NZ Logger September 2025

September 2025

He aps of reac h

ISSN 2703-6251

| 9.50

Woody Tales, Tall But True

Site recovery from winch assist

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contents

SEPTEMBER 2025

16

4 4

FOREST TALK On consents, safety and energy; Contractor held to account for safety breach; Understanding safety perspectives; More plantation growth grants for Australia; Rayonier’s sale of Matariki complete; Wilding conifer funding for Molesworth; Gisborne hapū blocks log yard; Japanese timber shipments questioned over human rights; Leveraging forestry to support marine biofuel; Accelerating into the 4x4 tyre market; A true one-stop shop; Opinion: Looking forward.

30 16

SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST It’s all in the family at Stewart Logging just South of Mosgiel, as our Iron Test team has a run in the Sumitomo 4040. With two sons and a daughter in the mix, Grant and Loryn Stewart have raised some highly skilled and hard workers.

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LOOKING BACK Enrico ‘Harry’ Hoover documents the stories and lives of the boys who joined the Woodsman Schools back in the day, in a new book titled Woody Tales, Tall But True. We take a look at one of those stories, penned

by Woodsman, Campbell Barrowman.

Tough times but magic memories.

42 42

HARVESTING While the safety and productivity benefits from winch assist are well known, it is easy to see that operating machinery on steep slopes disturbs soil. For his University of Canterbury Master’s project, James Power asked: How quickly does a site recover from winch assist operations?

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

September 2025 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor September 2025

Heaps of reach

ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: TIM BENSEMAN

| 9.50

Woody Tales, Tall But True

Site recovery from winch assist

Dan Stewart shovelling logs around in the Sumitomo 4040, ready for two-staging.

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2 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

Lessons learnt NEW ZEALAND IS NO STRANGER TO NATURAL DISASTERS. THIS RELATIVELY young land has some old faults. Earthquakes, volcanoes, cyclones… we’ve got it all – at least the ones we have no control over. Which makes it all the more vital that we control what we can and take lessons to heart.

An interesting case came before the court this year, after a Northland forestry worker crushed his hand on the job four years ago. While the company was fined as expected, there were also some unusual penalties ordered.

The contractor was bound to two key commitments within 12 months.

Namely, to work with the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC) and Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) to develop guidance on winding in non-working ropes, and to publish a safety alert outlining the lessons learnt to benefit the industry.

Collectively, they will also create practical guidelines for cable winching operations, tower stabilisation and crew safety protocols, and engage with the industry to ensure this guidance is relevant and able to be implemented.

“We remain committed to supporting collaborative, transparent and practical safety leadership,” says FICA. While a 45-year career has ended abruptly with the loss of four fingers, this is certainly a more constructive approach to avoid further harm than a simple ‘fine and move on’. See inside for more.

Also inside these pages, you will find a fascinating look back at life in the Woodsman Schools which instructed boys in the “skilled crafts of forestry” for over 30 years.

Safety was not a term that came easily to mind in those times, and Enrico Hoover has put together a collection of captivating stories in his new book titled Woody Tales, Tall But True – Living, working and playing in New Zealand’s wild places.

“Much of what we as ‘Trainees’ went through was brutal. Most of those who left early didn’t actually fail – they were pushed out by a system that encouraged the abuse. Still, it was what it was. Those of us who went the distance were generally better people for the hardships, and most of us wouldn’t change how it was,” he says.

While it might take some time to recover from mistakes of our own making, the question we ask in the following article about just how quickly a site recovers from winch assist operations, demonstrates that while vulnerabilities remain for sure, our forests are sometimes more resilient than we are.

And the most important lesson? To learn from our mistakes and carry those learnings forward… together.

Until next time, stay safe.

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forest talk

On consents, safety and energy THE TIME PERIOD WITHIN WHICH A CONSENT AUTHORITY MUST process and decide an application for a resource consent for a specified wood processing activity has been reduced to one year after the date the application is lodged, as per the new Resource Consenting (RMA) Act passed in Parliament last month.

“With examples of resource consent renewal for wood processing sites taking up to 13 years and costing in excess of $2 million due to the drawn-out regional council processes, a more efficient system is essential,” says Chief Executive of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association (WPMA), Mark Ross.

“The new Act amends the RMA to open up a consenting pathway for all wood processing and related activities, which is intended to reduce costs and time frames, plus open up much-needed investment opportunities for the industry.

“In adopting this change, the Government has listened to WPMA and our members and for that we thank the Minister responsible for reform, Chris Bishop, and Act MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court, for providing the leadership needed to back future development of both new and existing wood processing facilities.

“As a low net emissions industry, wood processing offers many public benefits, including being a high-value regional employer, adding value to commodities that are otherwise exported in raw form, along with providing domestic resilience in terms of the supply of building materials, residues for sustainable packaging and biofuel.”

The full replacement for the RMA will be introduced to Parliament this year, be passed into law next year, and be in effect by 2027, but in the meantime, through this Amendment Bill, a quicker and simpler process to consent wood processing activities will incentivise future growth within the industry, he adds.

As defined in the new RMA Act, Wood processing activity means the establishment, operation, or maintenance of a facility that specialises in the production of long-lived wood products, products derived from wood fibre, or wood-derived bioenergy or provides for the storage of logs, processed wood products, or hazardous materials used in or produced by the operation of the facility.

Examples of products include the production of sawn timber, panel products (such as veneer, plywood, laminated veneer, lumber, particle board, or fibreboard), pulp, paper and paperboard, wood chips, bioproducts, chemicals and materials.

Regulatory relief for workplace safety Mr Ross adds that the recent announcement by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden, on reviewing the risks associated with Worker Exposure Standards for wood dust and machine guarding is welcomed by the WPMA. “The current approach to workplace safety regulations in these areas has been described by WPMA members as inconsistent and therefore unclear,” he says. “Some businesses have invested tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and controls but still struggle to comply with standards that don’t align with international benchmarks or practical realities, with one participant saying the standards are ‘an overreaction to risk which will cripple the industry’.”

“Wood processing businesses have expressed frustration that the soft wood dust standard is impractical and not based on realistic risk assessments. They are wanting a system that is both protective and practical, and the changes announced by the 4 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

Minister aim to provide that”, he adds.

“When our wood processing businesses can focus on managing genuine risks rather than navigating complex and sometimes contradictory regulations, they can operate more efficiently, continue to keep their people safe, and contribute more effectively to our regional economy.”

The Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association will be actively engaging with the consultation process and encourages members to participate and share their experiences.

As the Minister says, “Simplifying machine guarding rules and reviewing the Workplace Exposure Standards will make it easier for people to do the right thing, without compromising safety.”

Finding energy solutions As to the Protecting industry, jobs and household budgets as the gas runs out research report released last month by the Green Building Council, Mr Ross says, “The uncertainty created by energy demands is a serious threat to manufacturing growth within New Zealand and we need to ensure there is positive action, especially from Government.

“The closure of three wood manufacturing mills in 2024 due to escalating electricity and gas prices has scarred local communities and the economy, leaving our industry energy exposed.”

While various options to solve future energy shortfalls have been mooted, this report goes a step further and outlines a well-defined case based on the acceleration of heat pumps in our homes to free up gas and electricity for industry growth.

Although not outright future energy solutions on their own, the recommendations within the Green Building Councils’ report, such as requiring new buildings to be “all-electric” and expanding the Warmer Kiwi Homes to include a wider range of insulation products and retrofit for the least energy efficient low-income homes, are well argued and require further consideration Government, he says.

“Enabling secure and affordable energy for our industry will assist in encouraging further investment in pulp, paperboard and value-added wood processing production within New Zealand.

It is pleasing to see the Green Building Council rise to the Prime Minister’s challenge of finding new energy solutions, potentially freeing up additional electricity and gas for our industry.

“New Zealand’s energy prices for manufacturers are significantly higher than in countries where our major competitors reside. The opportunities to fix our energy problem are out there. A long-term dual-party energy strategy will keep our businesses open, protect jobs, and build a more secure and affordable future.” NZL

forest talk

Contractor held to account for safety breach THE WHANGĀREI DISTRICT COURT HAS imposed a range of penalties in response to the significant injuries suffered by a Northland forestry worker four years ago.

The man’s hand was crushed when a stabilising ram snapped, as his crew was putting a tangled cable back onto a log hauler near Waipu. Four of his fingers were amputated as a result.

A WorkSafe investigation found Kohurau Contracting should have ensured that the hauler (including its mast) was supported with guy ropes and snap ropes before being used, including when the cable was being wound onto the winch.

The company should also have had an effective safe system of work for winding the cable onto the winch, including effectively training workers for the task.

Judge Davey found Kohurau Contracting guilty in February this year. The company has now been fined $70,000 for its health and safety failures and ordered to pay

$50,000 in reparations.

Part of the penalty is a project order, requiring Kohurau Contracting to action two key commitments within 12 months.

The company will partner with the Forestry Industry Safety Council and Forestry Industry Contractors Association to develop guidance on winding in nonworking ropes.

The company is also required to publish a safety alert and case study outlining the lessons it has learnt to benefit the industry.

“This project order is a way for Kohurau to take the lead on delivering initiatives that create genuine sector-wide improvements in forestry. We look forward to seeing the benefits that this industry-led guidance produces,” says WorkSafe spokesperson, Mark Horgan.

“In 2024, forestry had the highest fatality rate of any sector, with 16.58 deaths per 100,000 workers. WorkSafe’s priority plan for forestry allocates about 15% of our

The site where the accident occured, south of Whangārei. targeted frontline activity to the sector because of the high rate of harm.

“WorkSafe’s role is to influence businesses to meet their responsibilities and keep people healthy and safe. When they do not, we will take action.” NZL

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forest talk

Understanding safety perspectives RESEARCHERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA gathered insights from 158 forestry workers (64 from British Columbia and 94 from South Korea), asking them to rate their safety perceptions.

By its nature, a high-risk profession, this study dives into what makes forestry workers feel safe (or unsafe) on the job, comparing the perspectives of those in British Columbia, Canada, and South Korea. Both regions are committed to sustainable forestry, yet they approach timber production and safety management quite differently. The goal? To uncover unique opportunities for improving safety in each area.

The findings revealed some interesting commonalities and distinctions. For instance, workers in both regions overwhelmingly prioritised their own safety and that of their colleagues, valuing a “safety-first” culture more than simply following regulations.

However, when it came to how safety should be managed, the

differences emerged. South Korean workers showed a preference for online training, while their British Columbian counterparts leaned towards hands-on, on-site support. Both groups agreed on the importance of mandatory certification for tree fallers, with British Columbian workers also highlighting the need for regular refresher training.

Regarding broader safety investments, British Columbian respondents saw the expansion of heavy machinery as a key way to reduce accidents, whereas South Korean workers emphasised a more comprehensive approach to safety measures. Interestingly, both groups preferred incentive-based safety programmes over punitive measures.

By understanding these shared views and regional nuances, this research proposes tailored safety management strategies for British Columbia and South Korea, aiming to make one of the world’s most hazardous jobs safer for everyone involved. NZL

More plantation growth grants for Australia THE AUSTRALIAN FOREST PRODUCTS Association (AFPA) has welcomed new forestry plantation projects announced by the Albanese Government through Round 3 of the Support Plantation Establishment Programme (SPEP).

The funding for the 15 new projects worth a combined $19 million and spread across NSW, Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and the Northern Territory will bring the total number of new hectares planted under the programme to around 25,000 hectares. Total funding under the $73 million SPEP arrives in at over $46 million to date.

“Over the past decade, AFPA and broader industry have advocated for government initiatives to assist in growing more

6 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

production trees for Australia’s future and to meet future demand. At the 2022 Federal Election, both sides of federal politics committed to what is now the SPEP to encourage more production plantings,” says Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AFPA, Richard Hyett.

“We expect global demand for timber and wood fibre to quadruple by 2050 and we must make sure that Australia has the sustainable resource growing in the ground to service our own needs as governments seek to decarbonise the economy, but also potentially to help the world with its growing demand.

“A big thank you to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry the Hon. Julie Collins

who has championed our industry’s causes and understands the importance of sustainable timber and wood fibre resources for the climate, environment, to support our full supply chain and for essential consumer markets.

“While the SPEP has some way to go before all funds are exhausted, we will continue working with the Albanese Government to secure further, ongoing funding to support plantation expansion over the next few years.

“We know that increased use of timber and wood fibre in the economy is essential for Australia and the world to meet emissions reduction targets and a steady supply of sustainably sourced timber and wood-fibre resource is essential to make that happen.” NZL

forest talk

Wilding conifer funding for Molesworth ONE MILLION DOLLARS RECENTLY PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT’S International Visitor Levy is a significant boost to the Molesworth programme to control wilding conifers, says Marlborough District Council.

Council’s Biosecurity Manager, Liam Falconer, says the additional funding brings the programme’s total to $2.3 million this year: “The increase in funding will allow for the control of tens of thousands of invasive Contorta and Scots pine in the Molesworth area, protecting our iconic landscapes, high biodiversity, water catchments and the economy, as well as minimising fire risk.

“However, there is still a shortfall of $2.7 million to get to the $5 million required annually to effectively manage the spread of these invasive trees in the Molesworth areas. By undertaking this work in Molesworth, the flow-on effects could protect up to 650,000 hectares

that are at risk of being affected by wilding conifers if sufficient funding is not secured.”

Molesworth Station supports several rare and endangered species because of its isolation and status as a biodiversity hotspot. This includes threatened lizards like the scree skink and spotted skink, as well as over 30 endemic plants and threatened birds such as the blackfronted tern. If wilding conifers are allowed to form dense infestations, they could drastically alter this unique ecosystem and other iconic Marlborough landscapes, he adds.

“There are broader implications that could also affect our local economy. wilding conifers consume large amounts of water. Left unchecked, this could also affect the region’s vineyards and agricultural productivity.” NZL

Gisborne hapū blocks log yard A GISBORNE HAPŪ BLOCKED ACCESS TO the log yard entrance and attempted to stop work at the wharf in their latest move to reclaim ancestral lands.

Since a hīkoi on May 5, the hapū Ngāti Oneone have been calling on the council, Trust Tairāwhiti and Eastland Port to return ancestral lands not used for core business.

For over three months, they have taken day and night shifts to keep a fire burning at a shed they inhabit as part of their movement, “Reclamation of Whenua”.

Most recently, at the dawn of the 101st day, the hapū blocked Hirini St from 5.15am until 7am.

Chairwoman, Charlotte Gibson, says they blocked the road, as well as access to the log yard entrance and the wharf, “so the port could not go to work”.

She describes the blockade as a “soft block” to remind officials and leaders that the hapū was still there.

She says the hapū had been in negotiations with Trust Tairāwhiti over the past two months to create the Kawenata, which is an agreement on how to settle and move forward together.

8 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

The hapū originally committed to pursuing the movement for two months, up until July 5, before weighing up their approach depending on the outcomes.

However, a month later, the “Reclamation of Whenua” fire was still burning.

The hapū are inhabiting a warehousesized property on Hirini St, known as Te Pā Eketū shed.

Eastland Port owns the shed and several others on Hirini St, where the original Ngāti Oneone Te Poho Rawiri Marae and pā once stood before being removed to develop Gisborne harbour under the Public Works Act nearly a century ago.

Trust Tairāwhiti has a funding partnership with the council and functions as the region’s economic development and tourism agency, and is the sole shareholder of Eastland Port.

On June 26, the council voted to create a Statement of Intent to investigate the possibility of land return to Ngāti Oneone.

At the time of going to print, the statement was being considered for adoption by Council. The fire will remain burning until all parties sign off on an agreement.

After the sign-off, they have two months

to make the exchanges. Trust Tairāwhiti Chairman, David Battin, says they have worked closely with Ngāti Oneone to understand their concerns and explore how it can support their aspirations.

Council Chief Executive, Nedine Thatcher Swann, says that in June, the council agreed to progress the kaupapa in a manner that upholds Te Tiriti o Waitangi: “Engaging in good faith with Ngāti Oneone – exploring the return or vesting of land where there is no longer a genuine public need, and ensuring the process is transparent, timely and respectful of all parties.”

She adds, “The statement of intent provides a clear framework for investigating the future of specific council-owned lands and reflects the shared commitment of Council and Ngāti Oneone to balance mana whenua aspirations with our statutory responsibilities and community obligations.”

Along with an online petition created by the hapū that called for their ancestral lands to be returned, the hapū started inhabiting another tented spot on the esplanade, one street over from Hirini St, called Pā Kāinga. NZL

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TRG, AN INVESTMENT FIRM SPECIALISING IN EMERGING markets and real assets, has completed its $710 million acquisition of an entity that holds Rayonier Inc.’s 77% interest in a New Zealand joint venture (Matariki Forestry Group or MFG), which manages approximately 287,000 productive acres of timberland.

MFG is the third largest forestry operator in New Zealand, with five timberland locations spanning across the north and south islands. MFG harvests over 2.2 million cubic meters per year of timber from its own estate, with balanced distribution between domestic and international markets.

“We are very pleased to add this highly productive, largescale asset to our global portfolio of high-quality timberland investments across North America, South America and Oceania,” says Nick Rohatyn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TRG. “Our dedicated Forestry & Agriculture (F&A), team will draw on its more than 25-years of experience investing in the region, through multiple cycles, to drive longterm value creation and maximise the returns of this forestry operation.”

TRG Partner and Head of F&A, Mike Claridge, adds, “Building upon our long record of successful investments in the New Zealand forestry sector, we have for some time sought to identify the right new opportunity in this core softwood plantation geography. We look forward to working closely with the MFG team as we capitalise on Rayonier’s sound stewardship and invest further to build a sustainable, longterm forestry enterprise.”

With the completion of this transaction, TRG’s F&A strategy has over the past four years deployed approximately $2 billion on behalf of select institutional clients seeking diversified exposure to global timberland and agriculture, including in the United States, Australia, Panama, New Zealand and Uruguay. NZL

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forest talk

Japanese timber shipments questioned over human rights TWO HUNDRED INDIGENOUS PENAN PEOPLE FROM SARAWAK’S Lower Baram region are calling on the Government of Japan to immediately ban timber imports by the Malaysian Shin Yang Group for alleged human rights violations and breaches of harvesting agreements with the communities.

In an urgent letter addressed to the Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, the Penan call for an end of Shin Yang’s shipments to Japan as the company’s practices allegedly contravene Japan’s newly revised Clean Wood Act. The communities claim in their letter that the group’s timber “cannot be regarded as legally harvested”.

It appears that Shin Yang failed to uphold its commitment to compensate community members as agreed in a previous Memorandum of Agreement between the company and the community. Currently, Shin Yang is logging in the forests of Long Tepen without the residents’ consent. In response, the community has erected a blockade to

prevent further encroachment and has repeatedly attempted to initiate a dialogue with Shin Yang.

However, local leaders report that so far, they have been met with increased intimidation and criminalisation, including the recent arrest of two community members without evidence of any wrongdoing.

“The company is unfairly supported by the Sarawak government, which continues to ignore our demands and attempts to criminalise and intimidate us,” the community wrote in the letter.

“The communities call on the Japanese Government to ban Shin Yang’s shipments to Japan with immediate effect and to investigate the company’s past and present conduct.”

Japan is a key player in the tropical timber trade with claims that logging activities for Japanese customers are causing severe environmental degradation and are contributing to deforestation in Southeast Asia, contributing to climate change. NZL

Leveraging forestry to support marine biofuel BIOFUEL TECHNOLOGY THAT PROMISES TO HELP REDUCE THE marine shipping industry’s carbon footprint is a step closer, with the launch of a company set up to lead its commercialisation.

Start-up venture Biowave, launched in Wellington last month, will focus on attracting private investors to help commercialise the technology - which converts wood into biofuel that can be used as a drop-in replacement for fossil-based marine heavy fuel oil.

Developed by the Bioeconomy Science Institute, this innovation produces a biofuel that blends with existing marine fuel oil, aimed to use existing portside and on-board infrastructure and to meet the existing marine fuel specifications.

Biowave is a spin-out company from the Bioeconomy Science Institute, founded by Integrated Bioenergy Portfolio Leader, Dr Paul Bennett and Innovation Manager, Amanda Davies.

The commercialisation of sustainable marine biofuel technology could deliver significant environmental and economic benefits to New Zealand. Onshore production of biofuels would help the country meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets, reduce the carbon intensity of exports and safeguard market access for the $70 billion of New Zealand’s exports that rely on shipping. The development of biofuel production plants in regions such as Northland, the East Coast and the Central North Island would also stimulate local economies and create jobs, particularly in areas with strong forestry operations.

By leveraging its abundant forestry resources, New Zealand has the potential to reduce its shipping emissions by 2050 through the widespread deployment of small-scale conversion plants situated between forests and ports. This scalable model not only addresses the domestic market but could be exported to other forestry-rich regions globally, such as North America and Europe, amplifying its impact on the global shipping industry.

Dr Bennett says the biofuel technology is a promising solution to reducing the shipping industry’s carbon footprint: “With the global shipping sector responsible for around three percent of annual CO2 emissions, the need for sustainable alternatives has never been more urgent.

“We are committed to driving down biofuel costs and accelerating clean energy innovations for the maritime sector. Major exporters are increasingly concerned about the carbon emissions linked to their 10 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

Co-founders of Biowave, Dr Paul Bennett and innovation manager Amanda Davies. products, with market access becoming a real risk.

Shipping is an essential component of global trade, moving 80% of the world’s goods. For New Zealand, 99% of international trade depends on maritime routes, with shipping enabling nearly 45% of the country’s gross domestic profit.

“As demand for shipping increases, the sector’s carbon footprint is on track to rise, potentially accounting for up to 13% of global emissions in the coming decades if no action is taken,” he adds.

Fuel testing of a 20% Biowave blend has excited industry partners and could represent a product suitable for entry in the marine fuel market. Scale-up production and engine testing will be required to confirm market acceptance.

Global ports such as Singapore and Rotterdam have already embraced biofuels, with increasing numbers of shipping companies – including CMA-CMG, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd – committing to netzero targets by 2050.

Port of Tauranga CEO, Leonard Sampson, says biofuels will have a significant role in the future supply chain: “Port of Tauranga is committed to decarbonising its business as well as supporting customers on their decarbonisation journey. We want to ensure our customers have all the options they need as shipping transitions to a lower emissions future.” NZL

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forest talk

Accelerating into the 4x4 tyre market NEW ZEALAND’S LONG, WET WINTERS AND varied landscape – from beaches and farmland to forests and mountain tracks – demand tyres that are versatile and reliable.

Building on its strong relationships with Aeolus and Inning in the commercial tyre space, Momentum Tyres is expanding its imported tyre lineup. The company is now bringing specialist 4x4 tyres to New Zealand drivers – starting with Venom Power, a leading American 4x4 tyre brand.

With customers tackling everything from on road and construction to rugged logging tracks, the demand for robust, highperformance 4x4 tyres has steadily grown.

The new range answers that demand with tested, dependable options suitable for everything from weekend wheeling to heavy-duty work utes.

The Venom Power 4x4 range is known for aggressive tread designs and hardworking all-terrain and mud-terrain options. Venom Power offers strong traction, stone-ejection

patterns and long-wear compounds suited to mixed kiwi conditions – gravel, wet clay, sand and sealed roads. These tyres are aimed at customers who want strong wet-weather handling, confident highspeed stability and reinforced sidewalls for rock and scrub protection. They come with a competitive Manufacturer’s Warranty.

The tyres are selected to complement Momentum Tyres’ existing commercial portfolio (Aeolus and Inning), so trade customers and retail buyers can get matched solutions from one supplier.

With New Zealand conditions in mind, the extended 4x4 offering provides: • better off-road traction for farms, forestry work and weekend adventures, • improved wet and gravel performance for safer everyday driving, • stronger sidewall protection for rough tracks and heavy loads, and • options across price points, from high value-to-performance to premium specialist tyres.

As the first customer to fit the new Venom Terra Hunter R/T+ tyres to his ute, Manager of Greenmount Mowers and Chainsaws, Albert du Plooy (pictured), says, “They are mean! These tyres grab the road in wet weather, and the mud just doesn’t stick to them. I’m super happy and impressed by these great-looking tyres.” NZL

A true one-stop shop

OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, KOMATSU FOREST NEW ZEALAND branch has undergone significant restructuring, most notably with the integration of Southstar New Zealand into its operations.

This development is a logical progression, as Southstar, Quadco and Logmax have been subsidiaries of Komatsu since January 2018. The consolidation creates a true one-stop shop for major forestry units and attachments, enhancing both service and support for logging contractors across the country.

The Rotorua premises at 15C Hyland Crescent remain unchanged. Komatsu New Zealand relocated prior to the Southstar integration, freeing up ample space for the expanded operations. The branch now employs 18 staff members, covering administration, sales, service, and spare parts to meet growing industry demand.

With long-serving employee, John Fisken, deciding to step down after 10 years of dedication to Komatsu Forest, Peter Earle has been appointed Rotorua Branch Manager. Peter has served as Technician Foreman at Komatsu Forest for the past seven years, making this promotion a natural next step in his career.

Joining the team as South Island Sales Representative is Hayden McCulloch. Hayden brings extensive experience in 12 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

forestry equipment sales and service, having previously worked at AB Equipment.

As part of the integration, four staff members from Southstar have joined the Komatsu Forest New Zealand team, namely: • Renee Addenbrooke – Office & Parts Administration, • Andrew Jenkins – Product Support, Southstar, • Alex Diedericks – Field Service Technician, Southstar, • Shane Love – Field Service Technician, Southstar. NZL

Left: Rotorua Branch Manager, Peter Earle.

Right: South Island Sales Representative, Hayden McCulloch.

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Opinion

July and total softwood inventory now sits below the magic 3 million m3 mark and is expected to continue to recede as the Chinese construction seasons kicks off and NZ supply remains static. The widely reported windthrow in the Nelson Tasman region is very unlikely to result in any notable export supply increase as both infrastructure and port berthage provide a Hulk Hogan level of chokehold on throughput.

Looking forward

General expectation is that in-market sales prices will continue to rise against lower inventory levels and traders will look to lock down vessels to take advantage of the historical price increase in Q4. The effect of the log futures market is yet to be fully understood as it is only in its infancy. Approximately 115,000m3 was delivered against futures contracts in July, which was the first month of delivery, and buyer participation in Story: Marcus Musson, Forest360 Director this sale method is expected to increase over time.

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN THE LAMBS start appearing, the days start stretching out and you get a sense of hope that summer is around the corner and things will begin to dry out. Depending on which part of the country you’re in, you’ll have a different view of how kind winter has been, but the general consensus is wet, really wet, and, if you’re in Nelson, windy as well.

We have been reasonably fortunate over the winter in terms of log prices with spot numbers above historical levels for this time of year. Export prices are still well under where we’d like them to be, but they haven’t been as bad as previous years. This is primarily due to lower New Zealand supply volumes into China and more stability in shipping and foreign exchange rates. August at wharf gate (AWG) some confidence into the sector. It may be a prices have been released at around the reasonable timeframe before it converts into $122/JAS level (A grade 3.9m) for Southern hammers and toolbelts though. The resulting FOREST360 OFFICES NATIONWIDE P 0800softness 366 700 North Island ports which is the highest August has seen two sawmills in the SNI E info@forest360.nz spot price since 2018. reduce log prices for both framing and pruned www.forest360.nz Log uplift from Chinese ports has increased grades, which is the first price drop in a from 50,000m3 per day in early July to a number of years. shade under 60,000m3 per day currently.

Inventory levels dropped around 190,000m3 A great idea in July and total softwood inventory now sits Energy has reared its head again recently below the magic three million m3 mark and is with Ballance Agri the latest company to feel expected to continue to recede as the Chinese the effects of gas shortages, threatening construction season kicks off and New to shut its Kapuni plant due to rising gas Zealand supply remains static. The widely prices. Previously contracted prices of sub reported windthrow in the Nelson Tasman $10/gigajoule are now in the realm of $50/ region is very unlikely to result in any notable gigajoule as large users such as Ballance export supply increase as both infrastructure compete with gentailers for a dwindling and port berthage provide a Hulk Hogan level resource. The likelihood of securing longer term future gas supply are very unlikely, of chokehold on throughput.

General expectation is that in-market especially with the Greens and their economic sales prices will continue to rise against masterminds stating again in parliament that lower inventory levels and traders will look to they would reinstate the ban on oil and gas lock down vessels to take advantage of the exploration if they were to regain the reins. historical price increase in Q4. The effect of the Not a great way to attract foreign exploration log futures market is yet to be fully understood investment.

To put some perspective around the as it is only in its infancy. Approximately 115,000m3 was delivered against futures gas issue, New Zealand uses around 150 contracts in July, which was the first month of petajoules (PJ) of gas each year (150 million delivery, and buyer participation in this sale gigajoules). Of this, around 35% is used for industrial process heat in plants such method is expected to increase over time.

The domestic market isn’t looking so rosy as Ballance, 29% in electricity generation, with poor demand and increasing inventories 26% in factories as feedstock and 10% by of framing timber around the country. New households, schools, hospitals and the like.

Zealand building consents dropped by It is estimated that New Zealand has around 6.4% month-on-month in June, indicating a 948PJ left in existing gas reserves which, significant shift in sentiment which will have a at the current run rate, is around six years’ flow-on to actual construction numbers later in supply.

One would think, ‘What to do?’ Replace 2025. With the OCR reduction announcement last month, and many expecting it to finally it with coal? Nooo, those aforementioned land at 2.5%, a further cut is likely to inject economic masterminds wouldn’t like that.

14 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

What about Imported Liquified Natural Gas? Nope – that’s just retarded as we’re just transferring the perceived environmental issues offshore and, we would need 8% of the world tanker fleet to keep up. Solar? It doesn’t work at night. Wind? Only if it’s windy. Hydro?

Only if it rains. What about wood? Great idea.

New Zealand currently harvests around 30 million tonnes per year. Of this, around 25% is in the lower grade export logs (KI and KIS grades), pulp and waste wood.

The calorific value of radiata is around 9 gigajoules per tonne in wet form (straight off the stump) which gives 67.5PJ of potentially available nationwide supply. Using those numbers, cigarette packet calculations would suggest we could replace around 50% of New Zealand’s current gas demand with a domestic wood-based solution at less than $20/gigajoule.

Obviously this is not just as simple as shovelling woodchips into an existing gas boiler and there will need to be significant capital investment to make it work, but it is a solution that we have growing all around us, from one end of the country to the other.

It doesn’t require wind or sun to operate, nothing has to be imported, and we’re not beholden or exposed to foreign countries and policy (it’s not like the world is becoming more stable).

There’s also the added benefit that we are utilising more of our fibre on-shore and we can give our export customers a better grade of log that is more suited to their requirements.

So, now that we’ve solved that problem, let’s look forward to spring with upward pressure on export prices and lashings of mint sauce on our lamb racks. NZL

1

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Iron Test

Dan Stewart catches a drag with the Sumitomo 4040, demonstrating the high lift capability, with the Madill 172E tower in the foreground.

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EST EST EST 1909 1909 1909

THE THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER SUPPLIER TOTO NEW TO NEW NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 16 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

All in the family Story & photos: Tim Benseman

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September 2025 | NZ LOGGER 17

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Dan Stewart shovelling logs around the hauler ready for two-staging.

TODAY THE IRON TEST TEAM IS VISITING THE STEWART LOGGING Mosgiel site with AB Equipment’s Nicolas Ekron who is the Dunedin branch Service Manager. Nicolas can’t speak highly enough of the crew at Stewart Logging. “The owner is Grant Stewart of course and Matt is his son who is our go-to these days. Matt owns the Sumitomo 4040 we are testing today.

“Matt’s brother Dan is running that machine, and Grant’s daughter Alyse up until very recently ran their processor – a Tigercat 890 running a Woodsman Pro 850 – until she was eight months pregnant actually. Quite a bunch of legends. All very highly skilled and hard workers. And after hours, well they are into hunting and it is common for them to drop in fresh venison for us at the office which is very much appreciated.”

Nicolas is originally from South Africa and grew up on a farm.

With his dad being a quarry manager and mechanic by trade, he got to working with machinery maintenance from an early age.

He went on to work for JCB in South Africa and then arrived in Mosgiel about six years ago to work on the floor at AB Equipment, servicing construction and forestry equipment. He then moved into sales before taking on the Service Manager role for both construction and forestry equipment.

It seems very common now that crews are two-staging and this one is no different. We drop over the side of the ridge onto a North face and the Stewart’s processing area, load out and container are on a plateau. Further West, about 250 metres away, is a Madill 172E tower with an ACME carriage and Fortronics chokers. Quite a while since we have seen those in use but they are making it work with a steady couple of thick stems coming up from about 400 metres down the steep hill on the regular.

Two-staging in steep ground It’s a big ridge we climb just South of Mosgiel and the RT is almost as busy as rush hour in Kaingaroa Forest. We soon see there are three crews up this road and a heck of a lot of line raking has been going on post-harvest here on some pretty steep ground.

The big counterweight and long reach make the Sumitomo 4040 ideal for clearing under the hauler on the edge of the drop off.

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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 18 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

2026 THIRD ANNUAL FORESTRY CUSTOMER TRIP

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HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE TRIP To qualify for a ticket to join our exclusive annual Terra Fiordland Adventure Trip in April 2026, you must purchase one of the below Cat® or Weiler forestry units within the specified period. Available only while selected stocks last, so be quick and secure one of the ten exclusive spaces.

CAT 500-SERIES FOREST MACHINES

528 538 548 558 568 WEILER FORESTRY PRODUCTS

Wheel skidders Track feller bunchers

0800 93 39 39 | terracat.co.nz T&Cs apply: Valid from 21 July – 31 December 2025. There is a maximum of two ticketed trip attendees per company if two eligible machines or more are purchased by that company. Tickets cannot be transferred unless with prior approval from Terra Cat. To qualify you must purchase one of the selected first 10 x new Cat or Weiler forestry units available. The qualifying machines are Weiler Next Generation Skidders and Feller Bunchers, Cat 528, 538, 548, 558 and 568 Forest Machines. This Fiordland trip package is not redeemable for cash. Terra Cat is responsible for the costs incurred for the Fiordland charter tour including transfers from and to Queenstown. This excludes travel arrangements to Queenstown from within New Zealand, and accommodation in Te Anau and Queenstown which is to be paid for by each attendee.

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10 PL IVE AVA ACES ILAB WHE LE SEL N PURC ECT HA EQU ED FO SING RES IPM T E TER NT FRO RY RA C M AT

The Sumitomo 4040 is behind the Madill shovelling stems around the hauler and bunching them for the Tigercat 6 wheel skidder which is dragging some good six- to eight-stem drags up to the processor on a fairly nice grade but through a tight gully. Dan says they have great ground conditions here with plenty of rock, so the skidder can get up there even when it is pouring rain.

Directly below the haul track to the processor is a Falcon winch machine tethering another Tigercat which is down the hill felling, with a shovel machine bunching for the hauler. And not too far from them is a Hitachi 30 tonner tail hold sitting between two surge piles which are being hauled up to the Madill.

When we get down to the hauler landing, Dan and Matt are figuring out some strops and they decide one needs shortening to smooth out the operation. A Milwaukee battery chop saw is dragged out and Dan cuts off the required length and gets busy with a hammer and driving drift, removing the end block with a bit of encouragement from older brother Matt.

They are soon back hauling logs with the Talkie Tooter sounding off regularly to let the breaker-outs know what’s up.

We throw open the Sumitomo 4040 doors and there is a pair of staunch looking 243 LPM hydraulic pumps along with all the filters, including engine oil filter right there in easy reach. Up on the bonnet area there is a clever fold up and down guard rail which Dan unchains and sets up in about 30 seconds, pops the bonnet for a quick look at the Isuzu six-cylinder 7.79 litre engine and then Dan quick-releases the latches and it all folds back down out of harm’s way. It’s the first time we have seen this and it’s a great innovation to stop those footing mishaps while recognising that logging isn’t nice to guard rails sometimes. The cab, fold-down rails and extra guarding on this machine were purpose-built by PFS Engineering in Hamilton.

The foreman/crew manager/hauler operator, Matt Stewart, started his working life in engineering for four years, performing a wide variety of maintenance and repair tasks that developed a broad range of skills transferable to the logging industry. Then when his dad, Grant, needed a breaker out, Matt decided to get some tree sap in his veins and hasn’t looked back since.

Matt and his wife Anita decided they wanted a piece of the logging industry pie this year, so they bought the Sumitomo 4040 and Duxson GX182HD grapple as their first purchase after asking around and assessing the current fleet in the company

Crew Manager, Matt Stewart, climbs back into the Madill to haul some more logs.

A family of loggers Stewart Logging started out about 20 years ago in Mosgiel.

Initially Grant Stewart was contracted to Wenita as a trainer and assessor and also looked after the firefighting gear, so had established a solid grounding right across the forest industry.

He then worked for Tony Gamble and a few other crews before branching out into his own operation with his wife Loryn assisting in administration duties. There is a strong sense of family within Stewart Logging Ltd.

SERIOUS POWER FOR BIG TIME LOGGERS

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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 | September 2025

Far left: One of the Sumitomo SH300’s on load out and fleeting duty.

Left: AB Equipment’s Nicolas Ekron and Dan Stewart look on as Iron Tester, Alister Hudson, has a jam on the Sumitomo 4040, with the Madill in the foreground.

Above from left: The Stewart Logging crew appreciates the high capacity of the Duxson grapple; Iron Tester, Alister Hudson, stretches out the boom to get a feel for stability under load. which contains mostly Sumitomo’s.

“We’ve had a good run with Sumitomo,” Matt says.

“No issues… they’ve been a bloody good machine and AB Equipment’s workshop is very close to our operation which also counts a lot in the event we need them. I knew I wanted a Duxson grapple on it from the start. I have several logging mates who have them and swear by them as good, grunty, heavy duty grapples.”

The Stewarts have been in this forest for two years and have about another five years ahead of them here.

“The company has a few other forests that they want us to go and tidy up but we will end up coming back here after that,” Matt says.

Currently there’s a staff of 10 running the 172E Madill, two 300 Sumitomo’s, a 240 and 4040 Sumitomo, along with the Tigercat, Volvo and Hitachi machines.

Innovative logging Going forward Matt says they have a few interesting innovations afoot as they are tasked with doing some quite challenging pieces of forest in the years ahead: “We are developing a tethered live skyline. Me and Dad’s main concern was that we are up and down on our skyline all day and it is our most expensive rope. They are over 30 grand now. Dad was talking to Matt Winmill over at Gillion Logging who has been running a live skyline for several years, so we are now setting up a similar system for our operation.

“If we have a tether with only 400 metres of rope, it makes sense to just wear that out rather than 1000 metres of it. Then obviously we’ll need to get a grapple carriage and we are potentially looking at getting a shovelling machine that is a leveller as well, so we can look at shovelling more to the ropes for the grapple. And when that live skyline is not in use we can hook the tether up to that levelling shoveller so we can get more places

Above left: AB Equipment’s Nicolas Ekron (left) with Crew Manager, Matt Stewart.

Above right: Dan Stewart with the engine bay and demonstrating the fold up/fold down safety rails. and utilise the machine more often.”

Matt is also well into the process of getting his commercial drone pilot’s licence for flying out their Dyneema strawline and has ordered a big 100kg payload DJI T100 for this task. That’s a multipurpose drone which can have a spreader on it as well as putting tanks on for spraying and then obviously the lifting. That machine is booked for October delivery. The mind boggles at the possibilities for such a tool, from flying in tree jacks and fuel, to chainsaws and smoko into those places that aren’t really suitable for men on foot to carry a heck of a lot safely.

“Our main goal is to fly that strawline out, get it through the block and back to the Madill which can take hours when doing it on foot. If you can do it with a drone in a few minutes you can save a whole day in some of the tougher settings easy. It’s exciting

times and big steps forward for us. We are lined up to do all the challenging blocks for Wenita, there’s certainly no easy stuff ahead by any means so the easier we can make it on the guys the better.”

When not running the hauler and the crew Matt runs ultra marathons and has a 100 mile race coming up, and he is dad to two boys, Max (7) and Maverick (6), both of whom are really interested in the bush.

Matt says his processor operator sister is enjoying ‘the mum life’ now but she does still show up at the crew when their regular processor operator has time off.

So good to hear about families working together so productively.

Dan Stewart shovels some stems around the hauler near Mosgiel.

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EST EST 1909 1909 |TO CALL WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 944 894 THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER NEW TO NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 22 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

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Above left: Dan Stewart cuts some wire rope to adjust strop lengths for the hauler.

Above centre: It’s a long way down to the tail hold.

Above right: Matt and Dan Stewart working on a strop Below: Iron Tester, Alister Hudson, shovels around some stems from the hauler.

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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 | September 2025

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Stewart Logging left Otago for a 10-year stint logging in the Gisborne area and Dan says they are glad to be back in home territory along with some of their Gisborne crew members.

The rainfall and terrain are probably a bit more conducive to a successful logging business and the challenges encountered further North probably sharpened their edge for the homeland.

They certainly seem to be pumping through the wood here. Dan says their target here is 300 tonnes per day: “We have been doing that and more lately.”

Dan started off breaking out for his dad at 15 and did that for six years before getting into tree felling which, to this day, is his favourite thing to do: “You’re using your whole brain much more when felling and it’s a lot of fun, so I’m not super stoked to be up here in the machine but it is a good machine to be running, especially when it’s raining. I like the smooth response of the controls, the excellent reach and the Duxson grapple. Being able to grab that little bit more with each grab really adds up at the end of the day.”

Dan took a bit of an OE early on and went off doing what he calls a bunch of random things other than logging.

A standout would be six months in Canada where, among other things, he worked at a lodge at Lake Louise in Banff, Canada with 60,000 visitors per day. Imagine the turnover in a place like that.

He developed his interests in hunting and videography there which seems logical with all the great scenery around.

But logging is in the Stewart’s blood and so he was back in New Zealand before long, breaking out and coming to that realisation that he wanted to be felling trees.

Iron Tester, Alister Hudson, bunches some logs for the skidder to two-stage.

As we are about to leave with rain settling in, a bin truck arrives to be loaded with offcuts for the local biofuel plant. Nicolas from AB Equipment grabs an armload of fresh Subway out of his ute to put in the crew container for smoko as a thank you for hosting us today. Looking down the slope in that tough hauler country, it’s fair to say these blokes have earned a good feed.

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9/05/2024 2:15:16 PM

Iron Tester: Alister Hudson

Heaps of reach

WE’RE JUST WORKING UNDER A HAULER pole today, clearing the stems and setting them up for the Tigercat 635 skidder to two-stage them up to the landing, so we won’t be testing the limits of the machine’s track power, although it does feel nice and lively with the small amount of travelling to be done.

First impressions of the Sumitomo 4040 machine are that it’s fairly nuggety looking and well-built with good ground clearance and sturdy guarding. The straight boom is nice with heaps of reach which will make shovelling and loading a lot easier and the underslung stick cylinder makes it ideal for working around the hauler ropes too.

The machine feels nice and stable, barely lifting a track with two big trees at full reach. That’s pretty good considering the amount of reach the machine has. Lift power is strong, even at full reach.

Today’s job involves clearing the chute and shovelling the trees around the point of the hill and back behind the hauler for the skidder. Being able to slew two or three of the big trees around at a time quite comfortably is nice. If the trees got

away you could end up with a hell of a mess over the bank, and nobody wants that.

The PFS cab looks good, It’s nice to see Sumitomo using New Zealand-made engineering products on their machines.

The hand rails are well placed and you’d be hard pressed to break the door handle.

The door doesn’t open very wide, but far enough that access isn’t a problem. The seat is comfortable, as is to be expected, and once sitting there is loads of room in there, with the A/C settings and radios overhead. There is also lots of room for storage behind the seat. The dash is all factory with a reversing camera with guidelines built in.

Sound levels in the cab are very low, making the work environment quite pleasant with the engine and pumps just working quietly away. The front of the cab seems to sit a little further forward than a factory 300 cab would, which adds to the feeling of space and helps with visibility. The trade-off there is that the sight lines down to the tracks aren’t as good, particularly with that guard down

Iron Tester, Alister Hudson. between the lift cylinders too. It’s not all bad though and I doubt it would take long to get used to it.

I was impressed with the controls, which are electric over hydraulic. They have a good amount of weight without being too heavy and the machine is very smooth and responsive to operate, making the Duxson grapple, which is well designed and userfriendly, easy to control.

Mike Hurring , who I work for, has about six of these grapples spread through his fleet and they’ve been pretty much bulletproof, some having 10,000 plus hours on, with next to no R&M to be done.

It’s nice to see those Kiwi features on a machine like this. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better machine for this type of work. NZL

The hydraulic pump and filter service bay.

The view from the operator’s seat.

Very tidily stowed fire extinguishers thanks to PFS.

The operator’s seat and the spacious PFS cab build.

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IFICATION

SPEC S

SUMITOMO 4040 WITH DUXSON GRAPPLE – SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE

BOOM / ARM

7.8 Litre Isuzu AQ 6 HK1X Final Tier 4 turbocharged diesel engine with electronic control (ECM) and high pressure common rail fuel injection, 6-cylinder, water-cooled, cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), Intercooler, Variable-Geometry Turbocharger (VGT), Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system with Dosing Control Module (DCM) and heated DEF lines and tank.

Peak power 154kW (206hp) @ 1,800rpm

Model Max reach

HYDRAULICS Main pump Swing pump Attachment pump Swing speed Max travel speed UNDERCARRIAGE Sturdy X pattern car body 700mm double grouser shoes Full length track guards

2x 243 L/pm Variable displacement piston type, energy recovering closed loop Dedicated attachment pump, load sensing, variable displacement piston type up to 8.5rpm 4km/hr

Sumitomo high lift straight boom optimized for logging 12.4 metres

GRAPPLE Model Min Opening Max Opening Weight Jaw capacity

Duxson Donaldson grapple model GX 182 HD 213mm 1,800mm 1,350kg 0.56 cubic metres

REFILL CAPACITIES (LITRES) Fuel tank Hydraulic system (incl tank) Coolant Engine Oil

820 300 35.9 40.9

DIMENSIONS (MM) Shipping length 15,130 Width 3,470 Height 3,340 Ground clearance 645 710, double grousers Track shoe width Operating weight 40,500kg (without grapple, 41,850kg with Duxson GX 182 HD)

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

Looking Back

LIVING, WORKING AND P NEW ZEALAND’ ZEALAND’S S WILD P

30 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

D PLAYING IN D PLACES For over 30 years, boys leaving school were invited to learn the “Skilled Crafts of Forestry” and they attended a number of Woodsman Schools throughout the country.

Enrico ‘Harry’ Hoover documents the stories and lives of these Woodsmen in a new book titled Woody Tales, Tall But True – Living, working and playing in New Zealand’s wild places.

This month we take a look at one of those stories, penned

by Woodsman, Campbell Barrowman. Now 87, he says his first memory of the Woodsman School was a letter arriving in the mail confirming his appointment as a Junior Woodsman at Golden Downs…

Left: A bunch of first year Woodies in the Nelson sun, somewhere in the Downs.

September 2025 | NZ LOGGER 31

Looking Looking Back Back

T

HE LETTER DETAILED THAT I WAS to be at Bigg’s Corner on 12 January 1957. I travelled by New Zealand Road Services bus from Greymouth, stopping at Murchison to take on extra passengers. We were dropped off at Bigg’s Corner and I met a group of other lads – all Woodsmen to be.

Introducing ourselves, I met Bill ‘Pinetree’ R. who had grown up in Murchison, as well as a bunch of other lads. Peter ‘Beefy’ G., an older Woodsman arrived in a J1 Bedford and drove us all to the hostel where we met the OC and the Matron (Len and Mrs C) – plus about 40 other newly arrived first years (we had 81 in total), and a bunch of second year Woodsmen who were looking us over and awaiting the first opportunity to start our indoctrination. This started on our first night tipping out of bed, buckets of water thrown in through doors… the usual sort of rubbish. A few of the more belligerent characters were dragged off to the showers for a bit of argy bargy, pushing around and the odd punching.

Before leaving for the Downs I had fortunately had a bit of heavy work experience at a timber dressing plant in Hokitika, so I was no longer a skinny 16-year-old weakling and I was able to ‘stand up’ to some of the bullying from the bigger second year guys.

Arduous arsenic Our first job was low and medium pruning, and in the summer months in the hot Nelson sun we were very grateful for the low canopy of the treetops. We were mainly pruning Radiata; the branch sizes were not too large and relatively easy to cut. Much more difficult to prune was the Douglas Fir or Oregon Pine. This species had very unyielding branches, which we had difficulty pushing our way into and through, before we could begin to cut the branches from the tree. There were many pockets and lumps of sticky gum on the branches and tree trunks, which would get all over our hands and

LG35505

Top: Horse Logging at Golden Downs, circa 1955.

Bottom: Sometimes we bit off more than we could chew.

32 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

MK4 HARVESTLINE • • •

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•

Greater machine stability without the need for guy lines.

Fully interlocked drums for both uphill and downhill log extraction.

Three operator selectable working modes.

Skyline mode with improved Skyline winch power and braking performance for Shotgun settings.

• • •

Improved line speed for quicker cycle times 15% increase in maximum line pull Swinging mast sheaves for swinging wood and simple machine moves.

For all sales enquiries contact Jono Cuff on 021 611 438.

BreakingBack Looking Out

clothes – we needed to wash this off with kerosene or petrol at the end of the day. If left on the skin it would turn very hard and black.

We also had some serious exposure to arsenic. Some head office type person decided it would be good to save costs on thinning operations by using poisons and so, in a remote radiata block, we used the old ‘Indian’ firefighting Water Knapsacks. We mixed the arsenic, filled our packs and then used a variety of methods to apply it to the trees. Cutting a notch in the tree, very much like a small scarf, and then pumping a bit of arsenic in was the most often used method. It was pretty unworkable as the knapsacks leaked and we all got covered in arsenic.

Often we worked all day with small leaks down our backs, but when we had a major spill, maybe got soaked from head to foot in the stuff, we would jump into the nearest pond or creek if one was available. One of our guys, Peter W., got very sick and was hospitalised for many weeks. Our poisoning operations didn’t last for long but I’m told that this cropped it’s ugly head back up many times during forestry’s history. We definitely didn’t like that work. I never 34 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

Above: We learned to drive Skidders… this one pictured at Lake Lanthe, South Westland.

found out how successful the poisoning was, as years later, Woodies were still axe and chainsaw thinning.

Treasured memories One of the memories I treasure was associating with Ray H., (55 intake), the winner of the Corbett Award in his intake.

Ray was an exceptional Woodsman and axe man, and went on not only to found a very successful logging company in the deep south but also achieved fame as a competitive axeman along with other previous great Axemen from Golden Downs.

Obviously, there was plenty of wood to practice our axeman skills on and, regularly, our thinnings were taken off the hill to be used for competitions.

As we came into winter we moved into the planting operations and regularly found ourselves working up high, often in low cloud or snow covered hills. One

area to be planted was Long Gully, and parts of this place were so rocky that we had to carry bags of dirt to plant each tree in. So we had a bag of seedlings and a bag of dirt, and when the dirt ran out we would trudge to the nearest place where we could get a refill – sometimes only feet away, sometimes hundreds of yards.

Often a pig or two would charge out of a gully when we approached, and when that happened we all dropped tools and gave chase. More often than not the pigs won the race, but occasionally, there was fresh pork for the cookhouse.

Our cook was Greasy Jim, his two staff were Josh and Margaret H., and the spaghetti sandwiches they gave us for lunch were truly disgusting. I did get a part-time job in the cookhouse with them. After the evening meal I stayed in the cookhouse, washing dishes and helping make the lunches for the next

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Looking Back

day, so I guess lunches were partly my fault. Eventually, in my fourth year, with the savings I made from working in the cookhouse I was able to buy a 1938 Austin 14.

Fighting fire Mainly our tutors and mentors were third and fourth year Woodies, although we had many instructors who were from the UK and they were on just as big a learning curve as we were.

Midsummer 1958, and a group of us – myself, Tony S., Alex L., Max E., and Ian D.– were low-pruning some Laricio Pine in Blow’s Block when one of our instructors, Warren E., raced up and told us to bring our gear, we were off to a fire at Sandy Bay, over past Motueka (Marahau).

The fire was threatening the Kaiteriteri community and quite a few baches, about 90 kilometres away. Warren drove the V8 ‘Saddle Tank’ fire engine all the way over to the fire, with a couple of hose packs and a Wajax pump – with us Woodsman sitting on top of the tanks, holding onto whatever we could find.

As the tanks were quite curved at the edges it's a miracle we never slid off.

On approaching the danger area, Warren shouted out, “better get a bit of lunch boys, we're going to be busy shortly”, so we pulled out our cut lunches from inside our shirts and, one-handed, we munched on the spaghetti sandwiches 36 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

Above: We lit fires, we fought fires… pictured are burnoffs with a chopper.

Below: We learned to drive bulldozers…

Celebrating those who Bring the Energy!

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Looking Back

as we drove. I recall one of us lost his sandwich which fell into the fire engine’s driveshaft and we were all covered with scattered spaghetti and bread. Once there, we put our Woodsman skills into practice, attacked the fire and soon had it out – to the encouragement and good natured jibing from a few locals. We were back at the hostel by about 10.30pm and I remember the extra pay we got didn’t even cover the cost of a crate of DB. Pondering pigs At one time during my third year at the Downs, there were 42 pig dogs kennelled under the stand of Radiata Pine at the south end of the front hostel.

Saturday morning, 4.00am and everyone was trying to get their dogs out and into vehicles for the weekend’s hunting – it was just bedlam. We were all heading for whatever block we had been allocated; Wai-iti, Long Gully, Beebees Ridge, Blue Glen, Wellington Gully, Blows, Gordon’s Knob – to name just a small few of the places available to us.

Standing in the quiet of the predawn, rifle in hand, dog sitting by your side, slight breeze in the face, listening to the dawn chorus of Bellbird, Tui and Pigeon, was a magic I’ll never forget. The Radiata and Muricata Pine plantations were full of Bush Robins, more so when these plots were bounded by Beech or Podocarp mix forests. And then, of course there was the hunting. Not all of my friends were hunters, for some a stag roaring at dawn was just noise, but for me it was the thrill of the hunt, the pleasure of the provider, the ultimate challenge.

A magic experience Going through the Woodsman School was a magic experience for me, there was an ‘aura’ to Golden Downs that is still strong in my memory today.

About a mile or so east of the Kopara sawmill on the eastern Haupiri River, the water was quite deep in most parts so a river crossing had been set up by installing two heavy steel rope cables, suspended between trees on either side of the river. About five feet apart vertically, the lower cable was fitted with a large steel ring about 10 inches in diameter with a chain several yards long and this was attached to the bow of a 16-17 foot dinghy.

This system had been set up by the sawmill staff to enable access to the other side of the river where there was approximately three 38 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

Above: We were sometimes punished, whether we deserved it or not…

Below: Campbell Barrowman as a 17-year-old Woodsman and as he is today.

Opposite page: Campbell Barrowman felling a Rimu in South Westland.

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Looking Back

square miles of Rimu, Kahikatea, Matai, Miro and a mixture of Podocarp forest for the mill to access. The upper cable was to allow people to walk across the lower cable while holding onto the upper one. We regularly used this shortcut, usually with large packs on our backs. We could also cross the river in the dinghy. An experienced person could manipulate or flick the chain and so move the boat from one side of the river to the other.

One Friday afternoon we had a full boat load of Woodsmen and Rangers, all with packs on. Perhaps the boat was a

tad overloaded? One of our group was a prankster from Taupo, John ‘Tiki’ R., who was always ready to entertain, always ready to play a prank or practical joke. He was doing the chain sliding thing, with much more vigour than was required. He would pull the boat close to the main rope and then let it go and as the boat moved back down with the current, he would flick the chain and, of course, the boat moved across the river. When he did this vigorously, the boat would surge a bit and we would all get a good shaking.

After the third or fourth shaking, one of

the Rangers said to me, “move over a bit mate, I'm going to fix that little arsehole”.

As Tiki was doing his next chain flicking trick, Dick, the Ranger got to Tiki at the same time as the bow of the boat was under the main rope, which was not good and water flowed over the boat which sank in a big rush, leaving us all floundering in about 10 feet of water close to the middle of the river. We all managed to exit our backpacks, and all surfaced okay. We all got to prove that we could swim with boots on, and Tiki learned some new variations of the English language that day. NZL

Woody Tales, Tall But True FROM EUROPEAN NAVIES LOOKING TO re-mast their ships, to settlers needing to clear land for pasture, from building bridges to making houses, and then furniture to fill their homes, New Zealand’s first and biggest resource was timber. People were needed to manage this resource, and that labour was always in short supply. Enter the training schemes that would produce Forest Rangers and Woodsmen.

The New Zealand Forest Service had ‘Training Schools’ for many skills – hunters, timber cruisers, timber graders, Forest Rangers and woodsmen.

Not academic enough to go to Ranger School, too bright to be labourers, the Woodsmen were “hands on” successful, says Enrico Hoover. Usually they exceeded expectations and many, if not most, became the backbone of Forestry’s management structure.

The work was hard, the pay low, the food often terrible, but they thrived on learning new skills, which included everything from planting trees on land they’d burned, to splicing wire ropes on heavy logging equipment, building and managing the huts, swing bridges and tracks that DOC now manages today, and overseeing the log’s journey from nursery seedling to forest giant, from bush to sawmill.

With the sale of forests to private industry, the training schemes were abandoned in the eighties but these men kept on doing what they had always done – working hard and playing hard.

40 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

“Much of what we as ‘Trainees’ went through was brutal and often, more youngsters left the courses than succeeded. At times it was pretty tough.

Most of those who left early didn’t actually fail – they were pushed out by a system that encouraged the abuse, and I’ve often wondered at the logic of this type of extreme ‘boarding school’ mentality,” says Enrico.

“Still, it was what it was. Those of us who went the distance were generally better people for the hardships, and most of us wouldn’t change how it was.”

Not wanting to lose this history, he has put together this collection of stories of life at the Woodsman Schools, Woody Tales, Tall But True – Living, working and playing in New Zealand’s wild places and, “although some of the stories aren’t very nice, some humour is there to help alleviate the hard memories”, he says.

“They were the WOODSMEN. This book is about their journey.”

Copies of Woody Tales, Tall But True are available from Copy press in Nelson and some bookshops around New Zealand or contact h.hoover@xtra.co.nz.

The Author, Enrico Hoover, then and now, when the first copies arrived from the printer – a special moment for him.

Harvesting

HOW QUICKLY DOES A FROM WINCH ASSIST O

N

EARLY ALL FELLING IN NEW Zealand cable logging operations is mechanised and winch-assisted, which is a major change from just 10 years ago when the majority was still manual.

More recently, winch assisted shovelling and skidder extraction are also being used more extensively.

The safety and productivity benefits from winch assist on steep slopes are well known.

What remains a concern after harvest in some locations is the level of soil disturbance and subsequent risk of erosion. While it is easy to see that operating machinery on steep slopes disturbs soil, the question is: How quickly does a site recover?

Answering this question as a Master’s project involved visiting a total of 14 sites around the country, from Lawrence in the South up to Whangarei in the North, and at each location completing a soil disturbance survey at a recently winch-assist harvested area, as well as at one-, two-, and three-years post-harvest.

At each site these harvest areas were chosen to be close together to minimise variability in terrain, harvest methods, soil, and weather conditions. A line transect method was used to document disturbance types such as soil mixing, topsoil removal,

42 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

S A SITE RECOVER T OPERATIONS?

Story: James Power, University of Canterbury

Main: A few months after harvest on the upper slope, and dense vegetation cover two years after harvest on the lower slope.

Opposite: James Power collecting data for a different project.

September 2025 | NZ LOGGER 43

Harvesting

rutting and changes in slash and vegetation cover. The process involved walking a contour across a site, recording one of 10 soil disturbance codes each metre. Across the 14 forests and four age classes, more than 52,000 geo-located observations were collected.

Expectations and differences As one would expect, soil disturbance and slash cover decreased, while vegetation cover increased as time progressed. Slash cover averaged about 55% after harvest, this decreased to around 15% by year three.

Vegetation covered just 2% of the site after harvest, but this increased to an average of 65% after three years. There was a big spike in year two, after release spraying in year one. Slash decreasing and vegetation increasing meant there was a slow increase in ground cover overall.

Overall, less than 2% of the harvest area was affected by deep rutting, which is the feature we should be most concerned about.

This declined to less than half a percent over the three years, but this was because vegetation was growing over these features, making them invisible, as opposed to them disappearing from the soil profile. Ruts deeper than 15cm were most common.

Disturbance was very different between forests, expected to be mostly because of weather and soil differences. A big difference can also be made with different harvest systems and operator care, but

there wasn’t enough data to separate this in this study. Progression over time was also very different. For example, at some sites, ruts and loose soil were far more likely to become erosion features. Areas with topsoil and areas with loose soil grew vegetation faster than areas where the subsoil was exposed and compacted. The disturbed soil area decreased by 50% over the three years after harvest.

Rills peaked one year after harvest, then decreased thereafter. Slips were the only feature that didn’t decrease in frequency over the three years after harvest. This aligned with the idea of a ‘window of vulnerability’ from other research, which states that slips are most common two to eight years after harvest, as old roots decay and new ones haven’t grown. The largest slips on the study sites seemed to appear in the final year, although there wasn’t enough formal data to back this up.

A winch assist machine felling trees on a steep slope.

As visible on the left, some level of soil disturbance is common.

44 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

Gaining insight GIS mapping was used to analyse different areas of the site in terms of disturbance and recovery. As expected, steeper slopes had greater soil disturbance, with less slash and vegetation cover compared to gentler slopes.

Vegetation and slash were more prevalent in valley bottoms, whereas rutting soil mixing, and scraping were more prevalent on spurs.

Slips were most common on faces, and rills were most common around machine tracks and extraction corridors. Disturbance occurred more higher up faces, which could be because it was closer to landings.

Disturbance was more common on southern faces.

A survey of harvest contractors and supervisors was also carried out to gain some insight into best practices and challenges. In particular, the survey showed that significant thought and effort goes into minimising the disturbance on steep terrain. Respondents

agreed that mechanised winch assist felling increases the environmental impact but thought that the safety benefits were worth it. Many contractors identified remediating machine tracks after harvest as key to reducing impact. Most companies had a formal process for checking a good remediation standard was met. Good planning and operator care were also repeatedly identified as factors that reduce disturbance.

This study enhanced the understanding of the impacts of mechanised harvesting on soil disturbance in steep slope forest ecosystems. It highlighted the role of stand age, slope, and aspect in shaping disturbance patterns and recovery trajectories. As noted by project supervisor, Prof. Rien Visser, “It is great being able to put some actual numbers against this”. It shows that while operators still need to be

careful to avoid excessive soil disturbance, harvested sites recover very quickly.

About the author: James Power graduated from the University of Canterbury School of Forestry in Forest Engineering in 2023, carrying on to complete his Master of Science in May this year. He now works with Tasman Pine Forests in Nelson. His supervisor, Professor Rien Visser, is Head of the School of Forestry.

To view his complete Master’s project, Assessing Stabilisation from Soil Disturbance Caused by Steep Slope Harvesting Operations, email: rien.visser@ canterbury.ac.nz Thanks go to Forest Growers Research’s Keith Raymond for supporting this project, as well as the companies that supported the fieldwork. NZL

Top left: A GPS track of James Power traversing a cutover completing his line-transect survey, with a ground point taken at one-metre intervals.

Top right: Water has eroded this rut, preventing recovery.

Above: Machine rut beginning to grow over with vegetation.

Plan now for erosion-prone forestry land Get practical, expert-backed advice tailored to Tairāwhiti, on transitioning your erosion-prone land to permanent cover.

There’s guidance for forestry land use: • Transition with harvest • Transition without harvest

Download the Transition Guidelines Scan the QR code or go to gdc.govt.nz

FICA.ORG.NZ

your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002

Tasman Trip: Listening, Learning, Connecting Following the recent weather event in the Tasman region, FICA CEO, Rowan Struthers, made a two-day visit to connect directly with forest owners, contractors and community members.

We had considered visiting earlier but believed there was benefit in letting the dust settle so we could have more informed discussions. The trip was designed to understand the local impacts but also to reinforce FICA’s commitment to being present, responsive and collaborative in times of challenge.

The itinerary included meetings with key forest owners and operational leaders, including Josh Tansey (PFO) and Shaun Trulock (OFO), as well as a lunch catch-up with local industry legend Ross Wood, who is still full of ideas.

The day concluded with an informal gathering at Joe’s Garage in Richmond, where FICA members shared insights, concerns and a few well-earned refreshments.

Day Two began with a visit to Tasman Pine and a conversation with Steve Chandler, followed by attendance at the Wakefield Community Drop-in event. These engagements provided valuable context on how the weather event has affected operations, workforce planning and community wellbeing.

Collaborating on Safety Guidance

Prior to sentencing, Kohurau Contracting requested assistance from FICA to help ensure meaningful industry learning from the incident.

The recent sentencing of Kohurau Contracting—following a serious safety breach that left a forestry worker with lifealtering injuries—has prompted action across the sector.

FICA and FISC have committed to supporting these efforts to collectively develop a new safety alert and guidance.

• develop and publish a safety alert outlining the incident, contributing factors, and key learnings,

The incident, which occurred in August 2021 near Waipu, involved a fractured stabiliser ram and the catastrophic failure of a tower system during cable winching operations, resulting in the worker having four fingers amputated.

• engage contractors, Original Equipment Manufacturers, and forest owners to ensure the guidance is relevant, implementable, and widely adopted.

The incident revealed a reliance on experience over formal systems, and a misunderstanding of critical safety infrastructure like guy ropes.

FICA is pleased to confirm that FISC has committed to supporting these efforts to collectively:

• create practical guidance material for cable winching operations, tower stabilisation and crew safety protocols,

We remain committed to supporting collaborative, transparent and practical safety leadership. Thank you to FISC for their partnership and Kohurau Contracting for engaging constructively in this process.

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

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

FICA.ORG.NZ

! e l a ns

Tower/Yarder Certification: What you need to know

t

Only inspectors listed on the official CBIP register are authorised to conduct tower/yarder certifications. If an inspector is not on the CBIP list, they are not permitted to certify equipment. All inspectors not currently listed have been contacted and advised accordingly. The current list of certified inspectors is available on the CBIP website.

Contractor Christmas

RESPONSIBILITIES: INSPECTORS & CONTRACTORS

To maintain sector integrity and safety standards, both inspectors and contractors have clear responsibilities: Inspectors: • Must be listed on the CBIP register before conducting any certification.

• Are responsible for clearly communicating their certification status when engaged by contractors.

Contractors:

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• Must verify that any inspector they engage is listed on the CBIP register.

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• Should not accept certification from individuals who are not currently authorised.

I N PA R TN ER SHI P WI TH

If you’re unsure about the certification status of an inspector or need support navigating the process, please reach out to FICA or consult the CBIP register directly.

More info is also available at www.fica.org.nz/yarder-tower

SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE SUPPORTING THE FORESTRY THEIR PEOPLE WHO MAKE PROFESSION FORESTRY THEIR PROFESSION At Waratah, our support for New Zealand’s forestry professionals run deep. That’s why we At stand with FICA, backingfor the loggers, Waratah, our support New Zealand’s contractors and crews who keep the forestry professionals run deep. That’s why industry moving we stand withforward.

FICA, backing the loggers, contractors and crews who keep the industry moving forward.

September 2025 | NZ LOGGER 47

FICA.ORG.NZ

Tāirawhiti Standing Consents Under Scrutiny Recently, FICA has been actively engaged in a renewed dialogue with Gisborne District Council (GDC) regarding standing consents, which continue to place unsustainable pressure on contractors and forest owners.

GDC has agreed to re-open consultation on seven of the most contentious conditions. This includes the zero discharge requirement for sediment and woody debris, and the impractical 15m² cutover rule — both of which have been cited as key contributors to contractor insolvency and operational shutdowns.

Contractors are still absorbing the cost of compliance work they are not being fully compensated for. If nothing changes in the next six months, crews will be lost — either through financial collapse or due to forest owners lacking viable consents.

FICA continues to advocate for balance between environmental protection, health and safety, and productivity.

“We don’t have another 18 months to sort this out — it needs to be sorted now,” says FICA’s Rowan Struthers.

A working group comprising GDC, sector leaders and legal representation if required has been proposed.

If you are a contractor and wish to contribute to the working group discussions, please contact Rowan.

Email rowan@fica.org.nz

FICA CEO, Rowan Struthers, and Dan Herries of Lumberjack Logging, survey the current setting.

Site Visit: Aratu FICA CEO, Rowan Struthers, recently visited Aratu Forestry’s Okiwa Forest, hosted by Trevor Tomoana, Harvest and Roading Manager. The visit aimed to deepen understanding of the operational constraints faced by harvesting crews and the standards being pursued under current consent conditions.

The standout issue at Okiwa is the significant volume of large diameter windblow scattered across the forest.

Under GDC’s consent/direction, this material currently has to be extracted, carted to skids, and burnt — regardless of its natural origin.

This requirement, while environmentally motivated, imposes a heavy operational and financial burden.

Despite contractors receiving higher rates, anecdotal feedback suggests many are struggling to remain viable.

The economics simply don’t stack up. Once the full cost of compliance is accounted for, there’s little, if any, return for forest owners. This is not sustainable.

The current GDC standing consent allows zero discharge of sediment or logging debris from harvesting sites. While forest owners can apply for discharge consents, confidence in approval is low, resulting in few applications. The result? A system that prioritises environmental protection to the exclusion of practical risk management and economic sustainability.

Windblow is a naturally occurring event — not a consequence of harvesting. All parties must acknowledge this. Leaving windblow in the cutover should be a viable option, especially when weighed against the cost and impact of removal.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

Sustainable forestry operations require a balanced approach — one that integrates health & safety, environmental stewardship, and economic viability. This is about managing risk, not eliminating it entirely.

Large piles of windblow, extracted, carted to skids ready for burning.

48 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

From what was observed at Aratu, the current balance is skewed. It’s time to reframe the conversation and advocate for a more pragmatic, risk-informed consent framework.

FICA.ORG.NZ

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Still waiting Safety/performance/quality

WELL, THE WEATHER ISN’T LETTING UP BUT these folk on the East Coast keep on keeping on.

A few photographs of interest this issue as we continue to work through Gisbornebased crews.

As we know, the sunny East Coast is not immune from four seasons in one day, as is visible from some of the photographs included.

Results are likely in the next issue of NZ Logger.

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.

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

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

Our ongoing thanks to: Rayonier/Matariki Forests, Wenita Forest Products, Ernslaw One, OneFortyOne New Zealand, Crown Forestry, Forest View Contracting, Makerikeri Silviculture

(2020), Mitchell Silviculture, Puklowski Silviculture, Gutsell Forestry Services, Johnson Forestry Services, McHoull Contracting, Wayne Cumming Contracting, Howard Forestry Services, Inta-Wood Forestry, Heslip Forest Contracting, Otautau Contractors, X Men Forestry, Proforest Services, FM Silviculture, Tane Mahuta, Waikato Forestry Services, Rai Valley Silviculture, Thomassen Logging, Forest View Logging, Griffin Logging, Penetito Forestry, Pride Forestry, Mangoihe Logging, CMH Contracting, Kaha Logging, Roxburgh Contracting, Te Waa Logging, Mike Hurring Logging, Bluewood Logging, Storm Logging, Onward Logging, Down and Out Logging, Forest Pro Logging, Eastside Logging, Lahar Logging, Moutere Logging, JD Harvesting, Whisker Logging, Kimberly Logging, Dewes Contractors, Dempsey Logging.

Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

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

Lumberjack Logging

Two haulers, two crews, the same day – you can’t control the weather.

Nicholas Morris.

50 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

Les White.

Richard Ngawhare.

Tim Komene.

Safety/performance/quality

Lumberjack Logging

General view of landing.

Waima Logging

General view of landing.

Dan Cobden.

Luke McManaway (left) and Johan NoaNoa.

Brent McKenzie.

Desmond Bennett.

Henare Grant.

Jessie Waru-Hay.

Leading Hand – Para.

Laurence Black.

Bevan Kiha.

Ethan Cunningham.

September 2025 | NZ LOGGER 51

ANOTHER PONSSE FOR DANDK CONTRACTING

JOHN DEERE FOR BROLLY LOGGING

Daryl and Kerrin Diack from DandK Contracting are pictured with their new Ponsse Elephant King forwarder. It’s the seventh Ponsse sold by 2 Tyre Tracks and Hire into New Zealand and the second for DandK Contracting. The machine is heading to work for Rayonier in the Southland blocks.

Brolly Logging has recently taken delivery of a new John Deere 959ML, factory fitted with a John Deere FL100 felling head. This machine will assist operations in the Masterton region. Gerard says he is happy to have another 959 in the fleet. Machine sold by the Manawatu Brandt Equipment team.

CAT/DUXSON COMBO FOR MATTHEWS CABLE HARVESTING

NEW MACHINERY FOR FORESTPRO

Wakefield-based Kylie and Hamish Matthews at Matthews Cable Harvesting have taken delivery of a new, rear-entry Next Generation Cat 538LL forest machine, which is fitted with a Duxson BX100 grapple. Operator, Luke, says he can’t believe the comfort and speed of the Next Gen Cat. Machine sold by Nelson Territory Account Manager, Jayden Peek.

Gisborne-based ForestPro, has recently taken delivery of a new Falcon Claw grapple carriage. The well-established team works in Ernslaw’s Forests near Gisborne and introduced the Falcon Claw as part of their commitment to a reliable, fully-mechanised operation.

52 NZ LOGGER | September 2025

SANY/SATCO COMBO FOR MANA LOGGING Shane, Mel and the team at Mana Logging have taken delivery of a new Sany SY415, fitted with a Satco SAT3L2T processing head. This machine joins the Mana crew in Gisborne, working for Juken New Zealand. Machine sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

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

NEW CAT FOR NIGEL BRYANT LOGGING This new Next Gen Cat FM538 LL has found its fit in Marlborough with Nigel Bryant Logging’s Stag Crew. Operator, Malcolm, says he’s enjoying the faster swing speed and smooth travel. Plus, with the 538’s updated cab design, visibility is much improved when hooking up trailers. Jayden Peek, Terra’s Nelsonbased Territory Account Manager, sold the machine and snapped the photo on delivery day.

September 2025 | NZ LOGGER 53

POA POA

POA POA

POA POA

POA POA

HYUNDAI R380LC-9 HYUNDAI R380LC-9 o REFREF No N. 513767.

Located . 513767.

LocatedininRotorua.

Rotorua.

CATERPILLAR CATERPILLAR555D 555D o REF REFNN.o .513432.

513432.Located LocatedininRotorua.

Rotorua.

JOHN DEERE 848H 848H JOHN DEERE REF Noo . 513164.

513164.Located LocatedininRotorua.

Rotorua.

JOHNDEERE DEERE909KH 909KH JOHN REFNNo .o512546. . 512546.Located LocatedininHastings.

Hastings.

REF 2013.12186 12186hrs. hrs.

2013.

PHIL MCKENZIE PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL PHILMCKENZIE MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE MCKENZIE

PHILMCKENZIE MCKENZIE PHIL

2017.

10502 hrs.hrs.

2017.

10502

027 027281 2818153 8153

2019.

2019.4800 4800hrs. hrs.

027 027281 281 8153

2013. 12750 12750hrs. hrs.

027281 2818153 8153 027

027 281 8153 027 281 8153

POA POA

POA POA

JOHN DEERE 948LII JOHN DEERE 948LII o . 514126.

LocatedininRotorua.

Rotorua.

REFREF No N. 514126.

Located

JOHN JOHNoDEERE DEERE3156G 3156G REF Whanagarei.

REFNN.o513717. . 513717.Located Locatedinin Whanagarei.

2017.

2017.15429 15429hrs.hrs.

PHIL MCKENZIE PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL PHILMCKENZIE MCKENZIE

2018.

9350 2018.

9350 hrs.hrs.

027281 2818153 8153 027

027 281 8153 027 281 8153

POA POA

POA POA

CATERPILLAR 538LL CATERPILLAR 538LLLocated in Hastings.

REFo No . 514399.

REF2019.

N . 11800 514399. hrs. Located in Hastings.

CATERPILLAR 568 CATERPILLAR REF No .o513267.568 Located in Rotorua.

REF 11000 N . 513267.

2017. hrs. Located in Rotorua.

2017. 11000 hrs.

PHIL MCKENZIE PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE PHIL MCKENZIE

2019. 11800 hrs.

POA POA

027 281 8153 027 281 8153

JOHN DEERE 948L REFDEERE No . 514187.

JOHN 948L Located in Rotorua. o 9520 hrs.

2018.

REF N . 514187. Located in Rotorua.

2018. 9520 hrs.

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

027 281 8153 027 281 8153

POA POA

POA POA

CATERPILLAR 336 REF No . 514289.

CATERPILLAR 336Located in Rotorua.

2020. hrs. Located in Rotorua.

REF No5197 . 514289.

JOHN DEERE 909KH REF NoDEERE . 513538.

Located in Whangarei.

JOHN 909KH o 2013.N16098 hrs. Located in Whangarei.

REF . 513538.

2020. 5197 hrs.

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

027 281 8153 027 281 8153

2013. 16098 hrs.

PHIL MCKENZIE

PHIL MCKENZIE

POA POA

027 281 8153 027 281 8153

027 281 8153 027 281 8153

TIGERCAT 625E REF No . 513875.

TIGERCAT 625ELocated in Hastings.

2018. hrs.

REF 7070 No . 513875.

Located in Hastings.

2018. 7070 hrs.

PHIL MCKENZIE 027 281 8153 PHIL MCKENZIE 027 281 8153

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

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56 NZ LOGGER | October Month 20xx 2023

p. 06 868 7701 p. 03 313 8224 p. 03 544 7438 m. 027 201 4149 (Bre�)

m. 027 286 8002 (24/7) m. 027 847 7791 (Lee) m. 027 229 1685 (Dexter)

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26238 Attachment Range AFT NZL adverts D5.indd 1

7/4/2025 11:01 pm