NZ Logger March 2020

March 2020

| $7.20

t is

The sec re

ere! in h

The future of Radiata Pine

ISSN 1176-0397

The race to grow a better tree Alan Sinton’s 50 years in forestry!

Douglas-fir: From pest to profit.

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Contact your territory sales manager to find out more about the capabilities of the Weiler product range. We have machines in stock and ready for delivery.

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contents MARCH 2020

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36

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FOREST TALK Chinese sawmills back to work but contractors still cautious; Slowdown in log trains on new Wairoa-Napier line; Industry calls on government to address sawmill closures; A meeting of giants; Cable harvesting software update appropriate for NZ terrain; AUSTimber2020 rescheduled and DANA/GINGKO moved in light of natural disasters; Competenz funding boost; The safety innovation that improves line speed and production; New roadside processor from Tigercat; Silviculture planting wages greatly exaggerated; Plan to lift forestry Health & Safety; Pan Pac CEO passes the baton; New measures for wood processing boost; Sawmill opens up career pathways for young people.

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36

SPECIAL FEATURE The Radiata Pine of tomorrow could double wood volume from forests without having to add more land.

The disruptive technology driving the characteristics and strengths of future forests is no longer the stuff of science fiction, and it’s happening right here in New Zealand.

TALL TIMBER As Alan Sinton faces retirement, he looks back on 50 years in the industry… what’s changed, what’s stayed the same and how we can do better.

Though if you ask his family and friends, he’ll be around for a while yet.

46

BREAKING OUT Queenstown-based Wilding & Co’s Michael Sly and Mathurin Molgat took an opportunity when they saw it. Creating essential oil out of non-essential Douglas-Fir is an ecological way to help with the removal of wilding trees.

49

TAUPO PELLET PLANT Taupo’s Nature’s Flame facility has undergone a significant expansion. This has enabled production to increase to 85,000 tonnes of wood pellets per year, all from sustainably sourced fibre residues.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 52 fica 54 top spot 56 new iron 60 classifieds

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor

March 2020

An opportunity for change

| $7.20

t is

The sec re

The race to grow a better tree ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY SCION

ere! in h

The future of Radiata Pine

Douglas-fir: From pest to profit.

Alan Sinton’s 50 years in forestry!

Scion forest genetics scientist, Natalie Graham, holds the first Radiata Pine SNP chip, which can generate some 14 million DNA markers for better tree breeding. See the article starting on page 18 to learn more about the race to grow a better tree.

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2 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

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OGGERS ARE PICKING THEMSELVES UP AND DUSTING THEMSELVES off after the triple whammy of the over-supply of European wood, the Chinese New Year shutdown and the impact of the Coronavirus. But how many times must the industry pick itself up before something changes?

Add to this mills shutting down and families taking the strain, and the current situation begs a lot more questions. Why do we send so much of our raw material offshore? Why so much reliance on overseas log markets? Shouldn’t we be looking to boost wood use in our own markets, be it the use of more timber in commercial construction, or chipped/pulped wood for energy or chemical production? Isn’t it time to plot a better way forward, so that when China says ‘jump’ we don’t have to ask ‘how high?’.

With a number of Chinese cities on lockdown and factories closed, or still struggling to get back to full production, further impact on the industry is still uncertain. Though for many larger NZ contractors it’s back to business, granted with a healthy dose of caution and reduced production hours, it’s the smaller guys that are feeling the pinch, unable to work with the supply chain and log price disruption.

Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, says she expects economic activity to return to normal in the third quarter of this year “as global growth picks up and supply conditions normalise”, but tell that to the workers who have to put food on the table for their families today, tomorrow, next week and next month.

Maybe something positive can come out of all this, if we view it is as an opportunity to turn the focus inward, for government and industry to sit around a table and plan a better way forward, to diversify the industry and build our resilience. The knowledge is here. The skills are here. Let’s nurture them like we do our trees.

The features this month speak to that knowledge – where it’s come from and where it’s going. We have a word with Alan Sinton, an industry stalwart who has seen numerous changes in his 50 years in the bush. While the machinery has developed in leaps and bounds, some things don’t change, and ultimately this industry is all about the people. Training and safety have come into clearer focus while industry cooperation remains a challenge in forestry, he says.

And we take a look at the tree that makes up the majority of our plantation forests and the fascinating genetic work going on right here in New Zealand that could shake up our industry.

Stiffness, diversity and resilience are just some of the qualities being bred into our future trees. Not unlike those exhibited by our workers. The same qualities that will allow them to move through tough times once again, but if only they didn’t have to…

As you’ve no doubt realised by now, I have taken over from John in the Editor’s seat. I’ve got big safety boots to fill, but this is not my magazine, it’s yours… Got an interesting or challenging project on the go, a new development in your company, some new technology, a health & safety or social initiative you’re proud of, some young, enthusiastic workers, some old advice? Chances are our readers want to hear about it too. So flick me an email or pick up the phone and let’s talk.

Until next time, stay safe. NZL

forest talk

Chinese sawmills back to work but contractors still cautious AFTER THE CHINESE NEW YEAR AND Coronavirus scare temporarily halted log exports to China at Gisborne’s Eastland port, many contractors have begun harvesting again, albeit cautiously. A key exporter has resumed exporting logs and Forest Owners Association President Peter Weir says while log prices are down, sawmills in China are getting back to work, offering some hope amid the uncertainty in the NZ forestry sector.

Many smaller contractors, in particular, are still uneasy after downing tools, as fears grow that we are just seeing the beginning of the effect of the Coronavirus on the NZ economy and the logging industry in particular.

With some 80% of New Zealand’s wood exports making its way to China, the Coronavirus outbreak coming on top of the expected slowdown with the Chinese New Year delivered a double whammy.

“There is industry concern that if the virus were to infect more people in coastal towns and cities, then access to Chinese ports could be restricted with little warning,” says Mr Weir.

The Coronavirus outbreak also comes on top of new supplies of softwood into China, due to the salvage of insect and windstorm damaged spruce forests in Central and Eastern Europe.

“We are most concerned about the effect on the harvesting workforce in many regions of New Zealand, which depend on log exports,” he says.

Eastland Wood Council’s Kim Holland says the drop in log prices resulting from all these factors has hit the industry particularly hard. “We are working together to support our small business owners and workers, linking them to any support we can and keeping people up-to-date with what is happening.

“It is a worrying time for everyone with the impact of the global, national and regional effects being felt due to high stock levels already in China, ships temporarily unable to be unloaded at port, no construction or processing over the extended Chinese New Year, and then the flow back to our own

4 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

Right: Forest Owners Association President, Peter Weir, says while log prices are down, sawmills in China are getting back to work.

forestry supply chain,” she says.

“All companies and contractors are mindful that this impacts directly on our workers and their whanau. We will also be keeping up with the Government’s response as the pressures hit the national economy.”

FICA CEO, Prue Younger, says that contractors being told to halt felling trees over the Chinese New Year came as a complete surprise.

“The industry is reeling a bit as you would expect,” she says. “Although market prices were on their way down again, the Coronavirus impact has made this a very complex situation. It’s important that we’ll be working with forest owners daily and ascertain the extent of this fallout.

“There are risks for everyone in this scenario and like all primary industries, the ripples may be extensive.”

Not least for the forestry industry, as Stats NZ data shows China imported around $3 billion of untreated logs from New Zealand last year — about 80% of the country’s total log exports of $3.8 billion.

Many players are adopting a ‘wait and see’ attitude, with City Forests Chief Executive, Grant Dodson saying the company was taking a ‘‘conservative approach’’ to log production until more information is available.

Ross Wood, of The Wood Contracting Group, says: “At this stage it’s business as usual. It has to have some effect but how much, nobody knows yet. It’s an evolving situation. We’re sticking to our production figures and harvest plan and focusing on domestic cuts rather than export where we can.”

Smaller companies are trying to keep harvesting and operations going, processing locally. Craig Penfold, Chief Operating Officer for Far East Sawmill says the company has the potential to increase production to assist the smaller operators like wood lot owners, with pruned and saw A grade logs.

Of course, this will not solve the problems for the wider forestry industry and workforce should the situation worsen again, as Mr Weir explains: “Forest owner capacity and circumstances vary hugely. Those owners who supply domestic sawmills will be largely unaffected, but the domestic market can only take less than half the current annual harvest and not all log grades.”

Stockpiling logs is also not an option as logs deteriorate, and unrestrained supply is in itself a market threat, he adds.

As Ms Holland points out, the effects range across the entirety of the NZ export sector. “We are planning for the worst but hoping for the best,” she says. NZL

forest talk

Unlike the logtrain pictured, the Wairoa-Napier line is off to a slow start.

Slowdown in log trains on new Wairoa-Napier line THE LOG TRAINS THAT BEGAN RUNNING BETWEEN WAIROA and Napier in January following Provincial Growth Fund investment to re-open the rail line, are already slowing down with the current uncertainty in the industry, having not run over the past few weekends.

“We work on behalf of exporters and, over the long term, see highs and lows in demand across our network. At this point in time we are seeing a slow-down in some areas,” says a KiwiRail spokesperson.

The Government invested $6.2 million to reopen the mothballed rail line, which was closed after significant storm damage in 2012.

“With PGF support the rail line has been rebuilt and KiwiRail has established a road-rail log yard in Wairoa,” says Forestry Minister Shane Jones, adding: “Export log volumes in the Hawke’s Bay region are predicted to reach 3.3 million tonnes per annum in the next few years and to remain at high levels until the mid-2030s. The harvest growth around Wairoa is part of that picture.”

It is unclear whether the current uncertainty in the industry will affect these long-term predictions.

Trains are intended to carry 1400 tonnes of logs each weekend,

with more train services expected as harvests increase. “That means 5000 fewer truck journeys between Wairoa and Napier a year, as a start,” says Mr Jones.

“If we are to avoid more logging trucks on the region’s roads, keep congestion under control and lower our transport emissions, rail is a necessity,” he adds.

“New Zealand is an export-led economy so the ability to get our goods to port efficiently and safely is crucial.”

Each train could take up to 50 long distance truck hauls off the road between Napier and Wairoa, with 66% fewer emissions per tonne of freight carried by rail compared to trucks.

Forest Management (NZ) Joint Chief Executive, Steve Bell, says, “Using rail to shift logs from Wairoa to Napier Port builds resilience into our operation. It gives us more options, and that is vital as the harvest increases and more logs are harvested. Using the hub at Wairoa means we can turn our trucks round in less than half the time, and that means we can shift more logs quickly and efficiently.”

With the influence of the Coronavirus still unclear and much uncertain in the industry at the moment, it remains to be seen when the line will resume the regular service originally intended. NZL

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 5

forest talk

Industry calls on government to address sawmill closures ON THE BACK OF THE NEWS THAT TWO NZ sawmills are facing closure, the forestry and wood processing industry is calling on government to honour its commitment to implement its promised Wood Procurement policy for government buildings.

Carter Holt Harvey (CHH) says it has begun consulting staff at its Whangarei sawmill about the closure of that site while Pacific Pine Industries welcomed staff back from annual leave with the grim news of its closure.

FIRST Union is calling on the government to meet with industry stakeholders to intervene and coordinate the supply industry, from forest to construction, to ensure that sawmills are able to survive and provide the wood that is needed.

“This is becoming a pattern,” says Robert Reid, FIRST Union president. “It was just November last year that Claymark went into receivership. It is highly counterintuitive that, at a time where we have lots of wood and the need for an unprecedented number of homes, our sawmills are closing down.”

The Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of NZ (WPMA) says the demise of wood processing firms is being caused by a distorted domestic market for logs.

“The prices for logs in New Zealand have been driven up to unprecedented levels over recent years by foreign buyers operating on subsidies provided by their own countries. These subsidies enable foreign buyers to artificially inflate prices here, effectively capturing the domestic log market by creating some of the highest softwood log prices in the world,” says the WPMA. “The fact that this grossly unfair market is occurring under NZ’s Free Trade Agreements with these countries should be extremely concerning to all New Zealanders,” it adds, concluding that,

“continued government inaction will inevitably lead to further loss of wood processing jobs to blatantly unfair trade and dash hopes of building a future bio-economy around NZ’s forestry sector.”

Seeking a practical solution, in its open letter, the Forestry and Wood Processing industry represented by Chief Executives from over 50 companies, representing 10 000 employees, has called on government to, “use its procurement weight to lead New Zealand into a clean green construction future, pointing out that New Zealand can be carbon zero in building structures by 2030.

Concrete and steel emit between 10 and 13 percent of global climate change emissions.”

The letter urges all government-funded project proposals for new buildings up to four storeys high to require a build-in-wood option at the request-forproposals stage.

Spokesperson for the industry, Red Stag Group’s CEO Marty Verry, says converting building structures from polluting steel and concrete to mass wood made from products such as glue laminated beams and cross laminated timber (CLT) will address the climate change issue.

He adds that the spate of mill closures and accompanying job losses are a result of the delay in implementing this policy.

“Meanwhile foresters want a stronger domestic market, given fears that long-term China will increasingly be self-sufficient or over-supplied by the plethora of billion tree programmes and cheap climate change affected forests worldwide,” says Mr Verry. In light of the current impact on the industry of the Coronavirus, this approach holds even more weight.

“As the largest constructors in any country, and also the largest such polluters, governments have a unique and important leadership role in influencing

green building adoption. The government’s implementation of its wood procurement policy is expected to have a ripple effect across the private sector that could lead to the elimination of embodied carbon emissions by 2030.”

CHH says its Whangarei closure is a result of Kawerau and Nelson sawmills now having sufficient capacity to service its domestic customers and being better located in terms of access to logs and proximity to customers.

“The decision has been made reluctantly but the sawmill had been facing log shortages for some time and our analysis was that it’s only going to get worse,” says the company.

Over 100 staff members will be affected by the closure while 60 employees waved goodbye at Pacific Pine Industries in Putaruru, lamenting the knock-on effect to the whole community, children and families.

Pacific Pine supplied the housing and furniture markets and it was thought that the company was continuing to make losses and its management requested receivers be appointed. It has been struggling financially for a few years.

The town has around 4000 people and it has had a number of mill closures over the years. Notably CHH closed its Putaruru sawmill in 2008 with 300 job losses.

FIRST Union has called on the government to meet with industry stakeholders to intervene and coordinate the supply industry, from forest to construction, to ensure that sawmills are able to survive and provide the wood that is needed in our country.

FIRST Union is working with the receiver and the Ministry of Social Development to ensure that the workers are supported at this difficult time. NZL

A meeting of giants TRANSDIESEL WILL NOW MANAGE DISTRIBUTION OF SHELL’S complete range of products across the consumer, transport, industrial, agricultural and marine sectors in New Zealand.

The partnership agreement, announced early this year, sees Kiwiowned company TransDiesel as the official distributor of Shell motor oils and lubricants in New Zealand.

A progressive move for both parties, as the world’s number one global lubricant supplier, Shell invests more than $1 billion in research and development every year. This goes to developing new energy products and technologies, from biofuels and liquefied natural gas, to more efficient fuels and lubricants. Recent advancements include Shell’s PurePlus range, the world’s first Gas-to-Liquid lubricant,

which offers increased performance and environmental benefits.

TransDiesel is well known for its sales and service and operations throughout New Zealand and is the market leader in sales of construction machinery, owning both the Volvo and Yanmar NZ franchises among others.

“TransDiesel is a well-established 100% New Zealand-owned business with a commitment to ensuring the brands it represents are global industry leaders in their respective fields. The company has experienced a sustained period of growth and success and this latest partnership with Shell is further testament to key international brands’ trust in TransDiesel,” says COO Paul Harris.

TransDiesel commenced product distribution this month. NZL

6 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

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forest talk

Cable harvesting software smooths the way for harvesting operations.

Cable harvesting software update appropriate for NZ terrain SOFTREE TECHNICAL SYSTEMS, HAS RELEASED AN UPDATED version of RoadEng, Version 9, offering a variety of new features for planning cable harvesting operations, ideally suited to NZ’s steep terrain.

Cable harvest planning and analysis using RoadEng 9 can help determine landing locations and road infrastructure. Working from a high-resolution digital terrain model (such as LiDAR), users can simultaneously explore multiple areas for deflection for cable harvesting suitability and conduct payload analysis.

Harvest planners can review the potential locations in plan, profile, and in data views, allowing them to better determine optimum locations.

“We are seeing a huge increase in investments in LiDAR data across our forestry industry customers,” says Erin Wasney, Business Development Manager at Softree. “Version 9 has some key improvements to enhance LiDAR-based planning of cable harvesting operations. You can now plan your roads and cable locations in conjunction with each other.”

New Zealand is the company’s third largest market, thanks to our steep terrain. “Our forest road design software is currently used by dozens of companies in NZ and we are seeing a large increase in the number of customers asking about our new cable harvesting capabilities, as CHPS is no longer being supported,” says Ms Wasney.

8 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

She adds that with the the National Environmental Standards (NES) putting a lot of emphasis on road engineering now, in what are classified as red zoned areas (steep and erodible soils) there are “interesting developments” in NZ at the moment.

“With our improved cable analysis package in RoadEng version 9, some NZ industry folks are wondering if it could be the standard for road planning and cable harvesting analysis,” she says.

Improved Cable Harvesting Planning Capabilities include: • Creation of very large digital terrain models from LiDAR. • Cable Analysis ‘Explore-Mode’ with colour-coded display of areas of deflection. Simultaneously explore multiple areas for deflection/cable harvesting suitability.

• Calculation and display of loggable area polygons.

• Automatic calculation of tail station location.

• Enhanced profile display for cable setups.

• Improved field usage with GPS Integration.

RoadEng 9 runs on a Windows tablet, which means users can bring the full engineering programme with them to the field. The new version also includes an easier user interface and touch gestures, which makes working with RoadEng on a tablet easier than in previous versions. Furthermore, GPS integration means users can track their location in the field while visualising their LiDAR data and planned cable harvesting locations. This makes visualisation and field verification easier than ever before. NZL

forest talk

Kaitaia Transport will be installing Teletrac Navman’s products into its vehicles.

Teletrac Navman to partner with the Semenoff Group NORTHLAND’S LARGEST PRIVATELY-OWNED TRANSPORT operator, the Semenoff Group, will be installing a range of Teletrac Navman’s products into its vehicles and assets, including into Kaitaia Transport, which services Northland’s logging industry with over 50 log-trucks in the fleet.

The suite of GPS fleet management technology, including equipment and software will be installed into Semenoff Group’s vehicles and assets, starting with its three transport divisions – bulk cartage, livestock and logging.

“Large operators with multiple divisions are aiming to increase efficiency by consolidating their systems. To support them, we’ve been focused on developing a full suite of technology that targets all areas of a transport business from operations and administration to driver behaviour and compliance,” says Ian Daniel, Vice President Teletrac Navman, Asia Pacific. “The Semenoff Group found this streamlined, all-in-one system to be a very practical and effective approach to its wider business and fleet management.”

Semenoff Group has a mixed fleet of close to 100 vehicles and plant in regular operation, including on-call specialist and surplus vehicles for project and other seasonal work. It has been operating a couple of different telematic systems, including Teletrac Navman products, following several business acquisitions over the last ten years. However, Semenoff Group was looking to upgrade to an all-inone solution, including compliance, safety and logistics technology, for its entire mixed fleet.

Semenoff Group will install Teletrac Navman’s full system over the coming months, incorporating in-cab devices for easy communications and transport-specific applications. New products to the Semenoff Group are Teletrac Navman’s electronic logbook,

speed assist and pre-start checklist for drivers, and RUC Manager for electronic road user charge management and processing off-road rebates.

“I have been in transport for 50 years this year, I have always considered the safety of my staff and other road users as paramount and our record of no serious incidents is testament to this. We have been working with Teletrac Navman for some time to use new technology to continually improve our focus on safety,” says Stan Semenoff, Managing Director, Semenoff Group. “We’re looking forward to fully integrating our fleet with Teletrac Navman’s system to streamline our operations and future-proof our business.”

“When compared side by side with other systems, Teletrac Navman offered a complete solution for our business at a competitive price,” adds Alexander Semenoff, Operations Manager, Semenoff Group. “We’re installing Teletrac Navman’s full suite of compliance technology to ensure every truck in the Semenoff Group is operating efficiently, safely, and is tracked and monitored to ensure those outcomes. As well as back end maintenance solutions, each truck will have an in-cab device with access to applications such as an electronic logbook, and all our drivers will be trained by Teletrac Navman on its use. We’re focused on moving forward in 2020 with one, fully-integrated GPS fleet management system that we can rely on.”

Teletrac Navman’s complete GPS fleet management solutions assist New Zealand operators in running an efficient, productive and compliant fleet. Teletrac Navman is approved by the NZTA as an Electronic System Provider and its range of technology is designed to improve operations for both drivers and owners, whilst meeting New Zealand’s regulatory requirements. NZL

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 9

forest talk

The four-yearly AusTimber show has been postponed.

AUSTimber2020 rescheduled and DANA/GINGKO moved in light of natural disasters THE BUSH FIRES IN AUSTRALIA MAY BE FINALLY DYING down but their effects are likely to be felt for some time. The response and recovery efforts to the bushfire crisis have been mammoth, with the timber industry directly affected. As a result, the four-yearly forestry show, AusTimber 2020 that was scheduled for early April has been postponed to later in the year.

“The bushfire crisis will have a lasting impact on our industry and should be the focus over the coming months, so we have decided to reschedule AUSTimber2020 until November,” says Australian Forest Contractor Association General Manager Stacey Gardiner.

Ms Gardiner adds: “AUSTimber is hosted in the central part of the Gippsland region and while we have been fortunate to remain safe, our concentrated support and thoughts continue to be with the communities and areas within our region and across Australia who have suffered loss and are continuing their bushfire fighting efforts.”

AUSTimber Site Manager, Mr Travis Healey says: “Our focus is like many in our industry. We are sending our work crews and equipment where they are needed to support communities impacted by the

10 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

devastating bushfires.”

The organisers have assured delegates that as the largest timber industry show in the southeren hemisphere, planning to facilitate a seamless transition to the future show in November is already underway. All tickets that have already been purchased will be honoured in November.

Meanwhile the worsening Coronavirus situation in China has forced DANA/GINGKO 2020 to relocate this event to Melbourne, this month.

This Asia Pacific Forest Investment, Woodchip & Biomass trade conference and field trip will include presentations on the impact of the Australian bushfires on the future of woodchip and biomass exports from Australia; the (additional) associated impact of the age class structure of Australian hardwood plantations on harvest capacity out past 2021-2022; uses for Australian plantation eucalyptus logs in China; the impact of the fires on future log volumes and imports of softwood sawn-timber as well as an overview of Russian resources among others. NZL

forest talk

Competenz funding boost INDUSTRY TRAINING ORGANISATION (ITO) COMPETENZ HAS secured a $300,000 grant from the Wood Industry Development and Education (WIDE) Trust, to increase and improve training opportunities across the forestry and wood manufacturing sectors.

Competenz CEO, Fiona Kingsford, says the funding will be applied to three key areas, with delivery across 2020.

She says: “We are delighted to have the WIDE Trust’s backing and will use this funding to grow apprenticeships through one-year scholarships and technical training support grants across both sectors.

“We have begun work on these already and we look forward to sharing application details for this financial assistance in 2020.

“In addition, we will target upskilling, coaching and training of assessors in forestry and wood manufacturing, most likely in partnership with other like-minded organisations. This will be rolled out in the latter part of the year.”

WIDE Trust is a charitable trust formed in 2018. Its focus is on supporting development and education in the forestry and wood industry sectors through the provision of grants and scholarships to New Zealand students and institutions.

WIDE Trust Fund Manager, Sue Patterson, says: “The Trust is

A funding boost for Competenz is aimed at addressing the skills shortage in forestry. aware of the shortage of skilled tradespeople in the forestry and wood sectors and is keen to encourage young people into these industries. We look forward to seeing the proposed initiatives come to fruition.”

Meanwhile, Competenz has welcomed confirmation by Education Minister, Chris Hipkins, of the structure of the Workforce Development Councils (WDCs), which is part of the Government’s overhaul of the Vocational Education sector.

Under the new system, current ITOs will be disestablished, and part of their responsibilities will be handed over to six new industry-led WDCs; Manufacturing, Engineering, Logistics and Technology; Creative, Cultural and Recreation; Primary Industries; Service Industries; Health, Community and Social Services – and Construction and Infrastructure.

Fiona Kingsford, Competenz Chief Executive, supports the move and says: “This is aligned to the feedback our industries provided during consultation so it’s encouraging their views were listened to and to see this structure has been adopted.”

The next steps will see further discussions on the WDC establishment process in the coming months to identify the governance arrangements and appointment of Boards. NZL

forest talk

The safety innovation that improves line speed and production IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE IMPROVED LINE SPEED AND PRODUCTION thanks to lagging new and existing drums on swing yarders and tower haulers was an innovation introduced just three years ago.

It may be new technology for New Zealand contractors but lagging drums, including the option to retrofit SpoolPro onto older drums, has been readily adopted here, with more than 60 SpoolPro sleeves already retrofitted to existing harvesting machinery.

Ross Wood, of the Wood Contracting Group, which has five logging crews based in Nelson, says: “Lagging has always been regarded as an essential component for cable logging but it is also very expensive to retrofit, with two-to-three drums on each machine adding up significantly. Spoolpro has really streamlined the process.

It’s equally as good as the very best factory lagging.”

A safer operating environment is achieved by keeping the line clear, reducing wear on wire rope and enabling the first layer of rope to wind on easily when rope does need to be replaced.

“We’re very impressed with it,” says Ross. “It’s a particularly good product. And it’s a painless exercise which can be done over the weekend at half the price, I can’t say enough good about it.

Everything about it is very user-friendly.”

Sleeves have been fitted to main, haulback, skyline, front main, rear main and tail drums on a range of swing yarders and tower haulers.

The range of machines includes: • Thunderbird TSY6335 / TTY6170 / TSY6255 / TMY70 / TTY70 • Madill 120 / 122 / 123 / 124 / 171 • Pacific SY118 • Active 70 SpoolPro product designer and Director of 3D Industrial, Matt

12 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

Product designer and Director of 3D Industrial, Matt Field, designed SpoolPro lagging as a quick and costeffective way for contractors to improve safety and increase line speed.

Field, says: “If we can design and make products that make a genuine difference to how harvesting contractors operate that’s a good thing.

“Retrofitting sleeves has been popular as contractors have been able to adopt the innovation without the expense of upgrading to a new machine or new drums. Some contactors have installed sleeves as an affordable way to extend the life of a drum that is due for replacement.”

Retrofitting sleeves takes less than a day, he adds. NZL

SpoolPro drums and sleeves are manufactured to the individual dimensions of each machine. They have been successfully fitted to a range of machines including tower haulers.

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forest talk

The 850 processor is purpose-built, designed for high volume roadside processing.

New roadside processor from Tigercat TIGERCAT HAS INTRODUCED A NEW PROCESSOR TO ITS RANGE. The 850 processor is purpose-built, designed for high volume roadside processing. The company says it offers many advantages over excavator conversions, including better service access, higher cooling capacity and processor head optimised hydraulics. The Tigercat FPT N67 engine delivers 159 kW (213 hp) at 2,100 rpm for Tier 2 and Tier 4f emission compliance.

The load sensing hydraulic system allows simultaneous machine and head functionality. The combination of high horsepower and harvester head optimised hydraulics allows for responsive control, quick feed speed and powerful delimbing capability for high productivity. A high capacity swing system with dual swing drives provides ample torque and speed for high performance processing. The powerful, strength-toweight optimised boom is designed specifically for processing and high stacking.

A quiet, comfortable, ergonomically designed cab offers good operator

visibility. The hooked boom design and narrow side posts provide strong righthand side visibility. An integrated cab riser and the rearVIEW camera system contribute to all-around visibility for the operator. Optimally positioned controls and a large touch screen display improve ergonomics and machine monitoring. Auxiliary audio input port, Bluetooth® audio and hands-free calling are enhanced by reduced noise levels.

The ability to step down into the centre of the machine gives clear, unobstructed access to the engine and daily service points. Large enclosure doors and a service platform provide easy access to other service points. A large cast counterweight with a swing-out door allows access to the engine from the rear of the machine.

AB Equipment’s Mark Hill says the 850 processor will be offered in the NZ market but he expects limited demand, with the smaller processor not suited to all operations. “We will be happy to sell one to two machines a year,” he says. For those who fancy a smaller, efficient machine, it will be available mid-year. NZL

Silviculture planting wages greatly exaggerated

14 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

the terrain and weather conditions that they are planting in at the time.”

FICA has been working with this sector for the past year, following the release of a report in 2017 from MBIE which focused on employee exploitation and recognised serious concerns that employees within the sector were particularly vulnerable.

The Silviculture Action Group has similarly been working on solutions to challenges with labour, work conditions and the seasonality of the task.

This year they will be aiming to put in place some initiatives that will assist and support a better environment and a more sustainable sector with the Billion Tree initiative as incentive.

FICA advises anyone wanting to enter the industry to do so through a reputable contracting company that can demonstrate a history of good employment practices or has achieved Safetree Contractor Certification.

“Our contractors are good employers who are offering genuine opportunities within forestry and now is the time to take advantage of that in a very positive industry,” says FICA. NZL

B The Silviculture Action Group has been working on solutions to challenges.

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RECENT REPORTS THAT SILVICULTURE planters will earn $400 a day to plant trees have had the industry talking.

FICA has clarified that the $2000 per week for five days work quoted is based on the average 60c a tree forest owners pay a silviculture contractor. Overheads, management costs, logistics, transport, quality control and staff to deliver trees to the planters on site have not been taken into account.

“This leaves approximately 50% to go to paying wages to their crews and if they are lucky, to cover the costs of ongoing training and compliance that the industry and government agencies demand of the contractor to remain a good employer,” says FICA. “As an experienced silviculture planter there is certainly the ability to earn above the average weekly package but there are factors that can change this very easily like

forest talk

Plan to lift forestry health & safety A NEW PILOT PROGRAMME LAUNCHED BY WorkSafe in the Wairarapa is designed to lift health & safety in the forestry industry.

The pilot has been developed with input from the Forestry Industry Safety Council (FISC) and local foresters.

WorkSafe’s Forestry Lead, Grant Duffy, says the pilot will allow WorkSafe to better engage with the ‘harder to reach’ parts of the forest harvesting industry in the Wairarapa over the next few months.

He says around 600 smaller forest lots in the Wairarapa region, planted in the late 1980s or early 1990s, are now approaching maturity. Forest owners or contractors must notify WorkSafe of any upcoming harvesting work taking place.

“Under legislation, businesses are required to notify WorkSafe of particularly hazardous work they are about to undertake. This includes tree felling and

forest harvesting activities,” says Mr Duffy.

As part of the programme, WorkSafe will be increasing public awareness of the requirement to notify, by direct mailing forest owners and engaging with the forestry community to remind them of the requirement to notify and enlist their support in the pilot.

“We are really pleased with the response of local forestry people to our request for them to assist us to ensure only wood from harvest activity that has been notified to WorkSafe by either the forest owner or contractor will reach the market and be available for sale,” adds Mr Duffy.

“It is hoped this pilot will increase the awareness of harvesting contractors, forest owners and others in the forestry industry of the benefits and importance of notifying WorkSafe notify and the consequences of not doing so.

“This is the first time WorkSafe has launched a pilot of this nature. It’s not about making people comply, it’s about taking action. We want to see all workers returning home healthy and safe to their loved ones.”

Dave Bashford owns and operates Timber Yard Limited in Carterton and has worked in the forestry and logging industry for more than 50 years. He has helped design and deliver the pilot as someone with real local forestry knowledge.

He says: “The forestry and logging industry requires multiple people working together in a dynamic environment, so it needs a good health and safety system.

“It’s fair to say that over the years I’ve learnt the importance to my business of good health and safety practices.

“It is great to have the opportunity to work with WorkSafe and fellow loggers on work which focuses on just that.” NZL

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forest talk

Pan Pac CEO passes the baton

Right: Doug Ducker is retiring after 45 years at Pan Pac. Left: New Pan Pac Managing Director, Tony Clifford WITH 45 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS BEHIND HIM, DOUG DUCKER has stepped down as CEO of Pan Pac. Mr Ducker joined Pan Pac in December 1974 and, excluding a short time in Sydney in 1984, has been with the company ever since.

“I have been fortunate to work with excellent people from our staff through to our suppliers, contractors, shareholders, iwi and the wider community,” he says.

Tony Clifford, General Manager – Pulp, took over as Managing Director last month. Mr Clifford has been with Pan Pac for 27 years.

Initially employed as an electrical engineer. He has held technical and managerial roles within the company and has been a member of the executive management group for 15 years. He has overseen a $70m upgrade of the pulp mill as well as the development of markets for BCTMP (pulp) into Asia and beyond.

Looking back over his time with Pan Pac, Mr Ducker says he has seen tremendous change in the company over the past 45 years. “The time now feels right to pass on my corporate responsibilities and to explore new projects involving family and friends,” he says. NZL

New measures for wood processing boost THE GOVERNMENT AIMS TO FURTHER strengthen New Zealand’s wood processing sector as part of a focus on ‘value over volume’ in our forestry industry, says Forestry Minister, Shane Jones.

The Minister met with forestry representatives in Northland recently to signal new measures to help the industry, including a log buyer registration scheme that will see more logs processed onshore and provide better job certainty in regional communities.

“Our commercial forestry and wood processing sector faces significant challenges,” says Mr Jones.

“It is a fragmented industry and there is significant value to be gained by increasing cooperation between those who own the land, own the trees, process them, and export them.

The focus has historically been on volume rather than adding value and high export prices have created strong incentives to export unprocessed logs.

“The Government is also well aware of looming log supply constraints for domestic

16 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

processors over the coming decades.”

The announcement coincides with the release of two research reports commissioned

by Te Uru Rākau from Forme Consulting and Scion into log supply issues in Northland.

The reports note the region will see restricted supply worsen in the early 2020s, with shortages in Canterbury, Southland and the southern North Island emerging in the late 2020s.

“The package of measures I have asked my officials to explore won’t fix things overnight, but they will help provide surety of supply and assurance of the sustainability of New Zealand wood for markets.

“The most significant initiative would be the introduction of a professional registration scheme for log buyers as well as a standardised sales and purchase contract.

“This would ensure small growers receive impartial and comprehensive advice from log buyers and provide for redress in the event of unprofessional behaviour.

“I also propose to create a national definition

of wood legality, which will support access for our forestry exports internationally.

“The global illegal log trade is a substantial and an ongoing challenge, which is undermining and threatening progress on sustainable development and climate change objectives.

“We’re also going to increase the flow of transparent information for the sector such as publishing a harvest and sales information series and help small forest growers pool their resources to achieve economies of scale.

“From my regular discussions with those in the industry, I know they understand the need for this nationally-focused approach to provide certainty and longevity for the wider sector.

“Cabinet has directed officials to pursue these measures and I intend to report back early (this) year.

“This Government is committed to forestry as an industry that can play an important role in regional economic development, help Māori fulfil their aspirations for their land and deliver environmental benefits.” NZL

forest talk

forest talk

Sawmill opens up career pathways for young people Kaituna sawmill workers, from left, Ryan Williamson, Ricky McKnight, Jamie Howieson, and Kane Sullivan, say their careers are rewarding.

WORKING AT KAITUNA SAWMILL IN MARLBOROUGH OPENS UP A world of opportunities for people, according to those working at the mill.

Opportunities are not just available for school leavers, as sawmill staff say they are able to move up within the mill and try out a variety of roles as part of a rewarding career.

Ricky McKnight has started his apprenticeship at the sawmill, and Kane Sullivan, Ryan Williamson, and Jamie Howieson have all done apprenticeships and different jobs at the sawmill.

All say they would like to see others in Marlborough and from further afield joining them at Kaituna, which is part of Nelson Forests, owned by Australian company OneFortyOne. Kane Sullivan is a maintenance engineer, who has currently stepped up to share a departmental manager’s role as Workshop Maintenance Manager.

He says he started at the sawmill in 2011 on the production line, feeding timber into a machine to be wrapped. He was on night shift and had moved from the food industry.

“It was a big change, but I adapted,” says Kane.

From there, he went to a full-time day-shift job on the planer processing line, before moving into dispatch. An apprenticeship came up in the workshop in 2015 and Kane recently qualified as a mechanical engineer.

Kane says: “My biggest regret was that I didn’t do some sort of apprenticeship when I was 20.”

He reckons sawmill staff are keen to develop new skill sets and widen their expertise: “If we can have people from all types of industries coming here, that’s good.

“Recently, we had two engineers who are not sawmillers join the team and they’re bringing in a whole different mindset.”

Kane says there’s also nothing wrong with coming in and doing a trade apprenticeship at Kaituna and then taking that skill set elsewhere for a time, like taking a sabbatical, before returning to Kaituna.

The vision of the team is that Kaituna is seen as the top sawmill in the country and as a “must have” in a top-quality sawmiller’s CV. Kane says: “We want employers to ask someone, ‘When did you have a connection with Kaituna Sawmill?’”

Jamie Howieson says he heard about jobs at Kaituna Sawmill after talking to a friend’s brother at a party 16 years ago.

Jamie started stacking timber, then became a forklift driver coordinator, before completing a three-and-a-half-year apprenticeship to become a saw doctor.

Despite his trade apprenticeship being quite specialised, he’s also had the opportunity to try out working in other areas of the sawmill.

“There are quite a few different jobs at the mill. You can move around,” says Jamie.

He likes his job as a saw doctor and has recruited others to work at the sawmill too, like his friend’s brother.

Ryan Williamson qualified as a maintenance engineer six years ago, having done his apprenticeship at the sawmill.

He says: “I started here just before I turned 17. I’ve been here coming up 11 years now.

“I live locally, so I just rode my pushbike down and put in a CV and started the next day. At the time, I didn’t realise the opportunities that were here.

“I’ve done speedway and built my own race cars. I’ve always enjoyed engineering and pulling things apart. Working here gives me an opportunity to better myself and add to what I can do.

“I wouldn’t change anything about the job. It’s a very good job. The only thing that I want to do is continuously further myself and find the next step in my career.”

Ricky McKnight is six weeks into his apprenticeship and says that it’s brilliant: “It’s really enjoyable. Everyone’s really easy to get on with.”

He is looking forward to finishing his apprenticeship and then working his way around a few other tickets and modules.

“I want to improve on my skills and help the company grow, so I can be here for bigger and better things,” says Ricky.

“I would recommend it here. It’s a really good place to learn. They really look after you.”

General Manager at Kaituna Sawmill, Tracy Goss, is encouraging people to get in touch and make the most of opportunities for trade training at the mill.

“Talk to us about where an apprenticeship can lead,” he says. NZL

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 17

SPECIAL FEATURE

Tree 55 - the grandad of today’s Radiata Pine plantations, is a mighty specimen, but it’s not tomorrow’s tree.

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Radiata. The race to grow a better tree Story: John Ellegard Photos: Supplied

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N A SMALL GROVE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF KINLEITH Forest, not far from the bustling traffic of State Highway 1, is a stand of mature Radiata Pine trees that are unlikely to feel the chatter of a chainsaw blade on their bark any time soon. Or ever, for that matter.

They’re too important to chop down. Well, one of them is – the rest are there to protect it.

That special tree goes by the official moniker of 85055. But most people in the forest research and tree breeding community simply refer to it as ‘Tree 55’.

Approaching this tree, you can see why it’s regarded as special.

Tree 55 towers above the rest, a giant among its fellow Pinus radiata kin. Reaching to the sky, it’s around 45 metres from ground to the top of its canopy – making it one of the tallest, if not THE tallest Radiata Pine in New Zealand (they can grow up to 60 metres at full maturity).

It also has a wonderfully straight and uniform structure, with a pom-pom of branches sprouting from the top.

If there was a beauty contest for Radiata, Tree 55 would surely win hands down.

Walking back out of this stand and looking across to the surrounding plantation, you’re struck by the knowledge that there is a little bit of Tree 55 in every single Radiata in Kinleith Forest.

And Kaingaroa Forest, an hour to the east. Same with the forests in Northland, the East Coast, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Taranaki, Wairarapa, Wellington and across the South Island.

Tree 55 is the grandfather to virtually all of the Radiata Pines that have been grown in New Zealand plantations for the past 60+ years.

Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, when scientists at the old Forest Research Institute in Rotorua (the forerunner of Scion) began their quest to improve the humble Radiata, they sent people into the forests to seek out good specimens to breed from.

They identified and selected a number of trees for their superior growth and form to kick start the programme.

They were the first ‘plus-trees’, used to propagate the next

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generation through grafting. The grafted pines were planted out in seed orchards away from other Radiata plantations to prevent pollen contamination when they flowered. Seeds from those improved Radiata Pines were collected in 1968 to produce seedlings that went into forests in 1970.

Tree 55 was never considered to be particularly outstanding when it was young, but it displayed nice form and straightness and was good enough to breed from. However, as it matured, Tree 55 began to outgrow its contemporaries and soon became the ‘go-to’ tree for collecting seeds and grafting material, spreading its genes far and wide through the future Radiata population.

But there was a catch. And it was enough to cause tree breeders to later move away from their reliance on Tree 55.

“Subsequently, we found out that some of its wood properties are not as good and that caused us to drop it out of our breeding programme,” says Shaf van Ballekom, General Manager of Proseed NZ, one of New Zealand’s leading plantation tree seed producers.

“From the outside, looking at that tree, if you were solely focused on growth, form and straightness, Tree 55 turned into a damn good specimen.

“But it didn’t have the required wood density the industry was looking for. Things do change and, depending on the uses you want from the tree, you might be more interested in stiffness than density these days but the two don’t automatically correlate with each other.

“Tree 55 actually has some very good mechanical pulping properties, so there are some traits that would make it interesting to some users today. But on the whole, it’s had its time.”

Researchers and tree breeders now look for a blend of characteristics that will more precisely match the needs of both the forest grower and the end user. Straightness and strong growth are only part of that equation.

Today’s Radiata Pine needs to display good DBH (diameter at breast height) when close to harvest age, stiffness (especially for structural uses), minimal branching, the ability to grow in a range

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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 20 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

Above left: Pollinating promising Radiata Pines at the RPBC tree growing orchard near Amberley in north Canterbury.

Above right: Various trial tags on this Radiata at the RPBC orchard, denoting when pollination took place – now it’s a case of waiting to harvest the cones.

Facing page: New Zealand’s oldest surviving Radiata (Monterey) Pine tree is this Magnificat specimen still growing strong at Mt Peel in the Canterbury high country after 163 years. of climatic and soil conditions, and to be disease resistant. Density is also important, but that does come at the expense of stiffness, so those two traits need to be balanced. And the faster it grows, the better – trees are now considered mature as young as 25 years of age in warmer areas like Northland or East Coast, and the aim is to get that down into the low 20s within the next rotation. A dozen years ago, when I took over as editor of NZ Logger, the average harvesting age of Radiata was around 28-to-30 years. We’ve come a long way in a short time.

In fact, Radiata itself has come a long way. From the other side of

the Pacific, to be exact.

The birthplace of Radiata is a narrow stretch of the northern Californian coast, just south of San Francisco, plus a couple of islands off the Mexican coast. Its common name is Monterey Pine, after one of the two mainland forest locations. There aren’t many trees in the home forests, less than 8,000 hectares in total, and sadly, those few hectares are under threat from pine pitch canker, which is attacking the trees. Contrast that with the millions of hectares of Radiata now grown around the world, from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa to Chile and Spain.

Above left: One of the pollination tags up close.

Above centre: Cones with different pollination material growing on one of the trial trees.

Above right: The next generation of trees propagated at the RPBC orchard are planted out, but they won’t show their true potential for eight years.

That’s not the only contrast. Put a Radiata Pine grown in a modern plantation up against a Monterey Pine in California and you’d swear they’re not related at all. The original Monterey Pines have a dense, bushy habit when left to grow wild, often sprouting multiple stems.

Most of them look nothing like Kinleith’s towering Tree 55. The reason for the difference? More than 100 years of selective breeding and science – mostly undertaken right here in New Zealand.

A minor species on its home turf, the Monterey Pine was never originally intended to become the world’s most productive softwood plantation tree. A few seeds found their way to the UK in the 1830s and thence to Australia and New Zealand in the 1850s to be planted as ornamental trees and shelter belts in the newly established colonies. The trees seemed to tolerate the vast range of soil types and took an exceptional liking to our warm, temperate climate.

Among the first to adopt this ‘alien’ tree were Canterbury farmers, who imported seeds to grow shelter belts for their stock to provide protection against the fierce nor’ westerly winds. One of them was wealthy landowner John Acland, who planted his pines at Mt Peel Station in South Canterbury from seeds germinated in Sydney in 1856. One of those first trees, planted out at Mt Peel in 1859,

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survives to this day and is documented as the oldest Radiata Pine in New Zealand.

Radiata continued to be used largely as a shelter belt tree (much like another Californian import, Macrocarpa) until the early 20th century, when the New Zealand government became increasingly concerned at the rapid depletion of native forests.

The 1913 Royal Commission on Forestry, set up to identify trees that could be grown en masse to supply wood to the nation, zeroed in on Radiata as a highly suitable candidate. Radiata was already being milled in Canterbury and Southland at that stage for use as boxwood for fruit and butter, along with the construction of dwellings.

The choice was made, and by the 1920s and 1930s, nurseries were churning out huge numbers of Radiata seedlings to go into large plantations in the central North Island and other locations to be harvested some 30+ years later, in the 1950s and 1960s.

This was the birth of New Zealand’s modern forestry industry. It was also a lesson to the rest of the world in how to transition to SERIOUS POWER FOR BIG TIMEthe LOGGERS SERIOUS POWER FOR TIME LOGGERS sustainable plantation forestry thatBIG not only supports industry, but also allows for the native forests that remain to be protected

ALWAYS SWING A BIG STICK

EST EST 1909 1909 894 | TOCALL WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 944944 894 THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER NEW TOCALL NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 22 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

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years. for posterity in their natural environment. That we still retain more than 25% of our land cover under native trees, against just 3% planted in exotic trees, speaks to the wisdom of the decisions of our forefathers.

But foresters still had to deal with one problem. Radiata was exhibiting much of the wild, hoary growing habit of its Monterey origins. Pruning and dense planting helped, but the ‘mongrel’ couldn’t be completely tamed. The answer was to try and breed out the worst traits and turn the mongrel into a monarch. In the 1950s, that’s what the industry set about trying to do.

Alongside the Forest Research Institute, large companies like NZ Forest Products and Fletchers devoted significant efforts to establishing breeding programmes to grow better Radiata Pine trees. But it’s a long and laborious process. Effectively, you don’t really know how successful those breeding efforts are until the tree is harvested and opened up for milling. That means we are still just two or three rotations down the track in the breeding programme.

By contrast, agricultural scientists can produce new varieties of grass, corn or other horticultural plants in a handful of years.

It can be frustrating for forest growers. And sawmillers.

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When a log arrives at the mill, it’s a bit of a lottery as to what they’ll find. To get the most from a log, they want one that is uniformly round, with no sweep or wobble, has a small amount of heartwood to minimise discolouring of the outer wood, no cracks and minimal knot whorls. If the timber is going to be used for structural purposes it needs to be very stiff, too. And it’s imperative that the logs arrive at the mill very soon after harvesting to minimise blue sapstain issues.

Consistency is the keyword and it starts with producing consistently good seeds and seedlings.

By the 1980s, the industry took the next step to achieving that goal with the publication of the ‘Development Plan for Radiata Pine Breeding’, which first described an overall Radiata Pine breeding strategy. This led to the creation of the Seed Certification Scheme, which introduced the GF and subsequent GF Plus schemes we are still familiar with today.

The shake-up caused by the demise of the Forest Service and privatisation of public forestry assets in New Zealand some 30 years ago meant the industry needed to take more control of tree breeding. In 1988, the NZ Radiata Pine Breeding Cooperative

MADE IN CANADA FOR NZ CONDITIONS

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

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Above: Scientist, Catherine Reeves, with seedlings being raised at Scion in Rotorua.

Bottom: Another way of propagating new trees is to take cuttings like these.

was formed, jointly funded by industry and government. It was incorporated into a company with only grower and seed-producer shareholders in 2002 to oversee and drive Radiata research and breeding.

It’s an important task, but the company itself is not big at all – just two people until recently, with a third joining its tiny team a few months ago. Most of the breeding research and trial measurement work is contracted out.

In short, the task of the Radiata Pine Breeding Company (RPBC) is to oversee the future development of Radiata Pine. It’s remit: • Increase the rate of genetic gain using conventional selection and testing methods, as well as implementing new technologies such as genomic selection (ie using DNA markers to generate a unique DNA fingerprint for an individual tree, identifying which blocks of DNA have been inherited from each parent); • Manage genetic diversity (having forest gene banks in diverse locations); • Deliver faster deployment of genetic gain to the production forest (ie, turbocharging the development of better Radiata).

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Baby trees being raised from cuttings and seedlings.

“There’s two primary parts to our role,” says Brent Guild, who recently stepped down as CEO of RPBC after being brought in three years ago to review the organisation and reset its goals.

“There’s control and management of the national breeding population on behalf of all RPBC shareholders; this comprises the establishment and management of breeding orchards, field trials and archives.

“Our improved breeds are ‘bulked up’ through conventional seed production (Proseed and PF Olsen), while others (Forest Genetics and Arborgen) will bulk up through clonal technologies. The clonal route is a much faster process, albeit more complex, and inherently more risky.”

Germplasm is the living tissue from which new plants can be grown and can be either seeds or a part of the plant that is taken for grafting onto new stock.

Prior to 2006, the initial part of the breeding process was contracted out, but 14 years ago, the company established its own breeding orchard at Amberley in mid-Canterbury, overseen

by Proseed, which operates its own seed production facility next door. At any one time, there are as many as 2,000 trees grown in the orchard. The top trees are identified as having traits that RPBC is keen to introduce or improve in its breeding population and are cross-pollinated.

“This work involves a traditional approach to plant breeding – crossing one breed with another,” says Brent.

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It’s the way tree breeding by cross pollination has been conducted for many, many years and is watched over by RPBC’s Tree Improvement Manager, Mark Paget, who is based in the University of Canterbury’s School of Forestry building, not far from the Amberley orchard.

“We are using around 100-to-150 as parents currently, so a lot of older material (trees) of lower genetic worth in the breeding orchard is waiting to be removed,” says Mark, adding that the seedlings produced from the chosen parental crosses are then planted at various test trial sites around NZ and Australia.

“There is also material that isn’t reproductively mature yet, so it’s in the orchard and it takes a while for it to grow to that stage.

“We have material in test trials all over the country. We also put duplicate material (clones) in the breeding orchard ready to be used once we get results back from their performance in test trials based on the estimated breeding values. We use a selection index which is made up of a combination of growth, form and wood property EBVs (estimated breeding values) on which we base our choices.

“So, any promising trees will also be growing in our breeding orchard so that they are easily accessible and we can get them into the breeding population quickly for the next round of crossing, testing and selection. Anything that hasn’t performed very well is removed from the orchard to make room for the next lot of material.

“If we have a very promising tree we will try and collect pollen from it. Or once it starts flowering, we can use it as a female parent.

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We can store the pollen so we can use it as a male parent. If we don’t have it in (the orchard) then we have to go out into the test trials and collect scions and graft it. But that all takes time.”

And do they have to wait 25+ years for trees to mature so they can tell which ones have been successful? No. They can tell whether they have a promising specimen by the time the tree reaches eight years of age using data collected from the test trials from which EBVs are calculated.

When they do find a tree that exhibits all the breeding values they are searching for, it is made available to the various germplasm producers for bulking up, and the seed produced becomes the next generation of Radiata Pine. That might seem like a straightforward process, but it’s probably the one area where Brent Guild believes there needs to be more action.

He says the new ‘material’ is not getting out into the forests fast enough. Not so much the larger, corporate forest owners, who are always keen for new, improved stock, but the smaller private forest owners and woodlots, which make up a significant proportion of our plantations.

“The difficulty you have is the non-shareholders, ie, the royalty payers, those who purchase improved genetics via the GF Plus scheme. They might have planted back in the 1990s and their trees would be 25-to-30 years old now and given the way the log market has been over the past few years there are many people who have elected to harvest earlier than they might have,” says Brent.

“They will replant once in their lifetime, so they might be thinking, ‘what am I getting for my improved genetics?’ You are putting in

those improved genetics not for yourself but for your children or for a subsequent sale process, but selling an improved plant now for a payback in 30 years’ time can be a tough proposition for some to accept.”

Tree nurseries tend to respond to customer demand, and for that reason are perhaps conservative or even sceptical in their view.

For these reasons, the standard bearers for the new and improved trees are often the corporate foresters, with the likes of Timberlands leading the way (see article on page 30). But first they have to get their hands on the new stuff and this is the second role of RPBC. The long lead times in tree breeding are something that have dogged its progress since the early days of the FRI programme in the 1950s. But there are exciting science advances that are expected to revolutionise Radiata Pine breeding very soon.

In 2017, a team at Scion completed a draft assembly of the Radiata Pine genome – a world first. It means there is now an instruction manual for how a Radiata tree grows.

It was a massive task. At 25 billion base pairs, the Radiata Pine genome is eight times bigger than the human genome and it took four years to complete.

For researchers, it has provided the foundation they need to begin the job of deciphering what each of the base pairs of DNA relates to in physical terms, enabling them to identify genes with drought and disease resistance, for example, along with discovering which ones align to the breeding values of RPBC. That work is already underway, and the most recent milestone achieved by Scion, with financial backing from RPBC, was the

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Seedlings raised by Scion are planted out in their own nursery at Rotorua. development of a SNP Chip – again, a world first. The SNP Chip is a DNA database of hundreds of thousands of trees and their genomic make-up and it will enable scientists to fast-track the laborious task of identifying desirable traits in individual trees in the lab and at breath-taking speed.

So, instead of waiting eight years to find out if you’ve got a great tree, you’ll know in days or weeks. Maybe even quicker, as the technology improves. Read the separate SNP Chip article on page 32.

Genomics is the tree breeding technology of the future, with much more emphasis on cyber sex than plant sex. A genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all of its genes. With genomics, scientists aim at the collective characterisation and quantification of all an organism’s genes, their interrelations and influence on the organism.

In addition to Scion, Brent Guild says RPBC also draws on expertise from the University of Canterbury, the University of Otago and even AgResearch is involved now because of its “deep understanding and experience with genomics and the whole area of being able to select the traits off a plate instead of putting things out to test and waiting up to ten years for results”.

Genomics will play a key role in speeding up the process of developing new Radiata trees that will grow faster, maybe maturing at 20 years of age with all the required traits of a tree that currently is harvested at 30 years. Trees that will be more resistant to

Dothistroma and Red Needle Cast. Trees that will be more resistant to the drought conditions we’re expecting under climate change.

Trees that will drop their lower branches early to produce knotfree wood so we can continue to have clearwood supplies, without physically having to prune them.

But they won’t all be identical clones. Tomorrow’s Radiata Pine will be tailored to suit specific sites and climatic conditions, even those found in Australia, because the largest of the 15 shareholders in RPBC is Forestry NSW (with 20%), so there is a clear transTasman focus on the research. To find out how this will happen, read ‘Unleashing the genomics genie’ on page 33.

The Radiata Pine of the future may look like Tree 55 from the outside, but inside it will be vastly different.

It can look fondly down on its progeny and feel satisfied that the next generation will be better still. And while it may be consigned to history, Tree 55 is unlikely to be forgotten.

“Tree 55 is still visited and still regarded as the grandpappy of just about everything,” says Brent.

“It’s big and it had all of those visual cues that really capture the imagination. It is iconic and a lot of people know about it and genetically it is linked back into the programme and it’s just got a status. But it has been superceded and is becoming less important with time as our programme continues. It’s just there for posterity, a heritage tree.” NZL

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Logging contractors could be harvesting twice as much wood from the same blocks in Kaingaroa Forest within the next 30 years.

Doubling wood volume without adding more land T

HE RADIATA PINE OF TOMORROW WILL HELP Timberlands achieve its ambition of doubling wood volume from its forests without having to add more land.

And it won’t take several generations and hundreds of years to get there…the goal will most likely be reached within 50 years. That’s just two rotations.

It won’t, of course, all be down to genetics and tree selection, as other factors will contribute to the outcome.

“To achieve that, we would need to look closely at the silviculture practices we employ, the genetic material, fertiliser and nutrition practices we employ and be smarter in the use of technology in the way we manage those crops. The sum of all those things will see a lift in productivity,” says Dean Witehira, Tree Crop Manager with Timberlands.

Dean has been working at Kaingaroa Forest for more than 20 years

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and he’s seen a lot of change over that time and is excited about what is yet to come.

“We see a real opportunity to propagate elite germplasm that is being developed through our clonal testing programme,” he says.

“At KT we have control of our own propagation and deployment supply chain. We clonally test material in our own trials on our own sites, to see which ones are the winners and then deploy that material out to the forest.

“We are seeing some benefits arise from that in our forests. Some of it’s through tidying up some of our operations and procedures and ensuring that we establish 100% of the area we intend to plant, good land-prep, good management of weeds through that establishment phase.

“When you are running a successful genetics and deployment programme you need to be able to package up your best germplasm

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inside a well spec’d tree. These seedlings then need to be looked after all the way to the forest and planted onto a site that has benefitted from good land prep and good management. All these things can add up to a lift in forest productivity and that flows through to the rest of the rotation.”

Dean goes on to say that one of the challenges facing Timberlands (and all forest owners) is the uncertainty of future markets and what Radiata might look like down the track.

“I think that we need to make sure we grow a solid wood product that is able to be used for a wide range of purposes. To do that we need a tree crop that produces high volume, has good wood properties, small branches and is straight,” he says.

“If we do this, then we retain some optionality around where we send our log products, such as into a sawn timber market or other reconstituted fibre markets. A solid all-rounder that grows across a variety of sites, generates a lot of volume while also having good form, is the tree we are seeking to produce. Disease resistance is also a desirable trait.”

Even without the genetic advancements already flagged by scientists, Timberlands has seen marked improvements through its approach.

“If you go back to 2003, we were running about 16.5 MAI (mean annual increment – ie m3/ha per year) and now we are running about 25 MAI. Our long-term goal is to get to 50 MAI, so that is doubling of our current MAI,” says Dean.

Timberlands is a shareholder in the Radiata Pine Breeding Company and Dean has been a director of that company for 15 years and has been very close to what’s been going on there.

He says: “There are some very exciting opportunities on the horizon. Some of the things Scion has been doing on genomic selection mean that theoretically if we could screen material or see if it’s got the genes that drive growth or give it disease resistance or form, we can then do an early selection and find out quickly if we have a really good tree, instead of eight years – that could be a game-changer.

“We could screen more material and make more gain, more quickly and that would increase the realised genetic gain and help us to double productivity.”

It’s still very early days, he adds: “If you look at tree breeding and all plant breeding globally – you look at maize, it’s probably been running for 50 generations and there has been continuous improvement for traits that are being selected.

“With Radiata, we’re really only on our third generation and we’ve already made gains, so there’s a way to go yet and I believe there is a real opportunity to keep driving that up.”

One issue that Timberlands is already working on is how to upscale its nursery to grow twice as many trees as it has in the past and the company is already working on expansion plans and how technology can play a part, too.

The rewards are mouth-watering. Doubling the amount of wood generated from Kaingaroa Forest could double the value of the forest, along with creating many more new jobs, providing a range of environmental benefits and ensuring Kaingaroa retains its status as an iconic plantation forest that benefits all New Zealanders, because every one of us is a shareholder in the business through a stake held by government’s Superannuation Fund. NZL

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Scion forest genetics scientist, Natalie Graham, holds the first Radiata Pine SNP chip.

A SN(i)P at $5 million T

HE LITTLE BLACK BOX THAT FORMER RADIATA PINE Breeding Company boss, Brent Guild, held in his hand when he spoke to a recent forestry conference in Wellington didn’t look very interesting…until he mentioned that it was the result of a $5 million investment.

What could be inside? Diamonds? Rare earth minerals? No, something far more precious.

The little black box is called a SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) chip, and it’s a first for Radiata Pine.

A SNP (pronounced snip) is a type of DNA or genetic marker that represents a single base change in the DNA sequence, says Natalie Graham, a forest genetics scientist at Scion.

“The phrase ‘snip chip’ is, in part, a reference to the use of the semiconductor manufacturing techniques used to generate these chips, with everything done at nano scale,” she says.

“Under closer inspection, a SNP chip like that which Brent held has 384 individual little pegs of about 2mm x 2mm. Each of these little pegs contains the technology to measure 36,285 DNA markers in a single sample. If we multiply 36,285 SNPs by 384 pegs, ie the number of samples you can test per chip, we now have capacity to generate nearly 14 million data points from a product that you can easily hold in your hand.”

Sifting through all this data can be like trying to discover the winning numbers for next Saturday’s Lotto Powerball draw, but at least this work can now be handled by powerful computers. Trying to discover and measure individual markers within the DNA of Radiata

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Pine the old-fashioned way was time-consuming and expensive “We also now know that most of the traits we’re interested in, like growth and wood properties, are controlled by very complex networks of genes,” says Natalie.

“Using handfuls of markers across limited numbers of samples was unlikely to give us enough information to support breeding decisions.

“But this is where the SNP chip is making a difference, as we can test thousands of markers across thousands of samples at a time. It’s this scale and rate of data generation which is the real breakthrough.”

The first thing the Scion team is doing with the data coming from this new chip is a thorough analysis of the overall breeding programme to understand how everything is connected and related.

“We’ve got historical pedigree records, but we’ve never had the tools to verify them before,” adds Natalie.

“We expect that there will be errors – they are in almost every breeding programme worldwide with most major crop species, but they have had the tools to detect those errors and fix them. We now have the ability to do this for Radiata Pine and correct our pedigrees where necessary.

“This has the added benefit of improving the trait predictions we make going forward. If we have always assumed that two trees were related but new DNA evidence contradicts this, that changes the way we interpret the phenotypes and how we breed with those trees.”

When not being used, that first SNP chip sits on Natalie’s desk in the Scion lab in Rotorua – an expensive office ornament! NZL

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Unleashing the genomics genie T

HE TERM ‘DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY’ IS WIDELY USED these days to describe something that will be very different to what has been done in the past…and it aptly describes the difference that genomics will make to the Radiata Pine breeding programme.

We’re right on the cusp of being able to develop designer trees that will be substantially better than anything grown to date.

Radiata Pine is only two-to-three generations distant from the wild population and despite the advances made in the RPBC programme, it is nowhere near to becoming the ‘super tree’ that will give us much better wood and more of it at a younger age. Yet. If we just stuck to traditional tree breeding techniques, it would likely take at least 30 years before we saw a real difference, probably much longer. But when we combine tree breeding with genomics, we can speed up the process considerably, and that is what Scion is working on.

Don’t confuse genomics with genetic engineering or even genetic editing. It’s not like letting the gene genie out of the bottle.

Genomics involves understanding the ancestral relationships, or family relations among trees, as well as understanding the relationship between a large number of DNA markers and tree characteristics. By learning more about these marker relationships, scientists can predict the best trees to accelerate breeding, prevent the consequences of inbreeding and so on.

“Genomics is not rocket science,” says Dr Heidi Dungey, head of Scion’s forest genetics team, at her lab in Rotorua. “It’s already applied across all animal breeding and most crop breeding, so in that sense it’s not new technology, but in tree breeding we are probably one of the first to implement genomics into a conifer species operationally, so RPBC is at the forefront of this revolution.

“It’s very exciting territory for New Zealand when you understand how much productivity and profitability we can deliver to the forest industry and to the country’s GDP.” She explains that the major objective of the genomics programme being undertaken on behalf of RPBC is to identify SNP patterns (see A SN(i)P at $5 million, opposite) that correlate with key traits in Radiata Pine, such as growth and disease resistance. Reliable SNPs will generate accurate breeding values that will both reduce the breeding cycle and increase the amount of gain in forests. Gains of up to 50% over conventional breeding are forecast. Already, the first set of genomic breeding values for resistance to Dothistroma needle cast have been identified and released to RPBC members.

“Historically, breeding has been a bit like bucket chemistry – throw a lot of numbers in and then pick out the good stuff that floats to the top,” says Heidi.

“But with the right research, we could start making designer trees for specific products. I envisage that in 20 years’ time you will know exactly which trees at which site are being grown for which product.

“One of the major goals will be to understand if a tree has a

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particular trait that is being sought right at the start of its life, not years down the track.

“Age 8 has so far been the optimal time to assess trees for growth, but genomics will enable us to predict growth traits from the moment a tree starts to grow. With tissue culture perspective, you could test your new lines immediately after capturing your immature embryos from green cones, and only propagate the superior lines for deployment.

“We are already harvesting trees at a much younger age than a decade ago, sometimes down to 25 years’. As we continue to try and bring that age down, we also need to make sure the wood properties remain favourable, whilst also keeping the tree healthy and straight.

“We can also explore combining improved genetics with silviculture. For instance, if you plant trees close together your trees tend to have smaller areas of juvenile wood due to the effects of competition. Another option is to use cuttings that are more mature – as the starting material they are a little bit more grown up, so that juvenile wood core is usually not large.

“We also need to consider what we will be doing with wood in the future. Are we going to transition into a bio-economy, and what does that look like for trees? Then it becomes more about fibre and how fibre properties correlate with other wood properties, and whether we can make gains for both?

“We need to get this right, which means doing our research and not repeating mistakes of the past. We want to make sure that whatever we select is going to be robust.”

Former RPBC CEO, Brent Guild, has moved on from working alongside Heidi and her team at the cutting edge, to becoming a user of the research as the newly appointed General Manager at Nelson Forests. Having led RPBC for three years and re-focused its work, what are his hopes for the future of our ‘remarkable’ tree?

“The Radiata Pine of the future is a moving feast – do we really know what it’s going to look like and what it’s going to do?” he muses.

“I would say it’s going to be all of those things that we want today, and more; it’s going to be fast growing, but even faster – the holy grail for us is a 15-to-20-year-old tree that is basically the same size as a current 45-year-old tree, with the same wood properties or better, and disease-free or at least with some sort of resilience.

“We don’t find one of those every year and say ‘Eureka! We’ve found it! We can shut the company! It’s the perfect tree!’ – it just doesn’t work like that. Even with the advances in science, it’s still going to take time.”

Indeed. There’s a vast network of people involved and lots of different views and agendas at play. But everyone wants a tree that is better and more profitable to grow than today. And that takes time. Even with the new scientific tools now available in their tool box. NZL

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Tall Timber

Story: Hayley Leibowitz

I

’VE CHANGED A LOT IN THE LAST 10 years. You either did it my way or you went down the highway sort of thing.

But now I listen to people,” says long-time Tokoroa logger, Alan Sinton.

“You get bigger and you get more men and there’s more ideas come along and you think, ‘yes some of those are good ideas’.

You start to step back a bit. You can’t be there all the time, so you have to start to trust people. That’s the biggest thing.

Stepping away from a million-dollar outfit like this takes guts.”

He’s talking about his imminent retirement as we visit Alan and his iconic seven-member Crew 50 in Boston Forest, an hour south of Tokoroa. A lot has changed over the years, but some things never change.

It was 50 years ago, Easter 1969, that Alan first stepped into Kinleith forest working for Ron Sycamore as a skiddy, mostly in forests around Tokoroa, ending up running a crew for New Zealand Forest Products, which built the Kinleith pulp and paper mill.

He began with NZFP in 1971, when “all the single fellas got put off with the

Opposite page: Alan Sinton has completed 50 years in forestry and is ready to take a step back from the day-to-day running of his harvesting business.

Right: The Crew 50 skid site at the bottom end of the Boston Forest, an hour south of Tokoroa. This is one of four operations retained under the AG Sinton umbrella.

36 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

downturn”, starting as a tractor driver foreman, then as a hauler crew foreman until he began contracting himself in 1986 with “just a little tractor gang and two men, John Brumby and Richard Cure”, then along came Des Quaife, then Colin Hill and Pedro Petero, both of whom are part of Crew 50 today.

Why the bush? “It was a job,” he says.

“We all either worked in the bush or worked in the mill. I preferred the bush. They come and asked me to be a contractor. Forest Products did. And I took over the first gang and thought ‘well If I can make more money, I’ll take over another gang’.”

Born in Tokoroa, Alan still lives there (on a small holding just north of the town) and is proud of it. Too many of the managers at the mill and other businesses lived outside Tokoroa, he says, “it’s a great place to live”.

Photos: John Ellegard His father was a truck driver, who used to supply logs to the PanPac sawmill north of Napier.

Although he grew up when native logging was still taking place, Alan never harvested in native forests, always working in the pines. And it’s sure paid off.

From his first gang, the company “just grew and grew”. And AG Sinton Logging was born in 1986, though Alan points out that “there was as many people wanted to step on your toes as help. I worked with some really good guys”. He rattles off names, easily interchangeable with the nicknames that accompanied them.

Dennis Bomford. Peter Barlow. (Old baldie).

Wiki Brass. “Unbelievable guys, you know.

They never missed a day’s work. They were real hard men…”

And it’s the memories of the old days that

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 37

Tall Timber

E

bring a smile to his face. All Black prop, Paul Koteka knew all about Alan’s wicked sense of humour, Alan recalls: “He worked for me for years. We were going down the hill at smoko time – Paul (Bam) and I were breaking out, hooking on the logs behind the tractor, and I cut these pongas and left them still standing. Paul said, ‘Well what did you do that for?’. And I said, ‘Ah after smoko I’ll show you’.

“We had this big fella, Moose Gerighty – Big Moose, he was called. He was built like a brick sh*thouse. And we go back after smoko and we’re going up the hill and I said to old Moose, ‘I’ll bet I can knock that ponga over, I’ll tackle it (like a rugby player) and knock it over’. So I knocked mine over and I said to Paul, ’I bet you can knock that one over’ and he tackled it and knocked it over and I said to Moose, ‘You have a go, see if you can knock one over’. And it was

one we hadn’t cut. And he goes racing into it about 80 miles an hour and it just about knocked him out,” he chuckles. “We had some great fun. The hardest part about retiring is being away from the people.”

In amongst the fun there was a lot of hard work and Alan emphasises that as the company grew, he had to grow with it, as within a few years AG Sinton became one of the largest logging contractors in New Zealand, with 12 crews and more than 130 people.

“We just kept growing and bought new gear when we needed it,” he says.

“I became very friendly with Trevor Moore and also Phil Todd from Goughs. At one stage, in my own business, I had 50-odd Cat machines. Way back in the key supply days we harvested 1.3 million tonnes in a year, but we don’t do that much now, as we’re down to four crews. That’s enough. All Cat gear, except for one Komatsu and one Hitachi.”

B

o

S Clockwise from top left: ▲ Members of Crew 50 posing with the boss, are Fabian Redden (top row, left), Brooklyn Tehiko (top row, right), and seated on the logs are, from left Colin Hill, Alan Sinton, Herbie Tahere, Jason McMahon, Pedro Petero and Reece Sowerby. ▲ Tracey Anderson joined Alan Sinton 21 years ago to work in the office. ▲ Pedro Petero has been working with Alan Sinton for over over 30 years and is foreman of Crew 50.

Colin Hill is another member of Crew 50 who has worked with Alan Sinton for many years and is at the controls of the Cat 525D skidder.

38 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

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Tall Timber

With those big mechanised crews producing around four-to-five hundred tonnes a day, there has to be a balance between high production and safety, because there’s no time for mistakes, says Alan: “If we make a mistake in our game… you know, you people (sitting in your offices) can roll up your piece of paper or delete it. We can’t.”

So AG Sinton employs a full-time trainer, Des Quaife, to make sure that all crew members not only have the right skills to do the job properly, but also the right approach to keeping themselves and their colleagues safe, he says: “So we’ve had to put a lot of training into it. I have a full-time trainer that does that. Tracey’s always on their back.

Audits have got to be done. I want to make sure that everybody’s involved.”

Alan’s Office Manager, Tracey Anderson, has been working at his side for 21

years, doing anything from crew visits, to overseeing training, office work, audits and everything in between. As Office Manager, she has no doubt borne the brunt of his sometimes gruff manner but she has only good to say about him.

“Alan’s a good boss,” she says.

“He’s very fair. Really good. If you’ve got a job to do, he expects you to do it and yup he’s a good listener.”

As if to validate her words, he thinks carefully before answering each question, as he goes on to explain the importance of training: “Logging in Tokoroa is very family orientated. You’ve got generations of loggers.”

He points to foreman of Crew 50, Pedro, who is in the black and white photo taken of the NZ Forest Products crew back in the 1980s that hangs on the wall in the AG Sinton office, and to his oldest mate

Top: Alan Sinton ran the NZ Forest Products Gang 14 in the early 1980’s before going on to form his own crews and this is one of the few photos Alan has from the early days. “I wish I’d taken more,” he says. Alan is seated in the lower middle. Pictured with him, from extreme left, are Paul Koteka (former All Black prop, also seated) and standing, Gary Nepe, Bill Waikato, Harry Onehi, Pedro Petero (who still works for Alan), Tony Hinz, Peter Morunga, Alby Dick, Steve Harvey and George.

Below left: Hitachi loader operator, Herbie Tahere, sorts logs in readiness for the next truck.

Below right: Alan Sinton has owned more than 70 Cat machines over the years and this is one of the latest, a Cat 552-2 levelling harvester operated

by Jason McMahon.

U F

w 40 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

Y

in forestry, Colin Hill, whom he has known since the pair of them were about fouryears-old.

“You know Pedro’s grandson started today with me,” mentions Alan. “So that’s third generation. I’ve got third generation in my family working for me out there, my grandson (Brooklyn Tehiko). And Herbie Tahere driving that loader over there, his son and grandson work for me. So, you’ve got to make sure those young fellas are trained right, you know.”

He adds that he works with people he knows. His foremen Pedro, Colin, Rod Boreham, Mark Lefebre and Tony Brell have all brought in family members: “I’ve got to be able to look them in the eye and say ‘yeah, we will make sure your young fella gets trained properly’.”

And that’s the solution to the shortage of new workers in the industry, says Alan. If you’re willing to train those young people and put some time and effort into them, you will attract them. They’ll go home and say, “you know I’m getting trained to be a logger”.

“Is it a hard job? Course it’s a hard job, and they’ve got to get out of bed at five

o’clock every morning.”

Ultimately, that’s what it comes down to for Alan, the people and family: “I’ve got a daughter on a processor, a sonin-law driving a loader, a daughter and granddaughter in the office, a nephew on a falling machine and I’ve got a grandson driving a loader in this crew.”

While we’re talking he doesn’t take his eyes off the workings of the crew for even a moment, and before long interrupts our interview with a polite, “hold on a minute” followed by a glimpse of the man known for his no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is attitude as he gets stuck in to help on the skid, so the truck can get the much-needed logs to the mill. Alan is very aware that time is money for both the truck driver and the mill owners and he’ll even roll up his own sleeves to keep things moving when needed.

Which begs the question of how handson he wants to be as he faces retirement.

“I still go to work every day because I enjoy it,” he says. “I enjoy the company of the people. I wander around and talk to the young fellas. Everybody knows their job.

They don’t need an old prick like me telling them what to do. These foremen are picked

The next generation…Alan Sinton with grandson, Brooklyn Tehiko.

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Tall Timber

to produce logs and have the best health and safety we can get. Tracey goes to all the courses, learns it all and we pass on all that knowledge and they use what they like.

“I go to work at six-o-clock, meet a few friends for breakfast and have a yap, and I’ll go out and talk with the foreman every now and again, talk to my trainer, Des Quaife, quite often, making sure the young fellas are getting looked after.”

Looking back, though Alan misses the old days, he has no doubt that things have changed for the better: “Rowan Struthers came into Hancocks and made us go fully mechanised, made us get these falling machines…those machines have just changed this industry.

“We’ve been doing ground-based for years but we’re doing it with the haulers now, with our tethering. He made us do it, and it needed to be done! You think ‘how am I gonna make this work’ and he convinced us that it can work. And it does!”

Taking people away from the high-risk manual falling job has been a positive change, he says.

“They’re inside a machine,” says Alan. “They’re pretty well protected. The decision-making is made from inside a machine. Yes, we lose a skill. We still have hand fallers but they’re very highly trained now. You know before, everybody wanted to be a faller ‘cause that was really the top of the game. Now they want to hop on those machines. It’s changed our industry.”

And he should know. It was “way back before Hancocks” that Alan got his first big break when he was chosen as a Key Supplier during another of the changes that took place. Did it work? “Yeah it worked for a while. We’re back to just being contractors now. I suppose in a way I’m pretty lucky.

I’ve only worked in this forest. And in this forest, we’ve done very well. Very well.

“The big bosses like the Dennis Bomfords, the Gary Inmans, the Bill Searles would come along and ask you to buy another bush gang or put another one on and you went out and did it.”

Of course, as with any business, there have been hard times too. “We had to sustain 18 months one time on 85% of our income,” Alan remembers. “You know that’s pretty tough, but you learn to tighten the belt and all the extras go out the door.”

He believes there’s not enough cooperation within the industry – most still do their own thing without talking to others and seeing who may be affected by their decisions. Such as when 5-axle trailers were introduced, Alan says “they

42 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

Top: When specific log grades are needed for a truck waiting to depart for a mill, Alan Sinton steps in to help Fabian Redden check lengths.

Below: The old team, from left, Colin Hill, Alan Sinton, Herbie Tahere and Pedro Petero.

Bottom: The AG Sinton back-office team, from left, Reegan Ford, Alan Sinton, Tracey Anderson and Laurie Hewitt.

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Tall Timber

just turned up and our 20-tonne diggers couldn’t lift them off the back of the truck – we had to go out and buy new ones”. They now have 24-tonne excavators that are capable of handling those larger trailers.

He doesn’t hesitate when asked about the good stuff over the years. It’s all about the people, with AG Sinton Logging’s Open Day last year being a case in point.

“You never feel so proud as when you see your workers' wives, partners, their kids around enjoying themselves….we had a barbeque and all our gear there,” he says, beaming. “It was just great, watching them you know. We took ‘em all out on buses. It was just a great day. Something that you feel so proud of. It’s the people that make you a success. If you think you’ve done it by yourself, you’re dreaming, aren’t you?”

Another high point is watching “all the young fellas” that have worked in the crew, including his family in the office: “All the young ones in this crew have started right from scratch. And you watch them now, they’re just out-and-out good workers.”

Success doesn’t come without challenges and Alan’s biggest source of pride is also his biggest difficulty.

He says: “The biggest challenge in running a business in this game is staff. You know. They’ve got to be happy.

They’ve got to be well looked after. Every

44 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

one of them has got a different problem so you’ve got to be able to listen, and your man-management skills have to be really good. You can’t ignore any problem.”

And those men and women are not convinced they’ve seen the last of Alan yet.

“I hear a lot about Alan retiring but I don’t know. He’s pretty used to it out here,” says Herbie.

“I think he’s retiring this year,” says Pedro. “Been working with Alan about 32 years and I’ve known him for over 40 years. He was a hard man when he was my boss at Forest Products, but he was a good man. The good thing about him is you do your job and he leaves you alone. Alan’s a fair boss. He’s probably the reason why I’m still here.”

Times were very different back then and Pedro admits: “We did drink a lot. Those were the days we used to get on the beers every Friday. Alan had an old tin hat and I run it over with the van. He was yelling and screaming at me, he was calling me a mongrel,” he laughs.

And Alan’s two cents? “I’ll still have a few jobs to do. Not really looking forward to retirement because I’ve enjoyed it the whole time.”

The long beard and hair are grey and the nights of heavy drinking and the odd fistfight at the Timberlands Hotel have

A reminder of the past – this photo of Alan Sinton’s father, who drove log trucks in Hawkes Bay, takes pride of place on the office wall.

come to an end, with the big man toning things down.

He says: “Doc once asked me how much I drank. ‘Not much, maybe 12’ I said. ‘So, 12 drinks a week?’ ‘No, 12 bloody handles a night!’”

Health problems have meant that the drinking had to reduce, so Alan hasn’t touched a drop of beer in years and doesn’t really miss it, though he won’t say no to a whiskey.

Colin, who grew up on the same street as his boss, says Alan isn’t the only one who has changed.

“A lot of things changed. Back in the day everybody was mates. After work you socialised together, come weekends you went fishing together,” he remembers.

“It’s rare to see that nowadays.”

Many of them used to ride together on motorbikes and Alan still has three: “We’ve been down to the South Island about eight or nine times. It’s great fun.

You have to find something that you like doing outside of work. Work hard and play hard, eh…”

Then there’s the boats. Alan has always been a keen fisherman. As a retirement present to himself he’s having a boat built in Australia to replace his current vessel and plans to sail it back to New Zealand across the Tasman Sea. (With a professional captain and a crew of mates – that’ll take about four-and-a-half days, he reckons.)

In preparation for his retirement, he is now down to four crews, two groundbased operations (Crew 50 being one of them) and two hauler crews that run Thunderbird 110 and 90 towers.

“We’re still going to produce a lot, if I’m here or not. You know, that’s our job,” says Alan. “This gang will never get sold. These fellas will carry on. Probably have to put some young fellas in here.”

So what advice would he give to the young contractors coming in? “Train your men. A lot of these new contractors want to buy off the market, you know, go and hire someone else’s men. If you train your people, you’ll get a better worker, you’ll get a better person. Do it yourself. Yes, you’re gonna have hit and miss where other people will come along and take your men, but that happens in any game doesn’t it?”

Though he’s unlikely to lose his best and most trusted people in Crew 50 any time soon.

“I’ll just keep doing it until they find someone else. I’ll just carry on,” Herbie chimes in. “A lot of it’s changed over the years. Before the hydraulic machines it used to be all about ropes. You’d break a rope amongst the drums, you’d get covered in grease. Still, some days you have good days, the next day you might have a sh*t day. The machines get stuck, the trucks get stuck, problems with the roads. We have our ups and downs, who doesn’t? But Alan’s a good man to work for.”

And there’s always Tracey keeping an eye on things, says Pedro: “Tracey keeps us in line. Makes sure that we’re doing our jobs.”

Looking back on her time at AG Sinton, Tracey says the fact that she’s been with the company 21 years is a reflection of the dynamics of the business: “It’s a really

cool environment. No two days are ever the same. On morning visits, I go out and do audits and just watch and learn some more from Alan. His passion is the people.

They just treat you like part of the family.”

And, of course, Alan has the last word: “People see me now and think, ‘ah that lazy prick’. But I have worked. There were times when there weren’t enough days in the week you know. So I’ll be around still.” NZL

Above: Crew 50 foreman, Pedro Petero, operating one of the two processors.

Right: Smoko time around the back of the ute is always entertaining when Alan Sinton pays a visit.

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 45

Breaking out

Douglas-fir shines as essential oil I Story & Photos: Jim Childerstone

T’S TAKEN QUEENSTOWN-BASED Michael Sly and Mathurin Molgat six years to build up the market for essential oil extracted from Douglas-fir trees. They now have consistent bulk orders for their oil which they say is the finest in the world.

It all started back in 2012-3 with the set-up of a steam-based still in their backyard similar to those used for extracting alcohol. Chipped branches were fed into the stainless steel still and a heating element drove steam through the material to extract the essential oil.

The concept was developed as an ecological way to help with the removal of wilding trees and pruning from plantations.

The few litres extracted each day was processed into 5ml bottles of essential oil and sold locally under the Wilding & Co label.

They then signed an MOU with the Department of Conservation. Although normally a plantation crop, Douglas-fir is very much on the hit list as a prolific, regenerating pest plant and the Wakatipu basin is surrounded by predominantly Douglas-fir which the Wilding Conifer Control group is intent on getting rid of.

As demand increased, the company designed and built mobile trailer stills which

46 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

they transport to sites in the forests. Now with extensive orders, the whole system has been upgraded to cater for increased demand. Three full-time workers plus Mathurin and Michael are currently on the job. Quentin Noiret is the foreman of the forestry team and works alongside Mike Ashmole and Lucas Gouranton.

The distillation plant is on Speargrass Flat Road in the old Taramea Winery building, handy to Arrowtown. It houses a one-megawatt steam boiler and condenser units with separators and collectors. The system is cooled with bore water stored in 100,000-litre water tanks. The

company’s two food-grade stainless steel 12m3 (2.5 tonne) tipping trailer units are used to pick up the chipped slash and then plugged into the boiler for steam extraction.

The day NZ Logger was invited to view the process, Mathurin explained the company was experimenting with radiata pine as a new oil.

"We are constantly looking at other options and other species for variation," he says.

He explains that this set up (2 trailers) handles 5 tonnes of chip per day capable of extracting roughly 10-to-15kg (0.25%) of oil. Currently Michael and Mathurin work with

What is essential oil?

An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. An oil is ‘essential’ in the sense that it contains the ‘essence’ of the plant’s fragrance and can have other qualities, such as healing or anti-bacterial properties.

Wilding & Co produces Douglas-fir essential and other conifer oils.

Douglas-fir oil can be used for personal purposes as a fragrance to freshen the home and disperse odours, a bath additive or in cleaning products for laundry, carpets and clothing.

The Douglas-fir essential oil is sustainably sourced from young trees in New Zealand and is rich in ß-pinene.

several teams to obtain the needed volumes of biomass. They require between 750,000 and 1,000,000 tonnes of chip annually. Beside the still and trailer units, the company has also invested in an $85,000 Bandit chipper (the Beast) to increase volumes. The company is wanting to integrate its slash harvest model into existing forestry situations as "buying a skidder and other plant is beyond our capabilities and unnecessary", says Michael.

Just a couple of kilometres away and in full view of the company’s site is the 172.5 ha Coronet Forest of immature Douglas-fir. One cannot blame Michael and Mathurin for looking longingly at the potential biomass volume that could be salvaged where a logging operation has just begun.

The company is about to embark on an offer to purchase branch wood or thinnings

Left: A Douglas-fir stump after branch and needle harvest. Essential oil production consumes wilding Douglas-fir and helps clear areas of no commercial forestry value.

Right: Mathurin Molgat and Michael Sly show branch and needle before chipping.

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DIAGNOSE • DESIGN • DELIVER

Breaking out

from forestry contractors at a similar price as pulp grades (between $80-to-$100/JasM3 AWG). "The slash on skid sites may be worth nothing to forest owners, but would be of use in our business," says Michael.

In fact, most contractors operate mechanised harvest systems where logs are stripped by processors on the skid site and have to be shovelled away to waste, he adds.

Mathurin explains that all that is needed is to tow their bins onto the site and have the material chipped into the trailers by their team or by the forestry crews themselves. “This would offer a forestry contractor a secondary income from their waste material and help to keep the skid sites clean,� he says. NZL

Top: A one Megawatt steam boiler is used to extract the essential oil which then passes through the condenser towers and separators before being decanted and shipped overseas.

Watched by Mathurin Molgat.

Below: Mathurin Molgat discusses further supply of Douglas-fir with Amon Saunders of Central Wilding Tree Control.

Right: The Bandit chipper used to finely chip the Douglas-fir needle for distillation.

48 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

Taupo Pallet Plant

Nature’s Flame expansion provides increased renewable energy T

HANKS TO $8 MILLION INVESTMENT from parent company Norske Skog, Taupo’s Nature’s Flame facility has undergone a significant expansion.

This has enabled production to increase to 85,000 tonnes of wood pellets per year, all from sustainably sourced fibre residues.

“Utilising local, unused geothermal energy we have eliminated bottlenecks and more than doubled our plant’s output. This provides further opportunity to supply leading businesses across New Zealand with premium renewable fuel for their energy needs while supporting their environmental goals and also helping to meet New Zealand’s commitment for emissions reductions,” says John Goodwin, Nature’s Flame Operations Manager.

“Working with Contact Energy has enabled a smooth transition over to geothermal energy, further increasing the facility’s efficiency and improving its environmental performance, he adds.

Following the expansion, Nature’s Flame is partnering with large scale energy users like Fonterra’s Te Awamutu milk processing site and working with them to reduce or eliminate their use of coal. In the case of Fonterra, the switch to wood pellets will reduce its annual carbon emissions by the equivalent of 32,000 cars on our roads each year.

Linda Thompson, Fonterra’s Sustainable Energy and Utility Manager, explains, “We know we can’t get out of coal alone, and by partnering with Nature’s Flame we’re not only doing our bit for the environment but we’re also supporting our local communities.”

Nature’s Flame has a well-established track record of working with schools, rest homes, local and national Government agencies and small-to-large businesses throughout the country with fuel for new boiler installs and conversions from coal, to deliver renewable and sustainable

A truck loading wood pellets for transportation of the renewable, sustainable and low emission fuel across New Zealand.

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 49

Taupo Pallet Plant

energy solutions. Nature’s Flame pellets are also used to heat thousands of New Zealand homes.

The companyt plant was acquired

by Norske Skog in 2015. Wood pellets produced by Nature’s Flame are a heating fuel made from wood residues from nearby timber processing facilities.

The materials used are sourced from sustainably managed, Forest Stewarship Council (FSC) certified plantations. The wood pellets carry the internationally recognised DINplus certification as well as recognition from BioGro New Zealand that the pellets, as well as the ash remaining after combustion, are Certified Organic materials. The wood pellet fuel produced is truly renewable and is a significantly lower carbon alternative to replace fossil-based energy sources like coal and gas.

Executive Officer of the Bioenergy Association of New Zealand, Brian Cox, says the evidence on the viability of using biomass fuel is strong and being demonstrated by government and industrial heat users.

50 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

He says coal users don’t need to wait.

Expansions like Nature’s Flame and its subsequent partnerings show that transitioning to using biomass fuel is viable today and can be done without research or development, as they are using existing or proven new plant.

“The announcement by Nature’s Flame that they have expanded wood pellet manufacturing capacity shows that wood fuel suppliers can increase capacity to meet growing demand for fuel,” say Mr Cox. “Other biomass fuel suppliers are similarly responding with a doubling of the number of Accredited Wood Fuel Suppliers in the market over the last six months. Other suppliers are developing their quality assurance systems so that they can also become accredited. Supply capability is growing to meet the obvious demand.

“This is at a time when Te Uru Rakau is developing a Forest Strategy aimed at New Zealand gaining greater value from forests, including from biomass fuel.”

He explains that there is a grow-

ing change in turn around fuel supply.

“An aspect of biomass energy is that we can grow as much biomass as we want whereas we can’t create more coal

or natural gas. Analysis by the association shows that we can always source biomass fuel supply from plantation forestry, municipal waste, agriculture and horticulture. We need to work across all sectors to ensure that forestry, energy and agricultural policies align so that adequate quantities of biomass are available as a source of fuel supply. This is unlike coal or gas supply which is finite and can’t be renewed once it is used. Biomass fuel should never run out.” NZL

Opposite page top: There is plenty of Nature’s Flame wood pellet ready to support New Zealand’s low emission economy.

Opposite page below: 15kg bag of Nature’s Flame fuel (the company’s retail offering).

Right: John Goodwin, Nature’s Flame Operations Manager.

www.fica.org.nz

Prue Younger, CEO Message My column this month is written on the back of a very hard week for our industry, the Coronavirus still at large in China and making huge impressions on us in Aotearoa and the rest of the world and, in particular the news that hit the forestry industry in New Zealand with notifications for the shutdown of work for about 30% of our FICA contracts, the other 30% still in work but reduced production. For the balance, the fortunate ones still operating business as usual but with nervous apprehension that they will be next in line if the logs did not start to flow out the ports, China does not engage in letters of credit and clarify prices for logs going forward. The fact that the Chinese New Year does often bring a downturn in the log market with less economic activity at this time, has been the perfect storm with the Virus thrown into the mix, with contracts pulled using force majeure to avoid risks of logs on the water without confirmed sales and letters of credit.

At FICA we first and foremost are here to serve our members, and so within the first 24 hours we got on the task of quantifying just how extensive the challenges were and to what proportion our members were affected. A FICA survey, which was generously answered by nearly 50% of our members, gave us a good indication, which we then were able to use to show government agencies and forest owners the extent of the seriousness of what some called “alarmist reaction”. NZ Forest Owners, the national organisation has collaborated with FICA and we stand together on ensuring communications are at the front of any publicity and that as far as we reach, the same news and up-to-date information is getting out.

But I am going to let our members tell you what happens when they get told to shut down their crews immediately until further notice and it might make you, as the reader, a little more aware of the immediate stress the industry is put under by a raft of decisions that probably did not have them at the sharp end.

Industry Feedback “Don’t know where to turn, we have not recovered after 4 months of reduced rates from Aug-Nov last year. Just purchased 2 machines only delivered 2 weeks ago and now laid off – financially crippling for us and we are not the only ones. We were told 70% of the forest management crews were being laid off.

Stopped work as of tomorrow with NO work even when things have recovered.

The laying-off of contractors is how forestry always has been, decent hard working contractors suffer from the supply & demand of log sales.

Forestry contributes to a great many other businesses supplying to this Industry that also take the heat when forestry wheels stop turning, such as the case as July-Sept’19 and presently. Forestry is a good life despite the hardship and circumstances like these allow people/workers the opportunity to think about what they seek to make a contribution to.

Allowing others the opportunity to feel personal pain so that they may experience personal growth, is to show compassion for their individual journey.

This is a recipe for disaster, for us, our employees, the banks, and all the service providers who rely on the contractors' work, along with the truck drivers, and trucking companies, and port workers, and so it goes on and on. We the contractors and our employees need to be supported, as we pay our due taxes, so we too should be supported by the Government in our time of need, as did the farmers in their time of need, as you well know.

The timing of this slowdown has stalled all the woodlot purchasing and roading set up work. In most places this work needs to be done in advance to see surviving woodlot crews through the winter. Or even restart crews should prices pick up in a month or two. The last couple of price drops have been May-June after the roading has mostly been set up. I know in Northland there are now few private blocks left that can be logged in winter without being set up in the summer prior. But understandably, there is no confidence by owners to put winter infrastructure in place now. Future doesn’t look good for Northland woodlot work unless prices and confidence start to lift in March so there is time to negotiate wood, set up some skids before winter. Well as a wood lot contractor if we 're not back at work by the end of February. WE WILL GO BANKRUPT.

We only just got in a couple of months, of good solid work in Dec/Jan and this just helped get our head above water all from the crash last year.

We will LOSE OUR STAFF this time – 4 VERY QUALIFIED and EXPERIENCED people. As many of the other crews are in the same boat as us, they can’t even employ other crews' staff this time. So we will all be reaching out to WINZ for financial help.”

I take heed in what John Ellegard wrote as his swansong as Editor last month and I am going to repeat what he wrote as it was just too true to let it go – like a dog with a bone we need to do something about it.

“We’re an industry that has a long history, but we have a tendency to repeat the same mistakes because we don’t always learn the lessons of the past. That’s why we go through boom and bust cycles. When times are good we pump out as much wood as we can to take advantage of high prices, piling into markets until they become saturated and then…bang, it folds like a pack of cards, leaving us scratching our heads as to how we got into that situation.” – John Ellegard.

For everyone to work in silos was another tendency that John also picked up and agreeably, concentrating on our own little patch and not looking around to see what others were doing and whether they could collaborate or learn from each other. More so the ripple effect and the collisions that occur, the effect on family, whanau and our frontline workers, these are the people we represent at FICA. These are the workers who risk high debt to make sure they have the best equipment to get them through their day safely and productively, to ensure their employees turn up the next day to continue work to take the trees out for forest growers.

So really what is wrong with us, the lessons are slow – we need to find a way to speed this process up – is it that hard, why can we not go back to business as it was done 20 years ago and sit in one room together and talk about it? I am also mindful thatsince this column was written, it may have got worse or improved a month down the track when it reaches the market. However irrespective of the situation FICA is going to work to break “The WALL” as Pink Floyd would sing….. Is There Anybody Out There? Or are you all…..Comfortably Numb!

So Ma Kri Cra

FORESTRY AND CONTRACTING SPECIALISTS Providing specialist solutions to forestry contracting for 30 years including Harvesting, Trucking, Roading, Silviculture

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top spot

Safety/performance/quality

Recognising attitude, skill and hard work THIS ISSUE WE BRING YOU MORE photos of our top achievers from 2019.

We also include our assessors’ picks (S.A.W. awards) for the second half of last year.

These are folk who may not have placed in the top three or four places in the second half of the year but who the assessors wish to recognise for their Skill, Attitude and/or Work Ethic.

So, congratulations to the following: George Halley – a good, young operator consistently professional and demonstrating the skills that go with this.

Working in a good environment.

Neil Gardyne – has shown a massive change in form over the last three-to -four years to where he is now, doing an excellent job and leading by example.

Duan Morrison – a change in attitude has really been noticed, accompanied by a real improvement in skills demonstrated.

Brett Watt – his attitude towards safety stands out within the competition.

James Cochrane – it doesn’t matter what task James is doing, his standards remain high, especially when he is moving between machine operation and tree felling.

Sawzi vouchers are on their way to these folk.

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

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

Our ongoing thanks to Rayonier/ Matariki Forests, Wenita Forest Products, Port Blakely, Crown Forestry, Brand Logging, CMH Logging, Hauraki and Moehau Logging, Thomassen Logging, Te Waa Logging, Lakeland Cable Logging, Logged on Logging, Pakiri Logging, IntaWood Forestry, Otautau Contractors, Heslip Forest Contracting, Waikato Forestry Services, Hodgson Silviculture, Makerikeri Silviculture, NJ Simns Forestry Services, SAS Forestry, XMen Forestry,

Central Forestry Services, Mangoihe Logging, Kohurau Contracting, Tohaia Forestry Harvesting, Kuru Contracting, Dennis E Hayes Logging, Swain Logging, Lumberjack Logging, Ernslaw One, Blue Wood Logging, Mike Hurring Logging, McCallum Logging, Whisker Logging, Kaha Logging, Lahar Logging, Dempsey Logging, Moutere Logging, JBD Harvesting, McDougall Logging, Forest View Logging, Kimberley Logging, Dewes Logging, X Men Harvesting, Pakiri Logging, Storm Logging, Lumberjack Logging, Eastside Logging, Veal Forestry, McHoull Forestry, Pride Forestry, Halley Forestry, Penetito Forestry, FM Silviculture, Forest View Forestry, Wayne Cummings, Rodco Forestry, Johnson Forestry, Pro Forest Services, Eastside Logging and Norwest Logging.

Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

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

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.

54 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

Luke Kirk with his award for overall first place for Tree felling 2019.

Charles Wipaki with his first place award for Skidwork/QC/Retrim 2019.

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

The team from Lahar Logging. From left: Mohi Paul, Simon Katene, Smiler Katene, Spike Edwards (Ernslaw One Health & Safety Manager), Avril Pehi and George Hinana.

Christopher Winter (2nd place in Tree felling 2019) and Richard Carmicheal (4th place in Skidwork/QC/retrim).

Tony McKenzie (2nd place in period 4 and second place overall for 2019 for Mechanised felling) and Kerry Gavin 1st= for Period 4 in 2019 for Machine Operation on the Landing).

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 55

new iron

CAT 535D AND 538LL FOR GRAPPLE YARDING SERVICES

JOHN DEERE DOUBLES UP FOR ULTIMATE LOGGING

Doug & Faye Kinney from Grapple Yarding Services have received two new Cat machines into their operation with the arrival of a 535D skidder and 538LL forest machine. The two purpose-built Cat forestry units are pictured with a 336FL and have been put to work in the Putere Forest near Wairoa. Both machines were delivered by Heath Stewart from Terra Industrial.

2019 saw the commissioning of these 2 John Deere purpose-built beauties to Patrick and Maria Tasker of Ultimate Logging. “Green is Mean,” says Patrick. Both with factory high rise rear entry cabs, the machines come guarded and built ready for work. The big 3156G is fitted with a Southstar 630 processing head and the 2456G is fitted with a John Deere Heel and Duxon GX181HD grapple. The pair are working hard in Kotemaori, northern Hawkes Bay. Sold and supported by CablePrice Hastings.

TWO KOMATSU PC 270LC-8’S FOR SKIPPS LOGGING COMBO FOR DOWN ‘N’ OUT LOGGING Dean and Sheree of Down ‘N’ Out Logging have taken delivery of a Woodsman Pro FH1350C/Eltec FHL 317 L combo. Sold, serviced and delivered by Shaw’s, the Eltec is performing all the felling and shovelling duties for the company’s swing yarder crew on the East Coast of Gisborne. The C model gives the capability to interchange between felling head and Woodsman Pro tree harvester. The machine is running the new Loggic Felling Head (FH) control system which includes GPS mapping, PDF map viewer and geofencing technology.

56 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

Tom and Mandie Skipps of Skipps Logging, Whangarei have recently taken delivery of two new Komatsu PC 270LC-8’s. The Komatsu PC 270LC-8’s both have full Active heavy-duty forestry guarding packages, and are fitted with Ensign 1730C log grapples.

Both operators, Chase and Rob, commented to John Kosar of Komatsu Forest NZ that they are “very impressed” with their new Komatsu PC 270LC-8’s.

Pictured from left are: Sam Marino, Joe Hamm, Kingi Kalikatua, Jade Lomus, Tyler Taka, Howard Skipps, Mike Lepper (Active Engineering), Mahoe Hereeini, Rob Gray (foreman, operator), John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ), Tobias Morton, Philip Skipps, Caleb Skipps, Chase Corke (foreman, operator). Photographer – Karl Christensen.

new iron

TIGERCAT FOR DM LOGGING FIRST SANY FOR STOKES The very first SY245F Sany machine into New Zealand Forestry, is carrying out fleeting and loading in Woodhill Forest for Stokes Logging. This 25-tonne machine was sold, serviced and delivered

by Shaw’s.

DM Logging owners, Dean and Michelle Dahlenburg, have taken delivery of their second Tigercat harvester, a H855E model that joins the H855D series machine and a Tigercat 1085C forwarder already working for their Southland operation. DM Logging contracts to DT King and South Wood Export, cutting Blue Gum for chip export out of Bluff. Dean chose a Waratah HTH623C this time as his harvester of choice, making a good combination with the base. Pictured, from left, are Brodie Keen (AB Equipment Service Foreman), Gerald Crighton (Waratah Product Support), Dean Cousins (AB Equipment), Chris King (Tigercat Product Support), Dean Dahlenburg and Mark Hill (Tigercat Product Manager).

TAILOR-MADE UTE FOR GTT MECHANICAL Cambridge-based GTT Mechanical is now even more mobile to service the Waikato region with its new tailor-made BOApod Ute. The specially adapted version of the BOApod unit for hydraulic hose repair and maintenance, means GTT Mechanical is now able to service a greater variety of customers when a hose blows or for hydraulic hose preventative maintenance. This ute unit includes the European cutting and crimping machines, along with a fully automated hose reel system, the required hose and fittings, ample storage and lighting for night work. BOA Regional Representative, Albert Boakes, was stoked to deliver this to the hard-working GTT team.

WOODSMAN PRO850 FOR A&R A&R has taken delivery of a new LL317L matched up with a Woodsman PRO850, taking care of all the logging tasks at Log5 East Coast.

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 57

new iron

TIGERCAT SKIDS INTO NZL’S CREW

HITACHI FOR STRANG

When NZL’s first Tigercat 635G didn’t stop pulling through a wet Wairarapa winter, it was an easy decision for Brad Short to purchase another 635G to replicate the action in his second ground-based crew. Pulling steadily through challenging conditions are what Tigercat 6-wheelers eat for breakfast. This 635G not only joins its 635G brother, but also an 880 and LH855 in Brad Short’s Tigercat fleet. The machine was sold by Mardi Pritchard, AB Equipment, Lower North Island.

Q&J Strang Contracting has taken delivery of a new Hitachi ZX250L5G with a guarding package from CablePrice Engineering and fitted with a Cobra quick hitch for quick change between attachments as needed. Quentin also makes special mention of the Cobra guys for their assistance in preparing the machine, which is working in the Southland region, loading out Eucalyptus.

BOAPOD FOR BLACK CONTRACTING TIMBERWOLF TAKES DELIVERY OF NEW CAT David Brown of Timberwolf Logging has taken delivery of a new Cat 938K wheel loader that has been put to work in the Kaingaroa Forest. Featuring Ensign log forks, MTL cleaning blade and radiator guard package, the Cat 938K logger spec loader is being utilised in Dave’s operation for fleeting, loading and stacking duties. The machine was sold by Mark Costello from Terra Industrial.

58 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

The crew at Black Contracting is now even better equipped to combat downtime with the BOApod mobile hydraulics repair and maintenance unit. Based in Oamaru, this large mechanised operation sees the BOApod as another way to get its machines back up and running, eliminating downtime when a hose blows.

With an on-site workshop set up already, Warren from Black’s was keen to have a repair unit with them no matter how remote they may be. Duncan Field, BOA Regional Sales Manager, was proud to present the BOApod to the Black’s team.

new iron

DOOSAN FOR BLUEWOOD LOGGING

HARLAND SUMITOMO

Bluewood Logging owners, Clint and Kath McIvor have added a third Doosan Excavator into their growing logging operation. Clint took delivery of a new Doosan DX225LL factory-built log loader earlier in 2019, and now starts 2020 with the latest Doosan, being the larger brother to the 225, a DX300LL. Both Machines are spec’d with the ‘Road Builder’ bent boom and arm configuration with factory supplied cylinder and linkage to accept a bucket or Hitch if required. This machine was sent straight off Auckland wharf down to his local engineer, Heavy Equipment Repair in Tapanui, and owner Mark Evans got right into the build for Clint – fitting a tip and plumbing to accept a Duxson GX181HD grapple with the larger heavy-duty cylinders, as well as plumbing for a felling head for a later date. Mark made a great job of guarding the machine to Clint’s requirements adding bonnet bars, ROPS, side Intrusion and a personalised RH heavy-duty corner guard – a tool box guard with Mark’s trademark plasma cwwut ‘Bluewood Logging’ into the side plates to personalise the build. The new 300 will be kept busy shovelling, fleeting and loading in Clint’s busy ground-based operation logging throughout Southland and Otago. Pictured from left: Clint McIvor, and AB’s Dean Cousins and Brodie Keen.

Southland’s Harland Brothers Logging has taken delivery of a new Sumitomo SH300TLFS, replacing its Sumitomo SH300LC-5 excavator conversion. The new machine is fitted with a Woodsman Pro 750 harvester and includes a full PFS package, heavy-duty guarding, forestry harvester boom and arm set, as well as a high and wide track frame. Harland Brothers is now into the third generation, with new owners Jesse and Cory, who is enjoying the spacious and well-appointed PFS forestry cab’s vision and efficient red dot A/C. Pictured, from left, are Jesse Branks Harland, Dean Cousins from AB Equipment and Cory Harland.

TIGERCAT LEVELLER FOR KING 1

JOHN DEERE FOR TIMBERWOLF Taupo-based logging crew, Timberwolf, has taken delivery of a brand new John Deere 948L log skidder, which is now hard at work in the Kaingaroa Forest. Operator, Sam (pictured with the new 948L), is very pleased with the productivity of this mean machine.

Southland Logger, Andrew ‘Pratty’ Pratt, has added a new LS855E Tigercat leveller to his line-up, following the introduction of his Timbermax winch-assist system. The addition of a machine with plenty of slew power and high tractive effort completed the package.

The new E-series levellers have all this and more where needed, plus the added benefit of a levelling base to keep the operator comfortable and productive. The LS855E performs on steep angles without issues from engine oil starvation, too. ‘Pratty’ is very impressed with the shear grunt in the new Tigercat, compared to previous excavator conversions, along with the well thought out guarding, cooling package and ease of serviceability. Pictured with the new LS855E are Andrew Pratt, trusty companion, Diesel, and the backbone of the whole operation, Lauchlin ‘Lockie’ Pratt.

March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 59

HYDRAULIC RAM RECONDIT

MUNCIE DOUBLE GEAR POWER TAKE-OFF

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HAULER CAB REBUILDS. THUNDERBIRD CLUTCH CONVERSION. HAULER LOG GRAPPLES. TOWER CERTIFICATION INSPECTIONS. SUPPORT FOR IN-HOUSE MECHANICS & LOCAL ENGINEERING FIRMS. NZ WIDE HAULER SERVICING & CHECKS. WARATAH HYDRAULIC MOTORS & GRAPPLE HYDRAULIC MOTORS IN STOCK. GUY WINCH MOTORS. HUGE RANGE OF BEARINGS & SEALS IN STOCK.

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FL100

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Unmatched strength plus versatility. Meet the FL100. This bonafide jack-of-all-trades owns the steepest of slopes and shovels the heaviest of timber, all while getting better logs to the landing.

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Waratah Forest Services - New Zealand - +64274864227 www.waratah.com

F

NZ LOGGER classified

Ge Ge Ty Ty

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64 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

NZ Logg NZ Logg

FORESTRY TYRE TRACKS Get a grip & pull more wood with a set of Clark Get a grip & pull more wood with a set of Clark Tyre Tracks on your Forwarders & Skidders Tyre Tracks on your Forwarders & Skidders BENEFITS OF CLARK TYRE TRACKS BENEFITS OF CLARK TYRE TRACKS Increased traction & pulling power Increased traction & pulling power Protection for your tyres Protection for your tyres Less wheel spinning, less fuel burn Less wheel spinning, less fuel burn Safer on the slopes Safer on the slopes Better steering ability Better steering ability Less ground disturbance Less ground disturbance

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NZ LOGGER classified IN FORESTRY, IT’S THE SIMPLE THINGS

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LG26859

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NZ LOGGER classified

KOMATSU PC 400LC-8

MUD GRABBA 4ELEMENTS SEAT COVERS

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LG30437

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March 2020 | NZ LOGGER 67

NZ LOGGER classified

Built to banish downtime.

STAYS ON THE JOB.

For heavy tyres, there’s no such thing as an easy job. That’s why the entire Nokian foresty tyre range is built to stand up to the harshest of conditions and heaviest of applications.

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mobile. 021 925 600 phone. 09 571 3544

68 NZ LOGGER | March 2020

LG25750

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Get the right exposure through NZ Logger magazine and capture the Forest industry buyers directly.

FOR SALE: Clark F665, 666, F667, Cat 525B Grapple Skidder, JD648G, TJACK 460, 560.

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