NZ Logger October 2025

t s u b t s ruo b

ISSN 2703-6251

o r d d n n a a h h g u g o t u o t t s u b o r d n a

Discover Forestry: Bridging classrooms and crews

The new ‘Bush Bible’: Why the ACOP matters

October 2025 | 9.50

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contents

OCTOBER 2025

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FOREST TALK A new era for forestry safety; Eves Valley closure underway; Trade Residence pathways open; Directors appeal court-ordered clean up; Balance needed in ETS reforms; GMOs in forests a no-go?; Wilding Pines a real problem, but not radiata; Boost for woody biomass sector; Good for wood; Recognition for life members; Saving the endangered kākābeak; Pine forest set for Native regeneration; “A way of life”; Planting season wraps up; Conference coverage: Close up on carbon; Opinion: “What’s different in forestry this spring?”.

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SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST Burson Logging’s new Tigercat L822E feller buncher with Tigercat’s own 5185 fixed felling head is leading the charge to get Nelson’s windthrow out of the forest.

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YOUNG ACHIEVERS National initiative, Discover Forestry, is turning school field trips into powerful tools for education, connection and industry transformation. Thanks to a small, dedicated team of forestry educators and with backing from industry.

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WORKER WELLNESS Known on the ground as the ‘Bush Bible’, the recent release of WorkSafe’s new Approved Code of Practice: Safe Practice for Forestry and Harvesting Operations (ACOP) is a major milestone for the forestry sector.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 46 fica 50 top spot 52 Greenlight New Iron 54 classifieds

October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor st stbu ruo ob d n a totuogh st obu and r

ISSN 1176-0397

tough

PHOTO: TIM BENSEMAN

nd r ugh a

October 2025

The new ‘Bush Bible’: Why the ACOP matters

Discover Forestry: Bridging classrooms and crews

| 9.50

Iron Tester, Brendan Harmon, fells a few trees to square up the block in Burson Logging’s new Tigercat L822E feller buncher.

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A whole new world THERE ARE MANY MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS AROUND FORESTRY and while we talk a lot about social licence, to the bulk of the general public our industry is still a mystery, and a negative one at that. Something dangerous that lies behind the scenes… to some even, a necessary evil.

While many industries are concerned about AI taking jobs and machinery taking the place of humans, for forestry it’s a different challenge. Sure, machinery has developed in leaps and bounds, and most crews today are close to fully mechanised, but while the hills may not be alive with workers wielding chainsaws, we do still need people. The jobs are there, the workers are… for now but, like it or not, they are getting older. So, how do we make forestry attractive to the next generation? Not only to plant seedlings and harvest trees or man the machines that do that – though of course those roles are vital – but to take on the work of engineers, scientists, economists and biologists.

This may not be a new challenge, but there are new ways to tackle it.

Enter Discover Forestry.

“Taking students out to see how harvesting happens is a reminder that while some things haven’t changed in 50 years, others are unrecognisable,” says Discover Forestry CEO, Erica Kinder.

Seeing forestry careers in action, whether as an engineer or a logger opens a whole new world to them, she adds.

“It turns out that this generation of students is highly adaptive to technology, very good at driving and using their hands (thanks to years of gaming ) and many want to work outdoors using these skills. They just had no idea that this type of work existed.”

Well, thanks to the Discover Foresty programme, which has now been running for three years, secondary school students exploring career options are connecting with contractors; and logging crews are benefitting too, remembering what drew them into this industry and what got them excited to work in the ngahere in the first place.

Of course, all of this needs to be done safely. The updated Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for forestry and harvesting operations was recently launched by WorkSafe, in collaboration with the forestry industry, to enable just that.

“For contractors, this isn’t just a regulatory refresh – it’s a chance to lead,” says FICA CEO, Rowan Struthers.

Safety and synergy. It doesn’t get better than that.

Until next time, stay safe.

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forest talk

A new era for forestry safety OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, 61 WORKERS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE forestry sector and 150 workers have suffered serious injury resulting in hospitalisation. With this in mind, new guidance to simplify safety for forestry businesses and workers has been published by WorkSafe.

The updated Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for forestry and harvesting operations was spearheaded by WorkSafe, in collaboration with the forestry industry. The ACOP has now been launched by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Brooke van Velden.

The guidance outlines the responsibilities and legal expectations for operators, and helps workers know what good looks like. An update to the good practice guide for small forestry operations has also been published, along with educational resources to aid understanding. New information is included on machine safety, planting and pruning (silviculture), managing work-related health, and manual tree felling.

“The guidance blends technical expertise with hands-on knowledge from the sector, and uses shared language between the two,” says WorkSafe Chief Executive, Sharon Thompson.

“WorkSafe’s role is to influence businesses and workers to meet their responsibilities and keep people healthy and safe. Reducing deaths and injuries in forestry requires everyone in the sector to properly plan for and practise safe harvesting.”

The updated ACOP is the first key deliverable from WorkSafe’s priority plan for forestry. The organisation will be undertaking targeted assessments to help embed the guidance in the coming months.

The Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC), the New Zealand Forest Owners Association, and the Forest Industry Contractors Association partnered with WorkSafe to develop the new guidance.

“Huge strides have been made to improve work health and safety in the forestry industry, but there’s plenty of work to be done. We want the same thing – for our people to be safe on the job, and to come home from work safely every day,” says Chief Executive (FISC), Joe Akari.

Speaking at the launch, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden, said, “We want to work with industry to create codes of practice that are realistic and effective, moving away 4 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

An inspector on the job at a forestry site.

from one-size-fits-all approaches that have created confusion for employers. The goal is to make health and safety laws clearer and simpler while actually improving workplace safety.”

The initiative forms part of broader health and safety reforms based on extensive consultation with various industry sectors.

“I met with people in the Forestry sector during my health and safety road show last year. While visiting a forestry operation, I saw the risks and dangers workers are faced with firsthand,” says Ms van Velden.

“This new forestry code follows a suite of health and safety reforms announced earlier in the year which aim to focus the system on reducing critical risk and improve clarity for businesses, with a strong focus on supporting high-risk sectors.”

ACOPs are practical guidelines to help people in specific sectors and industries to comply with their health and safety duties. The sector-specific ACOPs programme is one part of the broader health and safety reforms.

WorkSafe has worked with the forestry industry, including input from both workers and forestry companies to create guidelines aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries in the sector.

For more on the ACOP and the forestry sector response, turn to page 42. NZL

Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety, Brooke van Velden, launches the new ACOP at the Spotlight on Safety event held at Orlando Country in Palmerston North recently.

forest talk

Eves Valley closure underway CARTER HOLT HARVEY (CHH) HAS confirmed the closure of its Eves Valley sawmill near Nelson, ending operations that have run since the 1980s and leaving some 140 workers without jobs.

The company says the move is part of a plan to consolidate timber manufacturing at its Kawerau site in the Bay of Plenty.

Tasman mayor, Tim King, and Nelson mayor, Nick Smith, had appealed to the company to delay the closure for a year so the ‘wall of wood’ left behind from winter storms could be salvaged.

The closure, however, is underway and will be staggered until the end of November.

E tū union delegate, Maria Hemar, says the news is devastating: “It feels like losing a family. We’ve worked side by side for years, and now it’s all gone.”

E tū National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh adds that the decision prioritises corporate strategy over people’s livelihoods: “This isn’t a company going broke. It chose to centralise its operations. These workers deserve better.”

The union is calling on CHH and the Government to provide urgent support for

affected workers and the wider Brightwater community.

Added to this, more than 100 staff from Tokoroa’s local plywood manufacturing plant are set to lose their jobs as the company looks to source supply from overseas.

CHH is looking to close its Tokoroa-based plant and import ply from overseas, with the

loss of up to 119 full-time jobs.

This follows OJI Fibre Solutions cutting 130 jobs after it closed the country’s last paper making machine at the neighbouring Kinleith site this year in June.

The plywood manufacturing plant redundancies are set to take effect in November. NZL

Trade Residence pathways open THE GOVERNMENT’S NEWLY ANNOUNCED RESIDENCE PATHWAYS finally acknowledge the value that vocational skills provide to New Zealand’s economy, and will help fill critical skills gaps across manufacturing and other sectors, says EMA Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement Lead, Joanna Hall.

“For too long, the immigration system has been weighted towards university-level qualifications, while overlooking highly skilled and experienced vocational workers,” she says.

“Employers have been telling us this bias was locking out the very people they need most: fitters, turners, aviation engineers, fabricators, and other trade professionals.

“These are the roles where we face acute shortages in the domestic labour market. While we need to support local training, businesses also need the ability to access these skills right now. Having these experienced people in our workplaces also supports the training of apprentices coming through the pipeline.

“This is good news for employers, for migrants, and for our economy. These changes give certainty to businesses that they can retain valued staff who are already contributing to New Zealand, while also signalling to migrants that their skills and experience are recognised and rewarded.

“Importantly, it shows the government is listening to employers and recognising the vital role vocational education and training plays in driving growth.” NZL

Tairāwhiti, don’t wait for the next storm Your erosion-prone land won’t wait either.

Download the Transition Guidelines

Read locally relevant advice Scan the QR code or go to gdc.govt.nz from experts to protect your whenua, boost productivity and care for the environment.

Guidance available for forestry land: • Transition with harvest • Transition without harvest

October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 5

forest talk

Directors appeal court-ordered clean up FOLLOWING AN ENFORCEMENT ORDER AGAINST TWO COMPANIES and four directors to get them to remove woody debris from a forest near Tolaga Bay, three forestry company directors held personally responsible say they face bankruptcy if the order is carried out.

Samnic Forest Management, and its Directors Richard Hayes, Scott Funnell and Gavin Fortune – the subject of the enforcement order

by Gisborne District Council that requires them to address the threat posed by forestry slash and debris left on a 940 hectare block in the hills near Tolaga Bay – have appealed the order. They say they shouldn’t have to pay for an initial clean-up report until their appeal is heard this month.

The order, made by the Environment Court in July, also applies to

the landowner Woodlett Investments, and its sole Director, Duncan Woodhouse.

It requires the companies and directors to ensure woody debris and sediment would not enter water and land outside the forest boundary.

The order also requires the companies and directors to submit a risk assessment report and risk assessment map to Gisborne District Council by 15 October.

But Samnic Forest Management and its Directors appealed the order, claiming that only Woodlett Investments should be subject to it.

The High Court disagreed and dismissed their application for a stay of the enforcement order.

Their appeal is set down to be heard late this month. NZL

Balance needed in ETS reforms FOREST OWNERS ARE URGING THE GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE that its newly passed reforms to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) do not come at the cost of climate progress or regional economic development.

The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme Forestry Conversions) Amendment Bill, passed last month, introduces further restrictions on exotic forest plantings on productive farmland – including a 25% cap on ETS registration for Land Use Capability (LUC) classes 1 to 6 and a 15,000-hectare annual ballot for LUC 6 land.

While the forestry sector supports balanced land use and welcomes transitional protections and Māori land exemptions, the ongoing investment uncertainty created by the cap and random ballot system are of significant concern, says New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) Chief Executive, Dr Elizabeth Heeg.

She says forestry is a key partner in the rural economy and holds an important role in the nation’s climate response and cautions that this latest instalment of legislative change sends the wrong signal to long-term forestry investors and puts forestry’s contributions at risk.

“We support efforts to protect rural communities and ensure all land uses are sustainable, but not at the expense of policy certainty or climate ambition,” Ms Heeg says. “These restrictions will discourage investment in forestry, especially for long-term owners who need stable, predictable returns.

“The 25% cap on productive land able to be registered into the ETS, coupled with the introduction of a random ballot system, stands to discourage forest investments, especially for longterm forest owners and investors who rely on stable, predictable returns.

“Ongoing changes knock confidence and limit forestry’s ability to attract the investment needed for growth.”

From an operational perspective, the Bill effectively pushes commercial forestry onto steeper, less versatile land, leaving the sector with mostly LUC classes 7 and 8, which narrows land use 6 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

options for foresters and reduces the value of remaining eligible land, she says.

“It undermines the viability of new planting and signals that forestry is somehow less legitimate than other rural sectors. Forest owners are struggling to comprehend how these limits can be put in place when there is a lack of evidence that exotic afforestation is displacing productive farmland – the issue this Bill aims to address.

“It’s a real risk that we end up constraining one of our most effective climate tools and valuable land uses, as well as our future timber supply.”

Ms Heeg says confirmation that foresters with investments made before December 2024 will be protected under transitional provisions is promising, although industry will need to continue working with government to clarify the details of these transitional measures.

The new addition of a reserved ballot allocation for smaller applications will be a relief for small-scale woodlot owners and farm foresters too, who stood to be disadvantaged by the previous set of proposed measures in the Bill.

“A reserved allocation in this ballot system will ensure small scale forest owners are not excluded from the carbon market altogether and that they’re still able to achieve a degree of sustainable income from their forests.

“While the reforms exempt Māori land, the wider policy uncertainty generated by the changes could undermine investment confidence and stall climate-focused forestry initiatives on that land too.

“The sector is committed to achieving practical, balanced use settings. We need rules that support climate action without sidelining forestry’s role in regional economies.

“In the coming months, the forest growing sector will be working with government to clarify how the ballot will function and to ensure the transitional rules give investors and forest owners the certainty they need to plan ahead.” NZL

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forest talk

Scion’s gene-edited trees in May 2025.

GMOs in forests a no-go?

DESPITE POTENTIAL EASING OF RULES IN NEW ZEALAND, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), headquartered in Germany, is holding firm on its stance against the use of genetic technologies in forests.

The New Zealand government proposed a new system last year to enable the use of new breeding techniques or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with further detail on the scheme expected this month.

Supporters identified opportunities for their use in forestry, such as using gene-editing tools to sterilise wilding conifer pines.

But the two major global forest certification schemes, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification and the Forest Stewardship Council have both prohibited the use of gene technologies in trees.

FSC Senior Policy Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Stefan Jensen, says some plantation growers in the southern hemisphere are interested in the use of genetic technologies in breeding trees, particularly in New Zealand and Brazil.

However, he says its position was unchanged since its establishment in 1993.

“There’s really no scope for the use of GMO in the FSC system.

Even if it is legal at the national level, it’s not accepted in FSCcertified forest.”

The FSC has members across the globe bearing its certification stamp showing that wood products originated from sustainably harvested forests.

“I can understand why some growers in New Zealand would be frustrated if they get the opportunity to use these new technologies legally,” he says.

“But because they are certified to FSC, they are effectively precluded from using them.”

He says GMO in forestry could lead to negative outcomes as it had for cotton farming in India, where genetically modified cotton seeds resulted in a market monopolised by conglomerates that ultimately hurt local farmers.

He says he understands that using GMO to prevent further spread of wilding pines is a “really worthy cause” for growers in New Zealand and other countries.

“I do not think there is any denying that there is an upside of GMO too. But as an organisation like FSC, we have to weigh up a cost-benefit analysis, probably mixed with a bit of a precautionary approach.”

He says since FSC is a voluntary certification scheme, growers might have to consider what is in their best interests.

Scion research underway Meanwhile, Scion continues with its field trial of gene-edited conifer as part of research aimed at improving wood quality and producing 8 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

materials to support New Zealand’s bioeconomy.

The Crown Research Institute has developed and implemented the advanced gene-editing technique known as CRISPR that lets scientists turn off a specific gene within the pine’s complex genome.

This helps them understand what that gene does – which in turn builds understanding of how wood develops.

Two sets of trees have been planted, each with a separate gene turned off. This aims to enhance timber quality and improve the process of converting wood into fibre (pulping) and sustainable chemical feedstocks for the bioeconomy. One of these genes is involved in the synthesis of hemicellulose, a renewable biopolymer a molecule produced by plants with many versatile, high-value applications. The other is involved in the development of compression wood, which forms on leaning or bent stems to straighten them up. Compression wood behaves differently from normal wood during timber processing, leading to issues such as warping and reduced strength, as well as making the extraction of fibre and chemicals more difficult.

The trees in this trial were initially cultivated in a contained greenhouse, where their wood underwent a comprehensive analysis.

This research yielded fundamental insights into the mechanisms of cell wall formation. The trees have subsequently been planted in Scion’s Environment Protection Agency-approved GMO field test containment facility to help scientists better understand how they perform under real-world conditions and to collect sufficient wood for relevant biomechanical experiments.

Scion senior scientist Glenn Thorlby says the trees’ growth and development continue to be meticulously monitored. “This research will allow us to produce trees that, with optimised wood properties, will support the export of high-value timber and the biomass needed to replace petrochemicals as New Zealand transitions to a lowemissions sustainable bioeconomy.”

Additionally, Scion has also developed gene-edited Douglasfir to create sterile trees that could be planted without the risk of exacerbating New Zealand’s wiilding pine issue. These sterile trees would potentially act as a form of biocontrol for future genetically modified trees.

“This will enable Douglas-fir to grow normally but not reproduce, helping limit its spread,” Mr Thorlby says. “By targeting reproductive genes, we offer a potential solution to New Zealand’s wilding pine problem.”

Scion’s team is using advanced sequencing and analysis tools to pinpoint genes specifically involved in reproduction. Trees with these identified genes inactivated through gene editing have been developed and must now undergo field testing to confirm they grow normally but don’t produce the seeds responsible for spread.

Scion hopes to undertake these field trials when future regulations allow. NZL

forest talk

Wilding Pines a real problem, but not radiata THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE OF FORESTRY (NZIF) is calling for balance and accuracy in the debate over pine trees, following recent commentary questioning their value.

NZIF President, James Treadwell, says much of the public commentary confuses commercial forestry with the problem of wilding pines.

“The worst offenders when it comes to wildings are Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine), not radiata pine. P. contorta was introduced through government programmes for erosion control and early runholders planted P. contorta for shelter, especially in the Mackenzie Country and Inland Otago. It was not introduced by the commercial forestry sector,” Mr Treadwell says.

“Wilding pines are a serious issue which damage ecosystems and landscapes, and the Institute fully supports continued collective efforts by government, communities and industry to control and remove them. But it’s misleading to conflate wilding conifers with well-managed radiata pine plantations.”

He says controlling wilding conifers requires a step-up in coordination and investment:

“Right now, wilding control is being tackled in different ways by different agencies and communities, with variable results. We need a well-funded national body which brings together Government, councils, iwi, landowners and professional foresters. This body should be charged with forming and delivering a long-term, catchment-by-catchment plan for wilding control.

“Professional foresters must be part of this effort; they bring the practical skills and land management knowledge needed to prioritise resources and ensure we get the best results for every dollar spent.”

Slash and Storm Impacts Forestry has also come under scrutiny for storm damage and slash left after harvesting.

“The industry is investing in better slash management practices, including improved harvest planning, debris catchment systems, and more careful placement of residues, to reduce risks in future events,” Mr Treadwell says.

“But it is important to note after Cyclone

Gabrielle, more than half of the woody debris found on beaches was not pine at all. It came from riverbank protection plantings, erosion control plantings on farms, and even native forests torn out by unprecedented flooding. Blaming pine plantations alone oversimplifies the problem.

“We recognise forestry must continue to evolve. Better slash management, more diverse plantings, and stronger collaboration with local communities are all part of our future. But we must also acknowledge the enormous value radiata pine forestry brings to New Zealand.”

The Institute stresses that pine trees are not “all bad” or “all good.” Like any land use, they come with challenges and responsibilities.

“New Zealand’s forestry estate is a success story when looked at in balance.

Yes, we need to work together to control wilding pines and improve management practices. But we should also celebrate the fact that our plantation forests protect our native bush, support our economy, and are one of the most effective climate tools we have.” NZL

Boost for woody biomass sector A FORESTRY RIGHT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CROWN FORESTRY and Ngāi Tahu Farming in North Canterbury is “an exciting opportunity for the emerging woody biomass sector”, says Paul Burridge, General Manager Crown Forestry.

“Woody biomass is a leading alternative to replace coal in the South Island, and this joint venture will increase the supply through planting forests for woody biomass, and targeted research and development,” Mr Burridge says.

Crown Forestry is a commercially-focused team within Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service that manages a portfolio of Crown owned plantation forestry assets. The 5,400-hectare Hikawaikura Forest in the Hurunui District is on land owned by Ngāi Tahu Farming (NTF). It comprises previously harvested land (forestry cutover) and recently planted pine plantation.

Under the forestry right agreement, Crown Forestry will plant, manage and harvest the forest. In return, NTF will receive an annual rental.

“Our goal is to demonstrate the viability of a range of forestry regimes for biomass through the harvest of short rotation forestry and the increased recovery of forestry residues, however we retain the option to transition management of the forest to a more conventional production regime over 25 years if we need to,” Mr Burridge adds.

Hikawaikura Forest is a strategically located asset within economic reach of markets.

“It has scale for testing a range of regimes, the easy contour allows for increased recovery of forest residues, and it will provide insights on improving sector resilience.” NZL October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 9

forest talk

Good for wood

RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS ON NEW DEFENCE HOUSING, SCHOOL infrastructure and hospital facilities after a government pause in building and construction spend provide a glimmer of hope to a flat building industry, says Chief Executive of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association (WPMA), Mark Ross.

The projects include a $600 million spend on homes for military families, a plan to accelerate $413 million of investment in classrooms and other school infrastructure, and a $100 million boost to upgrade hospitals.

“These announcements come at a time when the wood processing industry is doing it tough, with some mills saying domestic timber sales are the worst they have ever witnessed,” says Mr Ross.

“With a flat domestic market and challenging global sales any new government spending in building and construction is welcome.

“Wood is a key component of buildings, and it is anticipated that these new projects will lead to increased timber orders from domestic mills. With the wood industry employing over 30,000 people in regional New Zealand, it is essential that the government

procurement process supports the purchasing of locally produced sustainable timber and lumber over imported wood products,” he adds.

The June quarter GDP figures showed construction had suffered more than most industries with the value of building work put in place, down 2.2%. Conditions in the building and timber supply sectors are still gloomy, but there is slight optimism emerging among industry players, especially following the government announcements.

Building data highlights that the picture in the construction sector is still very mixed. While Otago (including Queenstown) has seen a 47% jump in annual building consents, Wellington is down 11.4% and showing no signs of improving. Building activity in Auckland has just turned the corner, with a 3% increase in consents. Overall, the 34,000 consents issued nationally in the year to June showed a 1% improvement, and although it was well down on the 2022 peak, it was in line with the long-run average. Renovation work dominated, with new building activity patchy. NZL

Recognition for life members THE NEW ZEALAND LOG TRANSPORT Safety Council (LTSC) conferred its first life memberships to honour long-time industry stalwarts at its 2025 AGM in Rotorua recently.

As the council prepares to celebrate 30 years since its creation in 1996, it has named Duncan Borlase, Bruce Nairn and John Long as its inaugural life members.

Outgoing Chairman, Warwick Wilshier, who stepped down at this year’s AGM after 25 years at the helm of the council, says the time was right to confer the first life memberships.

“Last year we adopted a new constitution which will set the council in a good place for the future,” he says.

“As part of that we decided we would appoint our inaugural life members, and the executive has selected the first three.”

Each of the trio has lent their expertise and commitment to different aspects of the industry and made significant contributions to safety and innovation in the log transport sector.

“Bruce Nairn was our original Chairman and then our Secretary for a long time,” he adds.

“A lot of us worked for him in the early days when he was Transport Manager at NZ Forest Products and later Carter Holt Harvey Forests, and he is very highly regarded across the industry. Bruce is also a JP, and he was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for his contribution to the industry.

“John Long has been the council’s lead supporter at NZTA on technical and engineering issues. He’s provided the 10 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

leadership in training certified transport engineers to become qualified ‘Bolster Attachment’ certifying engineers.

“We also wanted to recognise an operator, and Duncan Borlase has made a lifetime contribution to the industry. In particular Duncan has always stepped up to get involved in any of the trials we have carried out.

In his son Steve’s words: “Duncan has been an inspiration, a real industry leader who is not afraid of getting his hands dirty.”

The other major change for the council sees Warwick retire as Chair after leading the organisation since 2000. Campbell Gilmour takes over as Chairman.

“I felt it was time after 25 years as Chairman to step aside. I’m proud of what the Council has achieved. It was born out of adversity and has become a world-class organisation with a wealth of expertise.”

He says one of its long-standing attributes has been to get business competitors to work together for the benefit of the industry.

“We have a funny saying; ‘we leave our guns at the door’,” he adds.

The Council was formed in 1996 as a response to a series of log truck rollovers.

It has developed world-class initiatives by bringing together the transport operators, forest companies, trailer manufacturers, transport regulators and industry researchers to provide real-world engineering solutions and comprehensive training resources.

Campbell Gilmour takes on the chairmanship having been an LTSC member

for 16 years, joining the executive nine years ago.

“The first thing I have to say is taking over from Warwick means I have massive shoes to fill,” he says.

“The LTSC is a fantastic organisation with a lot of good people. The main thing is to maintain the group work which LTSC has been able to achieve with its partners.”

In recent months the LTSC has resumed its Roadshow programme for the first time since the COVID restrictions, bringing information updates to members in six cities during June and July. NZL

From left: The Log Transport Safety Council’s Warwick Wilshier, Duncan Borlase, John Long, Bruce Nairn and Campbell Gilmour.

forest talk

Saving the endangered kākābeak IN AN EFFORT TO BRING THE KĀKĀBEAK BACK FROM THE brink of extinction, conservationists in Hawke’s Bay are boosting the collection of genetically diverse kākābeak plants available by 25%, to supply seed and cuttings to a species recovery initiative.

Napier-based organisation, The Urban Kākābeak Project, is building a fifth pest-proof exclosure on land in the Maungataniwha Native Forest owned by the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust. One hundred additional plants, propagated from wild-sourced plants, will join an existing collection of 400 that acts as a seed-bank in a last-ditch, and so far highly successful, bid to stave off extinction.

Seeds and cuttings from Maungataniwha are propagated by Napier nursery Plant Hawke’s Bay, owned and run by well-known biodiversity champion Marie Taylor.

The young plants are then distributed by The Urban Kākābeak Project to schools, marae, gardens and collections across the district.

“The point of distributing the plants is to prevent all our species recovery work with kākābeak from being undone by a single natural disaster, which is what could easily have happened with Cyclone Gabrielle when the nursery was severely flooded,” says James Powrie, founder of The Urban Kākābeak Project.

It has distributed several thousand young kākābeak, or ngutukākā, so far.

The new exclosure on the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust property at Maungataniwha is on land that was formerly a pine plantation, which the Trust is returning to native bush. The Trust’s Forest Manager, Pete Shaw, identified the site in the Te Hoe catchment for its manuka cover and frost drainage.

Being some distance from the other exclosures, is all part of the project’s aversion to risk, he says.

Mr Powrie adds, “Quite apart from the risk of natural disaster, plant seed is a sporadic product. With a species this close to annihilation it just makes sense to mitigate as much risk as we can. And if that means spreading these exclosures more widely across the Trust’s property, then that’s what we’ll do.”

The propagated plants are, in a sense, coming home. Some were grown at Plant Hawke’s Bay from seed collected from wild plants growing on bluffy strongholds within a few hundred meters of the property.

Once transplanted at Maungataniwha they are tended by Mr Powrie, his wife Anita, Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust staff and their team of volunteers.

The 100 new ngutukākā plants, propagated from about 20 sources, will be planted in the new predator-proof exclosure this month, in time for the Spring growing season. Mr Powrie expects to be able to collect the first seeds and cuttings from these plants next year.

There are only about 100 kākābeak plants known to exist in the wild, mostly on the East Coast, and only about 10% of these remain in Hawke’s Bay. Although cultivated commercially and grown widely in gardens for a century or more, domestic kākābeak are all derivatives of one or two wild plants that have been interbred for flowering beauty or form, and now have unknown ability to survive in the wild.

The kākābeak holds New Zealand’s highest possible threatened plant ranking, ‘Nationally Critical’.

Any sightings of the flamboyant plant, which is typically found clinging to cliffs and inaccessible bluff systems, should be reported to the nearest DOC office.

New finds are significant because they widen the pool of wild-grown genetics that can be used in propagation efforts.

“We’re asking anyone who sees a plant – and they’re pretty unmistakable – to make a note of the location, preferably using a GPS for the most accurate co-ordinates, and to let us have this information as soon as they get back to civilisation,” Mr Powrie says.

“This is the time of the year when the plants are heavy with spectacular bunches of curved crimson flowers, so it’s an ideal time to spot them.”

Those wishing to serve this species can join the Urban Kākābeak Project group on Facebook for growing tips and sources, and information about growing the plant in its original wild form. NZL

Pine forest set for Native regeneration

KAIKŌURA’S COUNCILLORS HAVE BACKED a plan to regenerate the harvested South Bay Forest land which includes a 12.6ha site which had been planted in radiata pines, with the harvest completed earlier this year.

The South Bay Forest Reserve, which covers a three kilometre stretch from South Bay to the Kōwhai River, will be renamed Pōhowera Park after the banded dotterel or pōhowera seabirds which nest there.

A masterplan has been prepared by Freeman Environmental, a local consultant, for the redevelopment of the site with a 12 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

focus on native regeneration.

Kaikōura District Council Chief Executive, Will Doughty, says Environment Canterbury staff and Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura have assisted in identifying suitable plant species for the site. ‘‘We want to make sure we are not planting any weeds, but it doesn’t stop us from planting something which wasn’t there in the last 800 years.’’

South Bay Forest Reserve is a popular recreation area for cyclists and walkers.

A five- to 10-year planting programme is

proposed to replant 10 hectares of coastal bush.

The council has around $1.6m in reserves, including logging revenue, which will cover the costs for the first year of the project.

Any future funding will be subject to the usual annual plan and Long Term Plan process, Mr Doughty says.

The total area covers 70 hectares, including reserve of 16.7 hectares, which is a mix of council and Crown land, the Kōwhai River land (25.5 hectares administered by ECan) and the beach area. NZL

forest talk

“A way of life” LIFELONG FORESTRY PROFESSIONAL and outdoor enthusiast, Chris Nelson, is releasing his memoir, Once a Forest Ranger, this month. Offering readers a vivid glimpse into the evolving landscape of New Zealand forestry and the extraordinary life behind his profession, the book is set against the backdrop of the North Island.

Dreaming of becoming a farmer in the 1960s, Chris’s path took him deep into the forests instead. His memoir reflects several decades of the sweeping changes in forestry management influenced by political shifts and changing views on nature conservation.

Beyond the professional narrative, Once a Forest Ranger is rich with stories of bush mishaps and encounters with quirky characters, all told with humour and heartfelt insight.

“It has been more than 10 years since I retired from a full-time career in forestry,” he says. “Forestry was good to me – all 47 years of it. It was a way of life rather than a job. I worked with many genuine people, some of whom became great friends. I had the good

fortune to experience a variety of roles and always had the satisfaction of being part of managing a sustainable, natural resource. This included the development of large areas of bush and scrub-covered land into productive commercial forests and, during the latter half of my career, planning and preparing mature forests for harvest production.

“This book is not just about trees and forests It’s about resilience, family, and finding adventure in life’s toughest moments.

Forestry gave me a purpose and a place to call home. It shaped who I am and taught me the value of perseverance and respect for nature.”

Chris’s tale also reveals a childhood marked by hardship and transience, attending over 12 schools before turning 12 himself, and a deep bond with his mother who raised him and his sisters against the odds.

This uniquely New Zealand story celebrates a man who turned challenges into opportunities and a passion for nature into a lifelong pursuit.

Chris Nelson’s career in forestry spans

over fifty years, beginning in t h e remote Hawke’s Bay forests and concluding in the East Coast’s wild woodlands. Inspired by stories from his parents’ generation, shaped by global events like the Great Depression and World War II, this memoir is a tribute to his family, his profession, and the natural world he loves. NZL

Planting season wraps up ONEFORTYONE WRAPPED UP ITS ANNUAL PLANTING SEASON just over a month ago, establishing another generation of forests throughout Australia’s Green Triangle.

Despite a dry few months, millions of healthy seedlings were dispatched from the OneFortyOne Glencoe Nursery to forest growers across the region, including OneFortyOne’s own estate and a range of other forestry operations.

Nursery Manager, Craig Torney says thanks to a new shed and infrastructure improvements, most operations are now undercover, reducing the impact of weather and creating a more comfortable working environment for the nursery team.

“The nursery was buzzing during what was another busy season,” he says. “It was great to see our upgraded facility in full operation.”

The nursery supplies seedlings not only for OneFortyOne’s forests but also for a range of forest growers across the Green Triangle.

The OneFortyOne estate team works together closely to coordinate the complex delivery programme, ensuring each planting crew receives the right trees at the right time.

“We know what trees need to go where and to which planting crew at what time,” says Craig. “This good management means the programme is spread out over eight or nine weeks, rather than being compressed into a shorter, more intense period.

“Combined with our upgraded systems, it made the season far less hectic, and we’ve definitely seen and heard that feedback from our nursery team.”

OneFortyOne Estate Manager, Marcel Griffiths says the planting programme covered 1,826 hectares, supported by three dedicated planting crews working tirelessly over 51 workdays.

“The Nursery and silviculture teams delivered an outstanding performance this season. Their coordination and professionalism ensured the programme ran smoothly and efficiently.”

With planting complete, focus now shifts to ensuring these seedlings establish well and grow into healthy, productive forests. NZL

Above: Nursery Manager, Craig Torney, tends to the seedlings.

Photo: Kate Hill.

Below: Ariel view of the nursery. Photo: Ockert le Roux

October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 13

Carbon Forestry 2025

Close up on carbon Main: Carbon Forestry Keynote speaker, BeZero’s Spencer Meyer, covered international carbon market developments. Photo: Innovatek.

Insert: Carbon Forestry Conference sponsor, Marex, hosted a new breakfast session on local carbon markets. Photo: Innovatek.

AT THE RECENT ANNUAL INNOVATEK CARBON FORESTRY Conference, for the first time issues included substantial content on voluntary carbon and biodiversity credit markets. There remained a strong focus on the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme as well.

Chief Verification Officer of BeZero Carbon from the U.S., Spencer Meyer, brought valuable international perspectives on verification of voluntary carbon market credit projects in his Keynote Speech.

He emphasised that in a world with a range of climate mitigation actions, verification is important to apply standards to carbon projects of different types. He said New Zealand’s unique environment makes it attractive to buyers of voluntary carbon market credits but with a need for independent verification of credit veracity.

Globally there is a convergence between carbon credits being generated for voluntary use, compliance use and use for individual countries’ needs to meet nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement. The growing market for independent verification rating systems is establishing the missing correlation between price and quality, to assure buyers.

Chief Executive of the New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA), Elizabeth Heeg, provided more insights into international standards including Article 6.4. She added that international trading markets development is a great case study for how out of balance we can get in carbon discussions.

She used an example of how In-depth work shows that, as a country, New Zealand needs both technology and nature-based solutions to tackle the climate crisis. The land sector is now working together to ensure that measures and standards don’t exclude high-integrity, nature-based projects just because they have higher nature risks than technology-based projects.

Minister of Climate Change, Simon Watts, provided delegates with an update on government policy announced during the conference. This confirmed Government enforced restrictions on forests into the New Zealand emissions trading scheme. Extensive lobbying from the lobbyists for sheep, beef and dairy interests have 14 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

been the successful driver for this new policy direction.

The NZFOA’s Elizabeth Heeg suggested three ways to enhance the role of forestry to shore up our ability to meet the third emissions budget: • Better data and storytelling for good case studies of land-based, high-tech, nature-based solutions that use exotics and natives to create local economic opportunities and rural jobs. Wider promotion, of them will dispel forestry myths about forestry projects.

• The need for a clear, long-term plan for land use and the role of forests in carbon markets. She was not the only speaker who called for this.

• A need to collaborate. In a crisis, throwing rocks at your neighbours doesn’t help solve the fundamental problems. We must work together for the New Zealand we want the next generation to inherit.

Marex hosted a breakfast session on market developments and insights. Managing Director of Marex in New Zealand, Nigel Brunel, provided an in-depth assessment of the local carbon credit secondary market. He also joined a panel session with other carbon credit specialists on the policy and markets.

PF Olsen’s Felix Brandt said for carbon forest owners with a mix of age classes and enough forest land, there can be savings in improving the planning of future harvests to avoid carbon credit debts for future years.

He outlined a range of carbon forestry management regimes which benefitted from the use of carbon modelling. These can highlight potential negative carbon credit results which could be mitigated by changing the timing of some harvesting activities.

These actions could save the forest owner significant sums over the future of a particular forest.

Ekos’ Sean Weaver showcased the company’s new Maungataurari Sanctuary Mountain project which demonstrates the willingness of buyers to support voluntary carbon and biodiversity markets.

Conference Director, John Stulen of Innovatek, said the event was their largest gathering yet for carbon forestry. NZL

Opinion

“What’s different in forestry this spring?”

Story: Marcus Musson, Forest360 Director SPRING HAS SPRUNG AND WITH IT A much-welcomed improvement in demeanour for most people. While winter will not be missed, we are all well aware of the fierce rain events and subsequent carnage that spring can deliver so we are not ‘out of the woods’ yet.

There are generally a few key changes in the forest industry that come into play during spring. Firstly, the Chinese log demand starts increasing as the hot season dissipates and workers start to return to construction projects and, secondly, New Zealand supply also increases relatively quickly as things dry out and prices improve both in domestic and export markets. This historically plays out with reasonable export price increases towards the back end of spring that carry through summer until a supply/demand imbalance sees prices drop around Chinese New Year holidays.

What, if anything is different this year?

Production. Annual exports to China from New Zealand totalled a shade over 20 million m3 each year between 2022 and 2024, following a peak of 23 million in 2021. If you plot out New Zealand’s current run rate, we will be looking at total New Zealand log exports of around 16.8 million in 2025, of which only 15 million will be China-bound (1.1M to Korea, 400K to India and 300K to Japan). The last time we exported volumes as low as 15 million m3 to China was in 2013. Where has that production gone, one may ask? You only have to scan ‘logging equipment’ on Trade Me or drive past a machinery sales yard to see that a significant number of harvesting contractors are no longer in business.

Successive years of tough trading and increased pressure from councils, making it almost impossible to practically harvest in some regions, have forced many to the wall – with others only just hanging in there by the grace of their finance companies and the IRD. Having said that, when prices increase above the $125/m3 level and the sun shines, we generally see an increase in harvest activity and it’s surprising where volume can come from. However, with around eight

weeks from stump to China, the reaction to increased deliveries is slow to be felt in the market.

Back to the ‘what’s different this year’ question, is the higher than usual winter export prices. Generally, winter prices are well below what we have experienced this year, which results in a reasonable amount of harvesting gear parked up waiting for better times. Although winter prices weren’t great this year, they were at a level that allowed much of that machinery that would usually be idle to tick over, albeit slowly.

This all adds up to the inability/ unlikelihood of New Zealand reacting at previous levels to the traditional stimuli which gives rise to the distinct potential of a reasonable undersupply going forward should China come out of the blocks with increased demand. Current in-market inventory levels are still reducing and sit around the 2.7 million m3 mark, down 150k from August which doesn’t give a very large buffer if demand spikes even marginally.

September export prices are largely flat, with lower foreign exchange offsetting increased shipping costs and slightly lower CFR sales prices. Many were expecting increased CFR and at wharf gate prices for September, however a slight wrinkle emerged in the form of an inventory issue in China which has put the jitters around traders. This wrinkle involves a discrepancy between the actual inventory on the port and the volume recorded on the balance sheet of a large LC Letter of Credit (LC) company. There are a number of theories around how this has eventuated but suffice to say it’s a big enough problem that many LC companies have tightened their criteria and some have stopped issuing LC’s until it is resolved. It’s not the first time this kind of jiggery pokery has occurred and it’s likely the wrinkle will get unwrinkled, and the market will return to normal trading conditions (whatever they are).

Trouble brewing?

As wrinkles go, there’s a potentially larger one brewing in the form of Trumps tariffs.

New Zealand timber exports to the U.S.

Forest360’s Marcus Musson. are currently exempt from tariffs but there is widespread belief that the Don will announce a tariff on New Zealand timber products this month. This will specifically affect those sawmills that saw pruned logs with the U.S. market being the largest for clear lumber exported from New Zealand, currently worth NZ$400M annually. Forestry and Trade Minister, Todd McClay, has recently been in Washington spreading the good word with U.S. trade representatives and it is hoped they will see the importance of New Zealand timber to their construction industry. If a tariff is imposed, it is unknown what level it will be set at but it will likely be the single most significant decision that will affect the New Zealand sawmilling industry, ever.

The decision to close the Eves Valley Sawmill in Nelson came as a huge surprise to most and, although it is part of a consolidation strategy into the Carter Holt Harvey Kawerau site, it is cold comfort to those that have lost their jobs. The announcement is a double blow for those forest owners that have been affected by the recent windthrow event in the region, and it is hoped that the mill will continue to operate for a period to assist with the salvage.

So, a few dark clouds for us wood folk this month but we’re a resilient bunch and used to getting punched on the nose.

We’re getting good at adapting to change, whether it’s regulatory-, weather- or market-related and tend to come out firing on all eight cylinders once the dust settles. Let’s just hope the tariffs aren’t an uppercut. NZL October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 15

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Iron Tester, Brendan Harmon, testing out the controls of Burson Logging’s new Tigercat L822E feller buncher before heading into the cutover.

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LEADING THE CHARGE TO GET NELSON’S WINDTHROW OUT OF the forest on this crisp frosty morning is Burson Logging’s new Tigercat L822E feller buncher with Tigercat’s own 5185 fixed felling head.

Burson Logging has two of its three crews working in this block and while the race is on to get wind-damaged wood to mills and ports before sapstain arrives, there is time and the temperature on our side to keep that operation in the black.

Crew Foreman for Burson Logging One is Ryan Nichols and he signs us in and goes through the felling plan with our Iron Tester, Brendan (Brendo) Harman, who works nearby running a fixed head harvester.

Foreman, Ryan, got invited to his first forestry job by a mate doing silviculture and stuck at that for five or six years: “I enjoyed the good physical work of thinning and planting and a bit of pruning. Good work for young fellas.”

His first day at work in harvesting was unhooking for the hauler and driving the Bell UltraLogger at nearby Green Hill and then he went further South to log around Dunedin for six years before returning home. Along with his Foreman role, Ryan does fill-in jobs operating diggers and processors when staff are away.

We catch up with Burson Logging’s Ian Burson for a bit of background on how this company started out.

“It’s one of those stories where there’s a bit of good luck and a bit of hard luck and a bit of thinking outside the square,” Ian says.

“We are three generations in now, with the company starting out with Dad, me being trained up perhaps a tad younger than some would like, and now my son has started with us as well.”

Above: Regular operator, Ethan Cooper, Tigercat’s Aaron Gregan and Iron Tester, Brendan Harmon, discuss the finer points of the Tigercat L822E. Below left: Tigercat’s Aaron Gregan discusses the now standard tether mount.

Below right: The ‘cool AF’ toolbox mounted to the track frame.

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EST EST 1909 1909 |TOCALL WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 944 894 THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER NEW TO NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 18 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

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Iron Tester, Brendan Harmon, making the pollen fly as he puts the Tigercat L822E through its paces.

Some deep history Ian’s dad, Neil Burson and his brother started out logging and forest roading back in 1977 when they bought out Nigel Bryant’s dad, Bill’s business in Nelson.

“We count Nigel as a very close family friend even though there is fairly fierce competition amongst contractors at times, but that’s all good. So Burson Logging harvested Beech for export chip, Rimu saw logs and Radiata for Nelson Pine until about 1989 when native logging was banned. Nelson used to have one of the biggest chip yards in the Southern Hemisphere for a while. As a kid it was pretty impressive seeing the big old 155s pushing chips up into the hopper to load the boats,” says Ian. “Then we invested in a hauler for Nelson Pine which was the first Bellis hauler that Brightwater Engineers ever built, so we bought Number One and we currently own Number 50 and I have said if they ever make Number 100 we would honour them by buying that one, but I don’t envisage them building anymore. I think they got to 78 in total.”

Ian actually worked for Brightwaters for a year when he was 15 and they would always pick his brains about what his dad thought about their hauler and what it needed, and the next one that rolled off the production line had those modifications.

Ian started out running skidders and haulers before he was in his

Above: Part of the carnage caused by recent storms on the SERIOUS POWER FOR BIG TIME LOGGERS Burson Logging site.

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ALWAYS SWING A BIG STICK

EST EST 1909 1909 | TOCALL WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 944 894 THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER NEW TO NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 20 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

From left: Iron Tester, Brendan Harmon, gets busy cutting root wads off windthrow; Brendan fells a few trees to square up the block; Laying down stems with the fixed head has improved value recovery. teens and was caught a few times operating machines he wasn’t supposed to be running.

“Everyone over the radio was making up excuses about why I was running these machines when I wasn’t supposed to be. We had an excellent trainer, Doug McLeod, who worked for us for about 18 years before going on to work for WorkSafe, and I was always insistent that we steer clear of the 18 tree drives and any dodginess along those lines and just was taught the safe way to do things,” he adds.

Ian went on to become the youngest person in New Zealand to get his skidder driving ticket at 16: “That was a bit of a sore point among assessors nationwide. They said there’s no way a 16-year-old could get his skidder ticket. Doug said that’s fine, you can come down and assess him yourself. And so two different assessors came and did assessments and signed me off. They asked, ‘How long’s he been driving it?’ and Doug said, ‘Well, a long time but technically not a long time’.

“We have a lot of stuff people probably shouldn’t do in their younger years but I would never change what I learnt from the

older generation apart from Health and Safety, and we have always aimed to be competent and compliant in that respect.

“I am grateful for the people who taught me, including Dad. He was probably falling and breaking out until he was 60 and it has left its mark on him… the hard physical aspect of the job. It’s probably fair to say he worked a bit too hard and a bit too long for his own good. He was always a leader and never a follower and led by example, which was hard-charging. Some people didn’t like that but four or five of the guys we have had working for us have become their own contractors, so it’s good to see we have inspired some people with the hard work ethic.”

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing, Ian says: “A market downturn turned the tap off for one of our crews overnight. That was a bit of a sore point in my career and Dad’s as well. It’s not so much our business, it’s the 10 or 12 guys working for us who all have families at home to feed and bills to pay.

“It was pretty sad but it opened my eyes and I thought maybe we can play this game a bit differently, so we started chasing woodlots ourselves. We started selling wood through Tasman

DIAGNOSE • DESIGN • DELIVER

Above left and centre: Regular operator, Ethan Cooper, climbs out onto the landing.

Right: The Tigercat 5185 fixed felling head.

Below: Iron Tester, Brendan Harmon, tries out the L822E on some flat ground before heading off down the slope.

Pine Forests. They came on board with us. They were happy to do our harvest planning and stuff like that. That crew ended up being full-time contracted to Tasman Pine, which is one of the crews you are visiting to Iron Test the Tigercat. We ended up starting a second ground-based crew contracted to Tasman Pine while our hauler crew contracts to a private forest company locally.

“For every hard yard you do and every kick in the guts you get, you have to try and think positive and try and play the game a bit different.

“The New Zealand forest industry is fickle and has been fickle for a long time. To keep people interested they have got to be able to know they can go to work tomorrow and come home safely and pay their bills and feed their family.

At the end of the day we contractors are nothing without the people that work for us. They are Burson Logging. It’s not me. I might count the beans and supply the machines.

You can’t do it without your team.

“It took us a long time to get mechanised. We weren’t financially able until recently and still today we retain four Safetree certified fallers and five breaker-outs for the ‘Just in Case’ factor where we encounter ground that the gear can’t get to.”

Lower impact logging Ian says the selection process for the Tigercat L822E was driven

by Tasman Pine’s initiative to reduce ground impacts: “We have multiple harvesters in the 45-tonne plus range and so we looked at how we could reduce that weight and impact on the soil to reduce scarring. The L822E is about 10 tonnes lighter and often you can’t see where it’s been because of that.

Especially in wet conditions. The piece size going forward is 1.1 tonnes so it’s in the right capability of the L822E and then the fixed head is obviously aimed at reducing debris left on the hill and increasing value recovery from the crop.

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Above from left: Wide open spaces for servicing; The view from the operator’s seat; The air ride seat and optimally positioned controls.

We have been watching developments of local crews with fixed heads and decided that was the way to go.

We can’t fault the L822E – the operator has sometimes been three or four weeks ahead of the crew with felling in one week, so it’s definitely up to the task.”

Cutting dots Regular operator of the Tigercat L822E Ethan Cooper (Coop) looks far too young to have started out cutting dots, but at just 26 years old he has 12 years of logging under his belt starting off in the bush at the age of 15. We find him off by himself felling windthrow and shovelling it ready for extraction well ahead of the crew.

After cutting dots, Coop moved into manual falling and then worked his way into machines as a bit of a break between doing the hard yards.

“Manual falling is kind of gone now, so yeah, got into the felling machine and you just get better and better with all the practice,” he says.

Coop got the new Tigercat on the first day of work this year, so has given it a good workout. This is the first fixed head he has run and he has noticed it has improved stem recovery significantly: “Probably better than 95% whole stem recovery now.”

We note the saw seems really quick and Coop agrees, saying it’s ‘damn near twice as fast’ as his previous saw. Good to hear.

“This machine will also climb further without digging in and is more stable than my last machine,” he adds.

Powered by a 284HP/212KW FPT N67 model diesel, running piston hydraulic pumps – the finer details of which remain a closely guarded secret by the people at Tigercat – the L822E has 26 degrees of levelling at the front, seven degrees rear and 22 degrees to the sides.

In the cab there is a redesigned operator’s station with optimally positioned controls and improved HVAC for Nelson’s notorious hot and dry summers.

There’s clear sight lines along with the skyVIEW and rearVIEW camera systems, as well as additional storage locations. The storage toolbox on the track frame is cool AF with heaps of storage for saw bars and a spade for keeping the track gear cleared.

The long track frame is part of the L822E’s secret to low impact logging.

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SERIOUS POWER BIG TIME LOGGERS

EST EST 1909 1909 |TOCALL WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 944 894 THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER NEW TO NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 24 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

1: Iron Tester, Brendan Harmon with Tigercat’s Aaron Gregan.

2: Regular operator, Ethan Cooper, ready to get back into it.

3: Aaron Gregan from Tigercat with Iron Tester, Brendan Harmon.

4: Regular operator, Ethan Cooper with Cable Price’s Todd Blackwood.

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Tigercat credits its long track frames, wide stance car body, super duty levelling components and unique geometry for the stability that Coop mentions.

Powering the Tigercat 5185 fixed felling head is Tigercat’s 750 main saw unit with a 60cc high pressure piston saw motor. There is 23 litres of bar oil capacity, chain auto tensioning and an 850mm max cut.

The base machine has a cutting radius of 8.43 metres while having a compact tail swing radius of just 2095mm and tight tuck boom geometry, so is marketed as a thinnings as well as clearfell machine.

On the end of the stick we see the words ER Technology which is Tigercat’s Easy Reach and Energy Recovery system, allowing faster and easier horizontal boom extension from one joystick. Hydraulic energy is swapped back and forth between the main and stick boom functions to achieve this.

We’ll hand you over to our newest Iron Tester, Brendo, now with his take on the machine after his test drive.

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Iron Tester: Brendon Harmon.

“It means business” I STARTED WORKING IN THE FISHING industry straight out of school at 15. On one of my trips off, a good mate asked if I wanted to give logging a go. I figured, why not – and once I got a taste of it, I was hooked. I started out on the ground breaking out and doing a bit of hand falling. Before long, I got to jump in an old 210, and that was it – I knew this was the path I wanted to take. Not long after that, an opportunity came up in mechanical falling, and here I am, 18 years later, still loving what I do.

When I first see the Tigercat L822E, my first impression is solid. It’s a machine that looks purpose-built for serious forestry work – nothing flashy or over-designed, just clean, tough lines and a clear focus on functionality. The cab is well positioned, the guarding looks robust without being overkill, and the overall stance of the machine gives confidence straight off the bat. It looks like it means business.

One feature that stands out straight away is the front-entry cab. It’s not something you see on every machine, and it’s a nice touch.

The bonnet and side open up for easy pre start checks and the side also acts as a work platform for servicing.

Climbing in feels safe and easy – three solid points of contact, a clean step setup, and once inside, the layout of the operator’s station feels immediately familiar.

The seat has good adjustability, and it doesn’t take long to dial in a comfortable driving position.

All of the controls are within easy reach which makes a big difference when

you’re working long shifts.

Nothing feels out of place or awkward.

The controls themselves are smooth and responsive, and the heater does its job well during a chilly start. The radio is easy to connect to and gives decent sound quality – a small touch that makes a long day in the seat a bit more bearable.

A handy feature in the cab is the ability to save multiple operator profiles in the onboard computer. You can set up individual control preferences and switch between them easily, which makes it simple to share the machine across a crew without having to reconfigure everything each time someone new jumps in. It’s a real time-saver and a thoughtful addition, especially on busy jobs where machines are rotated often.

Impressive from the get-go Before moving off, I run through my usual system checks. Gauges all read where they should… no warning lights, and I give the hydraulics a warm-up with some light movements to get a feel for responsiveness.

I also check the cameras and visibility out each direction before committing to movement.

Track power is impressive from the get-go. The L822E has plenty of torque and climbs with confidence.

Even in uneven ground and loose conditions, it tracks smoothly and feels well

Iron Tester, Brendon Harmon. balanced. There’s good responsiveness from the travel motors – when you ask it to move, it does, without hesitation or sluggishness.

Visibility is solid across the board. Forward view is excellent, with a nice clean line down to the work area. Side visibility is decent – left and right views are mostly unobstructed thanks to the cab design.

Downward visibility to the tracks is surprisingly good for a feller buncher, which helps a lot when lining up your path. Rear visibility, which can be tricky on machines like this, is well covered by the rear camera, which provides a clear and responsive view when backing up.

Skyward visibility is covered by the skyVIEW camera, which is a smart feature.

Instead of relying on a sunroof or leaning forward to see through angled glass, the camera gives a clear, real-time view of what’s going on above. It’s a simple solution that works well – especially when dealing with leaners, tangled tops, or trying to spot widow-makers before you commit to a cut.

When it comes to handling timber, the grapple performance is a standout. It’s fast, smooth, and intuitive to use. The grip strength is solid – it holds on firmly even during more awkward angles, and I never felt like I had to fight the controls to get what I

Testing the bunching capability of the Tigercat L822E.

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IFICATION

SPEC S

SPECIFICATIONS TIGERCAT L822E WITH 5185 FIXED FELLING HEAD ENGINE

HARVESTER

6-cylinder, 6.7 Litre Tigercat FPT N67 Diesel Bore / stroke Peak power Tractive effort

Model Rotation Max delimber knife opening Min Opening Weight Max cut Chain

104mm x 132mm 212KW (284hp) @ 2,200rpm 280kn

HYDRAULICS Main pump Swing pump Attachment pump

Swing speed

Load sensing, variable displacement piston type Variable displacement piston type, energy recovering Dedicated attachment pump, load sensing, variable displacement piston type up to 7rpm

REFILL CAPACITIES (LITRES) Fuel tank Hydraulic system (incl. tank)

UNDERCARRIAGE

DIMENSIONS (MM)

Tigercat R7163L Levelling FH400 Undercarriage.

Shipping length Width Height Tail swing radius Ground clearance Track shoe width Operating weight

BOOM / ARM Model Max reach

needed. It’s one of those grapples where you can focus more on the wood than on fiddling with the joystick – which is what you want.

The saw chain and bar speed are right on the money – fast enough to cut cleanly without bogging, but also with enough

Tigercat 8.43 metres with head on.

Tigercat 5185 High Torque 340 degree 1300mm 100mm 1950kg 850mm Auto Tensioning 585 205

5180 (without boom) 3430 3710 2095 760 710, single grousers 33840kg bare, 35790kg with the 1950kg Tigercat 5185

control that you can be precise. It handles mixed sizes well, and I don’t feel any lag when cycling the saw through backto-back cuts. It’s a saw setup that gives you confidence to keep things moving efficiently.

Rotator speed and strength are more than adequate. Rotation is snappy but not jerky, and there is good holding power when positioning wood. Even when swinging in heavier stems, the head stays steady and tracks where I want it. NZL

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Young Achievers

In the heart of New Zealand’s forests, a quiet revolution is taking root. Not in the machinery or the markets, but in the minds of young learners and seasoned loggers alike. Discover Forestry – a national initiative launched three years ago – is turning school field trips into powerful tools for education, connection, and industry transformation.

Thanks to a small, dedicated team of forestry educators and with backing from industry.

Speirs Logging hosts Champion College students for a Discover Forestry visit on site in Gisborne.

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Story: Erica Kinder, CEO Discover Forestry

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Young Achievers

Above from left: Mills Albert Forestry with students from Paraparaumu College; A student from Paraparaumu College checks out equipment from Mills Albert Forestry; A student from Paraparaumu College takes home the prize T-shirt.

Below: Students from Paraparaumu College get hot chocolate and a lesson at Farm Forestry Association Hamish Levack’s Forest HQ in Kapiti.

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ISCOVER FORESTRY INVITES SECONDARY SCHOOL students into the forest, not for a casual stroll among the trees, but for hands-on immersion into the world of sustainable logging. They might measure trees, check the water quality and invertebrate life in a creek, and even visit a nursery or sawmill. Hosted by local forestry crews, forestry companies and the wider forestry community, these trips offer students a rare glimpse into the life cycle of a production forest, from seedling to sawmill.

Students and teachers don hard hats and high-vis, meet logging crews and witness harvesting operations up close. They learn about native species, erosion control, replanting strategies, and the science behind water quality testing, as well as the many ways trees and forests are measured and mapped. For many, it’s their first time seeing the balance between economic productivity and ecological stewardship.

So far for 2024 and 2025, Discover Forestry has delivered 20 bus trips for nearly 600 year 10 to 13 students and their teachers, to forests from Northland to Te Anau.

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PermaPine Pioneers Forestry Sustainability with New Volvo Electric L120 wheel Loader

In a bold step toward a more sustainable future, PermaPine, New Zealand’s largest manufacturer of posts and poles, has become the first in the country to trial the new Volvo Electric L120 Wheel Loader in a 24/7 forestry operation. The innovative machine was delivered in partnership with TDX, Volvo Construction Equipment’s exclusive distributor for New Zealand.

Located just outside Taupō on a sprawling 40-hectare site, PermaPine processes between 9,000 and 11,000 cubic metres of posts, poles and timber each month. With 20 Volvo loaders and three Volvo excavators already in operation, the company is no stranger to the brand’s performance and reliability.

The addition of the electric L120 marks a new era in PermaPine’s sustainability journey.

“The Volvo Electric L120 Wheel Loader gives us the performance we need without the emissions,” says Ian Potter, Operations Manager at PermaPine.

“We’re serious about sustainability, and this trial supports our broader environmental goals. It’s part of a longterm strategy—not a one-off decision.”

The fully electric L120 loader, fitted with log forks, is the first of its kind in New Zealand and represents a major milestone for the industry. PermaPine has also installed on-site charging

infrastructure with support from ECCA, positioning them to expand their electric fleet in the future.

“This is a real partnership between PermaPine, TDX, and Volvo CE,” explains Ewen Satherley, Territory Sales Manager and Forestry Specialist at TDX. “We’ve worked closely with Ian and his team for over a decade, and their commitment to innovation made them the ideal partner for this electric rollout.”

seeing great feedback from operators—it’s quiet, powerful, responsive, and handles all ground conditions effortlessly.”

From yard operations to log loading and treatment plant transfers, the electric loader is already proving itself in real-world conditions. With a smooth ride, impressive torque, and fast cycle times, PermaPine’s team is impressed.

As sustainability becomes a nonnegotiable across industries, PermaPine is showing how futureready solutions can deliver on performance—without compromising the planet.

Despite the initial capital investment, PermaPine opted for a lease model to balance cash flow and operational risk—a decision that has proven both strategic and practical.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

“It’s a high-capital asset,” adds Potter. “Leasing made sense and gave us flexibility. We’re already

Contact our TDX Team at 0800 848 267 or visit tdxltd.co.nz for more info.

Young Achievers

Above: The Gisborne Farm Forestry Association hosts students.

Left: Champion College students from Gisborne measure water quality in a Forest Enterprises forest.

Bottom left: A Champion College student learns pruning in a Forest Enterprises forest in Gisborne.

Right: Francis Douglas Memorial College students measure trees with Jeremy Thomson from the Farm Forestry Association in Taranaki.

Bottom right: Francis Douglas Memorial College students happily learning at Growing Gold Logging in Taranaki.

From school buses to skidders: A new kind of field trip Tauranga Boys High had its first forestry field trip this year where students, hosted by Pat Goeysinsup and Andrew Knudsen from Port Blakely, were taken in vans on the barge across to visit CMH Contracting on Matakana Island. Owner, Conan Hemsworth, is running a ground-based crew and there was much excitement for this trip as not many visitors get to view harvesting operations with barge sites. Following this trip three students signed up for the School of Forestry at Canterbury University, and several are looking at getting into forestry operations. As the school said, “This is the most successful industry trip we have ever been on.

We look forward to another trip next year. It absolutely turned some heads.”

In the Manawatū, SMH Logging and Liam Walker from Forest Enterprises recently hosted Fielding Ag High School’s agricultural class in Waitarere Forest near Levin. Students were amazed to meet 19-year-old Kiana Sawyer-White and 17-year-old Cade Vanderwell, both operating machines on a ground-based harvest operation while training under crew owner, Shaun Erni. This is a young, modern crew, and SMH Logging parked up its equipment so students could climb into the cabs, talk to the drivers, and explore the logging site. It was especially inspiring for the students to see operators not much older than themselves and to hear firsthand how they began their logging careers.

Taranaki’s Growing Gold hosted 30 students from Francis Douglas Memorial College, where a hauler became the star attraction. Even the teachers had never seen one operating up close. Forest360’s Taylor Hayston-Carroll guided the visit, giving students a thorough tour of the site and machines, as well as a look at a farm forestry site and how to measure stream water quality on the farm.

34 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

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Young Achievers

Speirs Logging gets into the Christmas spirit with Champion College in Gisborne.

On the Kapiti Coast, the Mills Albert Forestry crew was moving a hauler on the day Chris Gibbins from Forest360 and the horticultural class from Paraparaumu College visited. But it was still amazing for students to see crew members climbing hill sides and dragging chains across gullies while they set up. The Farm Forestry Association’s Hamish Levack served up cups of hot chocolate at Forest HQ. Every trip offers something different. These are a new kind of field trip.

to years of gaming ) and many want to work outdoors using these skills. They just had no idea that this type of work existed.

Discover Forestry helps make that connection, linking young people exploring career options with contractors who need fresh talent. Every year, there are examples of students who have reconnected through Discover Forestry after school trips, looking for either work experience or holiday work. In some cases, they’ve left school and want to connect with someone in forestry.

Logging in the modern age

The programme is about more than just the trees or harvesting window. We’re showing kids that forestry is about managing a living system. When they see the care and planning that goes into each harvest, as well as where the timber is going, it changes their whole perspective.

And it’s not just the students who benefit. Logging crews report a surprising boost in morale and purpose. When you’ve got a bunch of kids asking questions and genuinely interested in what a crew does, it reminds them why they got started in this business, these trips bring that back.

The impact of forestry education on logging crews is both emotional and practical. Crews involved in the programme report increased attention to safety protocols, clearer communication, and a renewed sense of pride in their work.

Taking students out to see how harvesting happens is a reminder that while some things haven’t changed in 50 years, others are unrecognisable. Crews today are either fully mechanised or near to it, with million-dollar machines now doing the work once carried out by chainsaws. Yet most people in the community still believe the hills are full of workers wielding chainsaws.

Ask someone, “What does a forester do?”, and they usually reply, “Cut down trees.” There is no distinction in their mind between what a logger does versus an engineer versus a forester.

But by seeing these careers in action, students gain a very different perspective, it opens a whole new world to them.

It turns out that this generation of students is highly adaptive to technology, very good at driving and using their hands (thanks 36 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

Education that echoes beyond the classroom

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Young Achievers Educating the educators Approaching schools and offering forestry learning and/or field trips is not without its hurdles to cross. Forestry is often associated with manual labour or the contracting side of the business, and teachers are surprised to learn about the university-educated side of the industry. It can be quite confusing for a teacher with no knowledge of our sector, to learn that engineers, scientists, economists, foresters and biologists all make up part of our diverse teams. And equally, that students can learn on the job or attend university and still enter forestry on a different career path. They simply don’t know. So a big part of the Discover Forestry journey is educating the educators as much as the students.

For Discover Forestry, attending careers expos and learning about other food and fibre careers is an important part of normalising forestry within our communities. As well as talking to students and providing them with updated information on courses and scholarships, our engagement provides an opportunity to talk to other industry representatives, teachers and parents who also attend these events. We can answer their questions about the latest media stories, combat some of the myths about forestry and demystify our sector. Often students, teachers and parents have no knowledge of forestry at all and have never met anyone who works in the sector or seen any positive media. It is hard for them to get a clear picture when they only hear one side of a story. Some of the venues we’ve visited have never hosted anyone from the forestry industry before.

Forestry companies in New Zealand have traditionally placed little emphasis on engaging with their local communities, and regular community interaction has rarely been part of day-to-day operations. This approach puts the forestry sector at a disadvantage when natural disasters strike, even though contractors are often the first responders in adverse weather events, called on to clear debris, open roads, and bring their machinery and chainsaw skills where they are needed most. Discover Forestry gives companies the opportunity to celebrate their contractors and clients during the rare occasions when worksites are opened up, with machinery and skills proudly on display for wide-eyed teenagers.

What students learn on a Discover Forestry trip: • Tree identification and forest ecology.

• Sustainable harvesting techniques.

• Soil and water conservation.

• Logging equipment and safety protocols.

• Replanting and regeneration cycles.

• What timber products logs are made into.

How has Discover Forestry adapted?

Discover Forestry has continued to evolve since starting under the governance of the Southern North Island (SNI) Wood Council in 2019. We’ve grown from a modest local educational outreach programme, into a nationwide movement that connects classrooms, communities and the forestry sector across New Zealand. Here's how the programme has changed over the years:

SMH Logging forwarder driver, Kiana Sawyer-White, with Fielding Ag High School Students in Levin.

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Early roots: Local field trips and crew engagement (2019–2022) • Initially focussed on bringing students into the forest to witness logging operations and learn about sustainable practices.

• Logging crews played a key role in hosting school visits, fostering pride and public understanding of forestry work.

• Programmes were largely regionally organised by the SNI Wood Council, with limited coordination between districts.

• Field trips were limited to two or three per year.

Expansion and formalisation (2022-2025) Forestry education gained traction as a tool for career inspiration and environmental awareness, with more forestry companies wanting to become involved with Discover Forestry programmes. The country’s regional Wood Councils began collaborating to share resources and standardise outreach efforts, while industry groups such as Forest Growers Levy Trust and WIDE Trust came on board with sustainable longer term funding to ensure Discover Forestry programmes could be expanded across New Zealand. Early versions of programmes like Wood is Good emerged at primary schools nationwide, targeting primary schools with log truck safety and sustainability lessons.

With dedicated funding in place, four staff members have maintained the outreach programmes, coordinated and attended careers expos, and published books and brochures for forestry careers and school events, while ensuring they represent the forestry industry alongside other primary sector groups.

To date, the Discover Forestry team has showcased forestry at over 230 school-coordinated events since 2023.

Shuni Erni from SMH Logging discussing machinery with Fielding Ag High School Students.

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Young Achievers National Integration and Program Diversification (2023) In 2023, Discover Forestry New Zealand was officially launched as a unified, national, sector-run programme governed by the SNI Wood Council. The initiative now offers a suite of programmes: • Wood is Good: For primary schools, focusing on forestry basics, road safety and environmental stewardship.

• Grow Me: For secondary students, offering career expos, scholarships, and work experience and industry field trips.

• Wāhine in Forestry: A professional development network supporting women in the industry, including workshops and conferences.

Looking ahead: Let people in With growing interest in climate change, biodiversity and sustainable land use, Discover Forestry is poised to play a central role in educating the next generation of school children about forestry’s place in New Zealand’s economy and ecosystem. A new ‘urban forestry programme’ is being planned for 2026, along with more emphasis placed on collaboration

within the forestry sector and contributing to wider community events.

Some companies leap at the chance to open their forest gates and businesses to display their craft. Unfortunately, others are reluctant, citing either health and safety concerns, or just simply being “too busy”. We encourage all those within our forestry sector to emphasise the importance of making the time to host visitors, to be willing to ‘down tools’ for an hour to explain their job, and to take advantage of the opportunity that Discover Forestry is offering.

Forestry suffers from being ‘unseen’ and ‘unknown’, with many myths and misconceptions about forestry and foresters frequenting negative media articles. If we ever want to gain recognition and understanding, we must be willing to let people in. We have an evolving modern harvesting sector with more importance placed on mechanisation and positive environmental outcomes. These sustainable harvesting techniques need to be demonstrated to the education sector and wider public if we are to attract the next generation into our workforce. NZL

Liam Walker from Forest Enterprises and Cade Vanderwell from SMH Logging, proudly show off their workplace to Fielding Ag High School Students in Levin.

40 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

Worker Wellness

1

Story: Joe Akari, CEO Forestry Industry Safety Council

Known on the ground as the ‘Bush Bible’, the recent release of WorkSafe’s new Approved Code of Practice: Safe Practice for Forestry and Harvesting Operations (ACOP) is a major milestone for the forestry sector.

I

T IS KNOWN AS THE ‘BUSH BIBLE’ FOR good reason: it forms the backbone of health and safety for what we all know is one of New Zealand’s most high-risk sectors to work in.

This ‘new testament’ version of our Bush Bible, as it were, has been years in the making, involving extensive consultation with our colleagues. From forest owners and contractors to farm forestry owners and log transporters, biofuel producers, and kaimahi (workers), the industry generously gave of their time, contributing their expertise through workshops, meetings, and consultations. People were keen to ensure the new edition of the Bush Bible and the new Health and Safety When Managing a Small Forest Harvest Good Practice Guidelines (GPG), launched at the same time, were the best they could be, which says a lot about this industry.

42 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

The Forestry Industry Safety Council (FISC) is welcoming the new ACOP’s strong focus on risk assessment and management through controls for forestry businesses.

Ultimately, this new code is an important tool in our toolkit for keeping our people safe.

What the ACOP is for The ACOP is a practical guide that helps forestry businesses meet their obligations under New Zealand’s health and safety laws. The regulator, WorkSafe, describes the guidance as outlining the responsibilities and legal expectations for forestry operators, and helping workers know “what good looks like”. It aims to give businesses and workers “a strong direction” for improving or maintaining good health and safety standards.

When launching the new code, at Orlando

Country in Palmerston North, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden, said the code builds on a suite of health and safety reforms announced earlier in the year, which were aimed at focusing the system on reducing critical risks and improving clarity for businesses.

She signalled a stronger reliance on ACOPs going forward, including changing the ACOP model to reassure people that if they comply with an ACOP, “they have done enough to meet their health and safety duties”.

As WorkSafe points out, forestry businesses still need to have their own systems and processes in place, with the new code and GPG to be used alongside other guidance from industry leaders that cover more detailed operational requirements – such as FISC’s Best Practice Guidance (which is referred to in the ACOP).

1: Panel discussion featuring (from left): Industry representative Amy Satherley of ATS Logging; Forest Industry Contractors Association Chair, Nick Tombleson; FISC Chief Executive, Joe Akari; Forest Owners Association Chief Operating Officer, Joseph Brolly; WorkSafe Chief Executive, Sharon Thompson; and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden.

2: Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden with Forest Industry Contractors Association Chief Executive, Rowan Struthers, in Rotorua last year talking about health and safety reform.

3: Forest Industry Contractors Association Chief Executive, Rowan Struthers, chats at the event.

4: WorkSafe Chief Executive, Sharon Thompson.

5: The updated ‘Bush Bible’.

6: Forestry Industry Safety Council Chief Executive, Joe Akari.

2

So what’s different?

The earlier ACOP was published in 2012, before the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, leaving the two out of step. There was a desire from both the industry and the regulator to bring the documents into line.

The new ACOP also reflects the broader shift in New Zealand’s health and safety law, which places the primary duty of care for health and safety on the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU). The ACOP is now written with the PCBU as its main audience, outlining their responsibilities to provide a safe working environment.

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Less prescriptive One of the most significant changes is the shift in tone. The new ACOP is less prescriptive. It has a strong focus on identification of hazards and risks, assessment of those risks and the development, implementation and monitoring of really good controls.

This approach provides the latitude for continuous improvement. Contractors and others are encouraged to monitor and evolve their practices, just as long as they meet or exceed the ACOP standards.

The old version was highly prescriptive, filled with lots of ‘you musts’ and ‘you shall’ statements, reflecting legal requirements.

October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 43

Worker Wellness

The new version still has mandatory elements but uses more language like ‘consider’ and ‘check,’ encouraging a more thoughtful, risk-based approach.

FISC believes this is more empowering for the industry, which is constantly innovating and improving its processes.

Indeed, ACOP point 1.4.1 notes that “there may be instances where a forestry task will arise that is not covered or varies from what is in the guidance. If this happens, follow usual processes to identify, assess and manage risk (Appendix 6)”. So there is room to innovate and remain compliant.

A new structure The ACOP is divided into general guidance and specific operations, making it easier for contractors and others to find the information relevant to them. If you’re a harvester, for instance, you can read the general guidance and then go straight to the harvesting section. You don’t need to wade

Top: The audience at the Spotlight on Safety event.

Right: Teeing off after the launch, at the Orlando Country launch venue, Palmerston North.

44 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

through everything else unless you want to.

In addition, WorkSafe highlights these other key updates to the ACOP: • The guidance has been simplified.

• ‘Must’ is used to refer to things that are legal requirements under health and safety law. Where ‘must’ is not used, it’s a recommended action that’s good practice.

• There is now a significant section on work-related health.

• There is a new section on establishment and silviculture.

• There is a new section on winch-assisted harvesting.

• The section on controlled fires and burnoffs has been removed as this is better managed by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

• There is no section on helicopter logging.

Embedding the new code on the ground For contractors used to the old ACOP, the new version may feel unfamiliar at first.

But the core principles – keeping workers safe and managing risks – remain the same.

Most practices that conformed to the old ACOP are likely to still comply with the new

one, although documentation will need to be updated.

And while the industry is getting to grips with the changes, it can take comfort from WorkSafe’s commitment to take an educative approach to begin with, rather than an enforcement-based one. It understands the sector needs time to get its collective head around the changes.

But we do need to be moving forward.

As a sector, we have been making

significant strides in improving work health and safety in the forestry industry, but we know there is still plenty to be done. FISC wants the same thing as WorkSafe – for our people to come home from work safely every day – and sees the new ACOP as another important building block in helping to make that happen.

The first step on that journey is to sit down and take a look through the new code. You should find the new ACOP a refreshing reset

Above: A forestry worker hard at work chainsawing (left) and a trimmer working in the bush – both potentially dangerous activities. that encourages everyone to be engaged in making their work practices safer.

For more information on the new ACOP, GPG and resources that sit alongside them, see Safetree.nz or WorkSafe.govt.nz. NZL

FICA’s perspective on the sector’s next chapter Story: Forest Industry Contractors Association Chief Executive, Rowan Struthers THE FORESTRY SECTOR’S UPDATED APPROVED Code of Practice 2025 (ACOP) marks a significant shift – not in rules, but in mindset. While the code replaces the 2012 version, its real impact lies in how it reframes health and safety responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA). For contractors, this isn’t just a regulatory refresh – it’s a chance to lead.

From FICA’s perspective, the new ACOP creates a more enabling environment for capable contractors to operate, innovate, and demonstrate leadership. By moving away from rigid prescriptions and toward a risk-based, system-focused approach, contractors now have greater flexibility to tailor controls to their specific operations – provided those controls meet or exceed the ACOP standard. This shift empowers those who already invest in safety, planning, and workforce development to stand out.

Importantly, ACOP 2025 expands the

scope of responsibility to a broader group of PCBUs, including forest owners, wood buyers, and other supply chain participants. This is a welcome move – but one that will require education and consistent implementation. The challenge for WorkSafe will be ensuring that this consistency is upheld across regions, so contractors aren’t navigating different interpretations of the same code depending on where they operate.

Certification also plays a stronger role.

Safetree Certification is now formally referenced throughout the ACOP, reinforcing its value as a best-practice benchmark. While not mandatory, it’s clear that certified contractors – and certified individuals in critical roles like tree falling and breaking out – will be viewed as safer, more professional and more compliant. For principals and forest owners, this is a signal to strengthen procurement processes and ask the right questions.

To support this transition, FICA is leading the development of a Draft Pan Sector Health, Safety & Wellbeing Charter. This initiative aims to unify the forestry supply chain around shared safety goals and responsibilities, reinforcing the ACOP’s intent and aligning with broader sector reforms underway at FISC and ACC. The Charter has already received strong support from the FOA Executive, and stakeholder engagement is now underway across contractors, forest owners, transport, processors, exporters and regulators.

Ultimately, regulation is only part of the solution. How the ACOP is implemented – by WorkSafe, by principals, and by contractors themselves – will determine its success. FICA will continue to advocate for clarity, consistency, and collaboration across the sector. This is our moment to lead the change – together.

October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 45

FICA.ORG.NZ

your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002

Safety systems work when grounded in reality ACOP LAUNCH

“Safety systems only work when they’re grounded in reality” – that was the key message from Amy Satherley, Director of ATS Logging, while speaking on behalf of contractors at the Spotlight on Safety Event, held in Palmerston North on Tuesday 26th August.

Organised by FICA, the event brought together 150+ guests from across the industry, including forestry and haulage contractors, forest management, regulators and Government representatives. Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Hon. Brooke van Velden officially launched the new guidance for forestry including the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for Forestry and Harvesting Operations, and the Health and Safety when Managing a Small Forest Harvest Good Practice Guidelines (GPG).

As a key contributor providing practical, ‘on the ground’ feedback throughout the ACOP review process, Amy was asked by FICA to speak on behalf of contractors.

“Everyone here has the same aim which is to get all workers home safe at the end of the day. All involved in forestry need to take these changes on board and see it as a successful step for our industry, to encourage a mindset that encourages safety first,” she said.

Top: Amy Satherley of ATS Logging, speaks on behalf of contractors.

“... A mindset of being safe and not taking the attitude of ‘she’ll be right’ is something that has improved over the years and something everyone in the industry needs to continually ensure we do.

Above: Amy Satherley and Nick Tombleson represent contractors on a Q+A panel alongside FISC, FOA, WorkSafe and the Minister.

“A significant amount of work has gone into the development of the new ACOP, involving not only the regulator but also extensive input from across the forest industry – including forest owners, managers and contractors. That matters.

places greater emphasis on the responsibilities of PCBUs and the importance of robust risk assessment.

“Because safety systems only work when they’re grounded in reality — when they reflect the complexity of actual operations on the ground. And that’s what this ACOP aims to do.”

“This collaboration is a positive example of industry and government working together toward a common goal. From our perspective we found WorkSafe engaging with the contractors a very positive process for the industry… taking our feedback into account and using the knowledge of the people working on the ground to effectively review this document. “... The new ACOP is quite different from the previous version with more focus on PCBUS and risk assessment. It

46 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

“This recognises that the people best placed to manage risk are those who create it — and those who are closest to the work. But it also means we, as an industry, need to lift our capability to assess and manage those risks. It’s not just about compliance — it’s about leadership. “… The new ACOP will require companies including forest management and contractors to ensure they are meeting or exceeding the standards and to manage risk in the best way possible.

Continued next page...

listen to this Logger Mag update instead www.fica.org.nz/logger-mag

FICA.ORG.NZ

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Contractor Christmas “… The forest industry is supportive of the Minister’s change in focus for WorkSafe, which emphasises accountability, performance improvement, and more effective engagement with high-risk sectors like forestry.

“The forestry sector recognises that improving health and safety outcomes is not solely the role of the regulator. As an industry, we must take the lead in owning our performance, driving improvements and embedding a culture of safety across all operations.

“We can’t outsource responsibility for safety to the regulator. We have to lead it ourselves — on every site, in every crew, at every level of the supply chain. That means investing in training, lifting standards, mentoring each other, and calling out poor practices. It means building a culture where safety isn’t a compliance burden — it’s simply the way we work.

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October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 47

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Continually Improving AMY SATHERLEY, ATS LOGGING LTD Amy Satherley has a restless energy to keep improving.

She’s an efficient, driven businesswoman, who expertly juggles her business and family responsibilities while also finding the time to study a Diploma in Health and Safety part time.

Growing up in residential Perth, Western Australia, Amy didn’t ever imagine she’d end up running ATS Logging alongside her husband Toby.

ATS Logging currently operates five crews in the Hawke’s Bay region; one ground-based crew, one pole hauler and three swing yarders, working for FMNZ, Pan Pac and Ernslaw One.

we’ve got full control over it.”

Amy says she and Toby work well together.

“He takes care of operations and the mechanical side in the workshop, while I am responsible for health and safety and finances,” she says.

“Toby’s mechanical knowledge is one of the reasons we survived those early years in business; he was able to do so much of the repairs and maintenance himself, fixing things at night and on the weekends.”

The husband-and-wife team met on a night out in a Perth pub, back in 2009.

They’ve gotten their business to the point where they balance work and family well (they have five children) and are grateful for the support of their awesome family.

“Toby had been over in Perth for about seven years, logging and working as a heavy-duty diesel mechanic, while I was working as a teacher,” says Amy.

Amy says their shared drive to learn and improve has helped them succeed as a husband-and-wife team.

“We came over to New Zealand to meet his family. With Toby’s parents owning an earthworks company, his dad was doing forestry roading and said there was an opportunity for us to start a logging crew, so we took it from there.”

They started their ground base crew with Toby and two employees. Amy worked as a relief teacher and ran the office side of the business around her teaching job.

“I’d do dispatch and bookkeeping and health and safety, and everything in my lunch breaks and at nighttime,” says Amy.

“We work as a team and trust each other in our areas. We have wanted to get people off the ground to reduce the risk of those manual roles such as tree falling and breaking out.

Now we only have one manual tree faller across five crews, plus we use five mechanised fallers on winches. We also haven’t been breaking out for over seven years with the use of grapples and carriages” Amy says she and Toby share the desire to improve the perception of logging as well.

She made a conscious effort to learn as much as she could about all parts of the business.

“I guess we’re trying to change the way the industry is perceived and we’re always wanting to do it properly,” says Amy.

“I asked the accountant, ‘how much can you show me that I can do and you don’t have to do?’ and I did free IRD courses to understand how tax works in New Zealand,” she says.

“From the start, logging 14 years ago wasn’t seen as very professional, especially doing woodlots — farmers generally didn’t like logging.

“It wasn’t just office stuff though. I operated bulldozer, driving up and down with a trailer, and worked as a QC for a bit so that I could have that understanding of logging, especially doing the stocks and grades. I wanted to make sure we were getting good grades out and getting a good recovery, so I thought that was the best way to learn.”

“So, a big thing for us was to make that difference and show that’s not what we’re trying to do. We made a conscious decision to do things differently, keep things tidy, look after fences and things like that,” she says.

As the business grew, the couple started a family. Amy juggled having small children while working from home. She also made improvements by utilising technology.

“Everything was so paper-based when we first started, but as we grew, we had too many staff to do everything with paper, especially for things like payroll,” she says.

“Now we’re doing everything on the tablet except for hazard ID and site plans basically,” she says. “All our prestarts are done on tablets and phones. It took a while to get everyone on board, but seven years on and it’s going really well.

“We have SD cards in all the tablets, so they are online on site or when the guys are back in service. The beauty of having our own system means we’re constantly changing it with feedback, and we can change it straightaway because

48 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

“We always want to show that you have to be skilled to be a logger. Even if you weren’t very skilled at school, you’re still a skilled, professional worker.”

Always looking to upskill, Amy is currently studying a Diploma in Health and Safety part time as well.

“Probably one of the most challenging things is that we’re working in a high-risk industry, so it never ends,” she says.

“Health and safety is constantly evolving and you feel like you never really tick everything off completely. So, you just have to keep doing your best and doing things properly.”

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Safety/performance/quality

Highlighting Harvesting Results THIS ISSUE WE BRING YOU THE FIRST SET OF harvesting results and some more general photographs of folk out on the coal face.

Congratulations to those who feature in these. There are some very close results coming through, so the year end will be an interesting time for final analysis of these.

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

Awesome companies, awesome people and awesome support!

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

They believe in what we do and what you do.

So, a big ongoing thank you to our Strategic Partners – STIHL and NZ Logger and sponsor SWAZI. The best way to keep our industry working is to get out and support those businesses that support New Zealand.

BBL 1’s David Swann.

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: Matariki Forestry Group, Wenita Forest Products, Ernslaw One, OneFortyOne New Zealand, Crown Forestry, Forest View Contracting, Makerikeri Silviculture (2020), Mitchell Silviculture, Puklowski Silviculture, Gutsell Forestry Services, Johnson

BBL 10’s Logan Williams.

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.

Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

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

BBL 10’s Amelia Gower.

Diack Contracting’s Jayden Saywell. Diack Contracting’s Phil Cossgrove. Diack Contracting’s Dale Koia.

50 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

BBL 10’s Travis Williams.

Diack Contracting’s Jade Tidy-Rewita.

Safety/performance/quality

Harvesting Results Period 1 2025 Crew Onward Logging Lumberjack Logging Lumberjack Logging Swain Logging Target Infrastructure BBL 1 McCallum Harvesting Swain Logging CMH Contracting Swain Logging Onward Logging MFL McCallum Harvesting Diack Contracting MFL Swain Logging McCallum Harvesting Diack Contracting Diack Contracting Waima Logging BBL 10 MFL Swain Logging Diack Contracting MFL BBL 10 CMH Contracting Y BBL 10 Onward Logging Waima Logging

Participant Taz Paea Nikita NoaNoa Johan NoaNoa David (Scrub) Thompson Tayla Tehau David Swann Jackson McCallum Connor Egerton Witana Murray Lyle Swain BJ Sidney Luke Williams Dave McCallum Jayden Saywell Simon Collier Jeremy Stuart Ethan McCallum Phil Cossgrove Dale Koia Jesse Waru-Hay Logan Williams Mitch Evans Blair (Nutter) Campbell Jade Tidy-Rewita Monty Te Whaiti (Maharatia) Amelia Gower Paul Young Travis Williams Jesse Tidy Brent McKensie

Target Infrastructure’s Tayla Tehau. MFL’s Luke Williams.

Task Breaker Out Breaker Out Breaker Out Ground Base Extraction Ground Base Extraction Ground Base Extraction Machine Operation on the Landing Machine Operation on the Landing Machine Operation on the Landing Manual Tree Felling Manual Tree Felling Manual Tree Felling Mech Fell Mech Fell Mech Fell Mech Process Mech Process Mech Process Poleman/ Spotter Poleman/ Spotter Poleman/ Spotter Shovel Shovel Shovel Skidwork Skidwork Skidwork Yarder Yarder Yarder

MFL’s Simon Collier.

Result 100.00% 99.23% 98.46% 99.58% 96.19% 94.92% 100.00% 99.96% 99.29% 100.00% 99.22% 99.11% 100.00% 100.00% 99.97% 99.66% 99.59% 99.49% 98.47% 97.43% 96.92% 100% 99.80% 99.20% 100.00% 99.49% 98.48% 99.01% 98.54% 97.89%

Placing 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st= 1st= 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd

MFL’s Monty Te Whaiti (Maharatia).

October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 51

NEW CAT FOR KURU CONTRACTING

NEW MACHINERY FOR GIBBS LOGGING

Ricky and Leanne Kuru, of East Coast-based Kuru Contracting, have added this new Next Generation 558 LL with a Woodsman Pro 850 to their Cat fleet. No stranger to Cat forest machines, Jaz Kuru has been operating the 558 LL and says she’s very impressed with its performance, as well as the comfort and visibility in the cab. Machine sold by Terra Cat Territory Account Manager Heath Stewart, who also took the photo.

Holden, Maddy and the crew at Gibbs Logging have taken delivery of a new Eltec FHL277B fitted with a Woodsman Pro DFH1350 felling head. This machine joins the crew in Waimana and will be tethered to its Sany SY305H Tractionline. Machine sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

KOMATSU FOR ROXBURGH CONTRACTING Otago-based Roxburgh Contracting has taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC300HW-8 grapple machine which joined the fleet in the Roxburgh 1 crew. Pictured with the new machine is operator, Jimmy, who is stoked with it, saying, “it’s an absolute beast of a machine, it has tonnes of power and speed”. He couldn’t wait to get in the new machine and throw some logs around. Machine sold and supported by Komatsu Forest.

JOHN DEERE/WOODSMAN PRO COMBO FOR CABLE LOGGING GERALDINE Cable Logging Geraldine has recently taken delivery of a new Woodsman Pro 850 tree harvester, paired with a John Deere 3756G. The machine is working in the Geraldine Forest area. The team says the 850 is “an awesome head” with the new Loggic control system easy to use and "great grunty feed power".

52 NZ LOGGER | October 2025

NEW MACHINERY FOR PEACOCKE LOGGING Alister Peacocke of Peacocke Logging has taken delivery of this John Deere 948LII grapple skidder for his crew 054. Operator, Ian (Fatta) Douglas, is using it in the stems crew working in Kaingaroa Forest. Machine sold and supported by Brandt Rotorua.

NEW CAT FOR HICKFORD LOGGING

KOMATSU/WOODSMAN PRO COMBO FOR DJW FORESTRY

This Next Generation Cat 538LL forest machine is a new arrival for Whanganui-based Hickford Logging. Fitted with a Duxson grapple, the Cat has been put to work by Dave Hickford performing fleeting and loading. Next Gen features include a purpose-built forestry cab with increased visibility and power, and smooth operator controls, he says. The crew is pictured with the 538 on delivery day.

DJW Forestry has recently taken delivery of a new Woodsman Pro 750 tree harvester, installed on a Komatsu PC350 FX. The new machine is hard at work undertaking roadlining operations in Timberlands Forest. Head sold by Woodsman Pro.

FIFTH WOODSMAN PRO FOR JENSEN LOGGING Jensen Logging has recently taken delivery of its fifth Woodsman Pro 560 tree harvester, installed on a John Deere 803MH, working for Crew 088. Operator, Neil, is getting his head around the new machinery, working in production thinnings in Kaingaroa Forest. Jensen’s says the Woodsman Pro 560's are “transforming” its production thinning operations. Pictured are Rachael Brown (left) with operator, Neil. Machine sold by Brandt Rotorua with head sold by Woodsman Pro.

NEW MACHINERY FOR HAURAKI LOGGING Blue, Donna, Charlie, Ella and the team at Hauraki Logging have taken delivery of their first Sany 415. Fitted with a Woodsman Pro 850 harvester head, this machine joins the Hauraki Crew in sunny Whangamatā. Machine sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

NEW MACHINERY FOR PINERIDGE HARVESTING Scoota and the crew at Pineridge Harvesting have added a SATCO 630E fitted to an existing Weiler B758 which will be used in conjunction with their tether machine. They also run a SATCO fall and trim head on the same base which can be swapped when required in a timely manner.

Pictured from left are Pineridge Harvesting's Olly and Scoota.

October 2025 | NZ LOGGER 53

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