every year, around the time you celebrate another trip around the sun. Make an appointment with your doctor.

It’s a gift to yourself — the chance to ensure you’re in the best shape for many more years to come.

These checks can detect conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancers early enough to make a difference.

They take little time but can buy you years of life.

Want to listen to this Logger Mag update from FICA instead of reading it?

See our website to learn how: www.fica.org.nz/logger-mag

FICA.ORG.NZ

Resources for Further Reading If you’re ready to take charge of your health, here are some places to start: • New Zealand Cancer Society – Information on early detection and cancer support services. www.cancer.org.nz • Health Navigator NZ – Comprehensive health advice, including check-up recommendations. www.healthnavigator.org.nz • Men’s Health Trust New Zealand – Dedicated to improving men’s health through education and awareness. www.menshealthnz.org.nz • Women’s Health Week – Dedicated to helping women prioritise their health with information and resources. www.womenshealthweek.nz

Meeting with Todd McClay FICA organised a meeting with the Minister of Forestry, Todd McClay, at his Rotorua Office on 17 April. We invited FOA who were represented by Joseph Brolly and Dean Witehira (KT and FOA Vice President). FICA members Mahi Rakau (Stewart Hyde and Joe Taute) also attended.

The meeting focused mainly on Immigration but also vocational training, NES-CF slash standards, Tairāwhiti and an update on the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP).

Once again, it was a positive meeting with the minister who was well engaged on all issues and vowed to support the

Forestry has always valued toughness. But real toughness isn’t just about enduring — it’s about making sure we’re around to do the things that matter, to be there for our mates, whanau and mokopuna, and to take care of ourselves the way we take care of our work.

So, let’s start treating health checks like any other safety measure — because this is one risk we can actually do something about. z

ROWAN ST RU T H E RS FICA CEO rowan@fica.org.nz

In picture from left David Pearce (MPI), Joseph Brolly (FOA), Todd McClay, Joe Taute (Mahi Rakau), Rowan Struthers (FICA), Dean Witehira (KT) and Stewart Hyde (Mahi Rakau) industry’s position on immigration. FICA has been asked to write a letter to the Minister that he can endorse with other Ministers and government agencies.

As Dean Witehira says, “Securing a reliable, safe and productive workforce is critical if forestry is to double export earnings over the next 10 years. Securing ongoing access to immigrant workers is critical if we are to lift the productivity and performance of the industry.

This, coupled with well-resourced and structured training are key enablers for succeeding against this vision.”

June 2025 | NZ LOGGER 39

FICA.ORG.NZ

FICA Secures Seat for Forestry Innovation on the Forest Research Committee (FRC) For months, FICA has advocated for a position on the Forest Research Committee (FRC), believing that contractors — often the true innovators in the industry — deserve a voice at the governance level of forestry research and development. This week, that vision became reality.

Ian Hinton, Chair of the FRC, extended an invitation to FICA to join the committee, recognising the unique perspective that contractors bring to industry discussions. “The different viewpoint that FICA will bring will help the committee to make more informed decisions,” says Ian. FICA gratefully acknowledges the support of the New Zealand FOA in facilitating this opportunity. The appointment of Nick Tombleson, FICA Chair, to represent contractors marks a significant step forward for our members in shaping strategic forestry research and development.

A voice for innovation This appointment ensures that contractors, who are deeply embedded in forestry operations, play an active role in guiding research priorities.

“Many of the best examples of innovation in the industry have come from contractors on the ground. This move strengthens collaboration between research and practical application, ensuring that forestry R&D aligns with real-world challenges,” says FICA CEO, Rowan Struthers.

“This milestone highlights the importance of collaborative leadership in forestry research — ensuring that all voices, from governance to contractors, contribute to a thriving and forward-thinking industry.”

T E V SA

TE A D HE

Contractor Christmas in queenstown TH U RSDAY 20-SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2025

IN PA RT N E RS HIP W IT H

FICA.ORG.NZ

your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002

Wherever you are in the chain, we’ve got your back.

Over recent years, Greenlight has worked hard to support forestry contractors and log transport operators through the impacts of market instability—helping clients activate laid-up cover and identify cost-saving changes to their insurance.

While most have managed to navigate the volatility and job uncertainty, the long-term outlook remains unclear for many.

That’s why it’s essential to ensure your insurance is fit for purpose and tailored to your specific business needs—whether you’re a hauler, ground-based operator, owner-driver, or fleet operator.

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With insurance being a major operating cost in the logging sector, we encourage you to contact Greenlight Insurance Brokers for a free “warrant of fitness” review of your current cover—we’re here to offer clarity and a second opinion at no cost.

0800 55 54 53 | www.greenlightinsurancebrokers.co.nz

FICA FICA Partners Partners TIER 1 - PRUNED STRATEGIC PARTNERS

Thank you to all of the organisations who support FICA, which in turn works to promote Thank you to all of the organisations who support FICA, which in turn works to promote business growth and improved safety and efficiency amongst forestry contractors for business growth and improved safety and efficiency amongst forestry contractors for the benefit of New Zealand’s Forestry Industry. the benefit of New Zealand’s Forestry Industry.

TIER 2 - A GRADE BUSINESS PARTNERS

TIER 3 - K GRADE GOLD PARTNERS

TIER 4 BIOMASS

TO TO JOIN, JOIN, CALL CALL 0800 0800 342 342 269 269 OR OR SIGNUP SIGNUP ONLINE ONLINE AT AT FICA.ORG.NZ FICA.ORG.NZ

Safety/performance/quality

The safety mitt again?

WHILE WE CONTINUE WITH ASSESSMENTS, we thought it useful to touch on the good old safety mitt and the challenges of keeping it intact and functional.

Over the last year to year-and-a-half, we have been playing with a different version of this to see if we could make any meaningful improvements.

We have found a version of the mitt that is slightly modified for size, glued and stitched and appears to provide a functional solution to the problem of popping rivets.

Included in this issue are a few

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

photographs showing a mitt with cable tie repairs (and the problem of popping with this) and a modified stitched and glued mitt that has been in the bush for 12 months.

Food for thought.

Innovation: Half old chaps leg sown onto new chaps to protect when dealing with lots of regen.

42 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

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

Why cable ties are not good for repairs.

Safety/performance/quality Participating companies This competition wouldn’t be what it is without our participating companies who have all participated in or continue to influence the way in which we operate.

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, Ernslaw One, OneFortyOne New Zealand, Crown Forestry, Forest View Contracting, Makerikeri Silviculture (2020), Mitchell Silviculture, Puklowski Silviculture,

Glued and stitched mitt, 12 months' use

Gutsell Forestry Services, Johnson Forestry Services, McHoull Contracting, Wayne Cumming Contracting, Howard Forestry Services, Inta-Wood Forestry, Heslip Forest Contracting, Otautau Contractors, X Men Forestry, Proforest Services, FM Silviculture, Tane Mahuta, Waikato Forestry Services, Rai Valley Silviculture, Thomassen Logging, Forest View Logging, Griffin Logging, Penetito Forestry, Pride Forestry, Mangoihe Logging, CMH Contracting, Kaha Logging, Roxburgh Contracting, Te Waa Logging, Mike Hurring Logging,

Bluewood Logging, Storm Logging, Onward Logging, Down and Out Logging, Forest Pro Logging, Eastside Logging, Lahar Logging, Moutere Logging, JD Harvesting, Whisker Logging, Kimberly Logging, Dewes Contractors, Dempsey Logging, Aratu Forests, McCallum Harvesting and Swain Logging.

Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

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

Second glued mitt, also 12 months' use.

June 2025 | NZ LOGGER 43

WORLD-FIRST FOR DAWSON AND HAVARD

NEW MACHINERY FOR ROTORUA FOREST HAULAGE

CablePrice completed a world-first delivery in April to long-time customer Dawson and Havard. The Hitachi ZX400L-7G with ProSteel Custom forestry build, grapple and heel is the first of this model delivered globally. With increased power, torque and operator comfort this machine is a significant step up from the ZX400L-5G model it replaces. Machine delivered by CablePrice Managing Director, Aidan Mahony and General Managers, Jessica Lawton and Nick Allan.

Rotorua Forest Haulage has added a new Cat MH3040 material handler to perform fleeting and loading and high stacking duties to its operation at the Kinleith log yard in Tokoroa.

Providing improved power, reliability and operator comfort, the MH3040 reduces cycle times and moves more logs, while the handler’s heavy lift mode boosts lifting capacities and improves controllability. Machine sold by Rotorua-based Terra Cat territory account manager, Mark Costello.

FIFTH SANY FOR LEW PRINCE LOGGING

ANOTHER CAT FOR QUBE

Lew Prince Logging has taken delivery of its fifth Sany. This time, a SY305H. This machine includes a ROPS frame, Ensign high and wide, seven hundred single plates, thumb, tilt hitch and buckets.

This Sany will be undertaking all roading jobs for multiple crews.

Machie sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

This Next Gen 982 forest handler is a new addition for Qube, being used for log fleeting and loading duties at its Murupara log yard. It joins other Cat 982-sized loaders at Qube, with this unit featuring Ensign log forks. The Next Gen 982 combines fuel efficiency and enhanced productivity, allowing the operator to complete more payloads in less time. Machine sold by Mark Costello from Terra Cat.

44 NZ LOGGER | June 2025

NEW SANY FOR MANA LOGGING Shane and Mel form Mana Logging have taken delivery of a brand-new Sany SY305H. Fitted with a DC Winch Package, this machine joins the crew in Gisborne. Machine sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

TIGERCAT FOR KTM LOGGING KTM Logging, part of the Thomassen Logging group and also partly owned by Koro Nikora, recently took delivery of another Tigercat 890 logger, this time running a Waratah 626HX processing head.

This machine replaces an earlier model Tigercat 890 processor which had served them well, says Koro, adding that it was a “no brainer” to go for another one. Koro, who also doubles up as the operator, says his new Tigercat 890E logger is a lot faster than the previous model and is burning seven litres an hour less diesel.

Machine sold by AB Equipment Taupo.

PERMAPINE ADDS TO ITS VOLVO FLEET The Permapine team has added this new EC220DL to its Volvo fleet. The new EC220DL’s comfort, fuel economy and reliability is proving itself once again on the job in the Central North Island.

The machine operates on the Permapine site sorting round wood and is equipped with an Ensign fixed top grapple. Machine sold and delivered by Ewen Satherley, TDX.

CAT 950 FOR MAUNGAWARU LOGGING NEW MACHINERY FOR LOGGABULL Brian and the team at Loggabull have taken delivery of a second Sany SY305 DC Winch package, machine guarded and winch installed by PFS Engineering. Machine sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

This Cat 950 Next Gen Forest Handler is a new addition for Dale Gilbert at Maungawaru Logging. The 950 is fitted with Ensign Log Forks with hi lift, and is performing fleeting and loading of on-highway and doubles units in the Tarawera Forest. It replaces a Cat 950H and the operator says he is enjoying the Cat Next Gen features including joystick steer and enhanced visibility. Machine sold by Mark Costello from Terra Cat. June 2025 | NZ LOGGER 45

POA

POA

POA

POA

JOHN DEERE 959MH REF No . 513739. Located in Feilding.

JOHN DEERE 848H REF No . 513164. Located in Rotorua.

TIMBERPRO TL 765C REF No . 511809. Located in Rotorua.

CATERPILLAR 555D REF No . 513432. Located in Rotorua.

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

2018. 11286 hrs.

027 281 8153

2013. 12750 hrs.

027 281 8153

2016. 8034 hrs.

027 281 8153

2019. 4800 hrs.

027 281 8153

POA

POA

JOHN DEERE 1910E REF No . 513885. Located in Rotorua.

JOHN DEERE 748H REF No . 513050. Located in Feilding.

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

2010. 15700 hrs.

2013. 11145 hrs.

027 281 8153

027 281 8153

POA

POA

TIGERCAT LH885E REF No . 513114. Located in Feilding.

TIGERCAT 625E REF No . 513433. Located in Rotorua.

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

2019. 8000 hrs.

2019. 7200 hrs.

027 281 8153

027 281 8153

POA

POA

POA

POA

JOHN DEERE 909KH REF No . 512546. Located in Hastings.

HYUNDAI R380LC-9 REF No . 513767. Located in Rotorua.

JOHN DEERE 909KH REF No . 513538. Located in Whangarei.

JOHN DEERE 948LII REF No . 514126. Located in Rotorua.

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

2013. 12186 hrs.

027 281 8153

2017. 10502 hrs.

027 281 8153

2013. 16098 hrs.

027 281 8153

2018. 9350 hrs.

027 281 8153

brandt.ca/nz *Terms and conditions apply. Finance available from John Deere Financial Limited to approved commercial applicants only. Finance rate of 0% p.a. based on 10% deposit of GST inclusive price and 36 months term. Fees and charges may apply. Unless amended or withdrawn early, offer valid on select used equipment while stocks last.

Mobile: 021 811 057

sales@drdiesel.nz

ALL PRICES EXCLUDE GST 415 Lower Queen Street, Richmond, Nelson

1007 FX2 1003 Williams Valve WM318

1004 ¾ Harvest chain

1006 Wichita springs

1011 1115-000-001

1012 115-130-002

1013 1205-154-155

1018 VUH4304

1020 VM90DM

1037 Pucks

1008 Kobelt potentiometer

1009 1690-000-015

1010 17-025-012

1014 2117-001-013

1015 2200-000-003

1016 1102-070-081

1017 1107-003-121

1021 1062 SUS 2-00-2

1022 2000 SUS 2-00-2

1053 Thunderbird TSY 155

1026 ORV WOO-10101

1035 Madill 122-122 Maxibrake

1045 Twin disk clutch separator plate kit

1046 Straw drum pads

1047a Brake pedal

1049-1050 Lining bolts/nuts

1051 Madill 124

1052 Volume booster

1055 Fuller earth

1058 Humphrey

1077 Ensign 1500

1078 Bell V20

1079 Madill 123/124 GUY

1080 BE85 GUY

1081 Act 06

1082 BE85 M1

1084 22x5, 26x5, 26x7

1085 Wichita 18,19, 21, 24

1087 Wichita 21

1101a Detroit throttle switch

1107 Twin disc gear selector

1109 Detroit compressor

1118 Bell grapple

1121 Wichita 224

1025 Bendix Air Dryer

101529 Madill/Thunderbird accumulators

1124 1054 Waratah 626 All makes and sizes main drive motor

GEAR TAC 300 / 400 The ultimate replacement for black tack.

102241 Madill water union rebuild kit

101656 Madill 124 swivel join seal kits

102023 Eaton 18&24 inch new and old style piston seal kits

102451 Water Brake and engine Treatment

102812 Madill 124 slew motor and box

www.drdiesel.nz sales@drdiesel.nz PLEASE NOTE ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE EXCHANGE RATE

LG34296

s

Kevin Graham

NZ LOGGER classified

Chain Protection have been selling these brands of forestry Chains & Tracks for 20+years.

We carry spare joining links and tensioning tools We also have chains for cars, trucks through to graders

sales@bopradiatorspecialists.co.nz

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