NZ Logger July 2019

Tough tilter

July 2019 | $7.20

ISSN 1176-0397

First levelling Eltec at work in NZ The man behind East Coast’s forest roads

She swapped a comfy office for forest life

contents J U LY 2 0 1 9

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FOREST TALK Government helps silvi crews find workers; red zoning to blame for higher land prices; funding for fast Radiata breeding research; Sequal Lumber inks major Saudi deal; big de-barking process opens at Murupara; Methyl Bromide fumigation may stay for a while; fire damage work could take two years; NZ’s strong forestry growth to plateau; Dannevirke rail log hub could handle 200,000 tonnes; NZIF awards and scholarship applications open; loggers care for Kauri Snails; Fonterra flags wood energy supply worries; NZ and China sign forestry cooperation arrangement; Heather takes inaugural TOTS top award; China targets more growth for forestry industry; inaugural awards to celebrate forestry in Hawke’s Bay; stars align at southern awards;

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46 territory is probably not worth knowing.

In this feature, his two sons pay tribute to the man who has been a guiding light to them and to many others in the region.

crew action saves forest from fire; Northland forestry awards open; WoodTECH sees practical focus on sawmilling.

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SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST The first Eltec 317L levelling base harvester has gone to work for Mana Logging on the East Coast. And it also happens to be just the second of its type to be sold anywhere in the world and the first outside North America.

The NZ Logger Iron Test team joined owner, Shane McGuire, to learn if it’s doing the job for him.

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TALL TIMBER In East Coast forest road building circles, Jack Kuru is pretty much a legend. What he doesn’t know about putting roads into such challenging

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WOMEN IN FORESTRY The second of our occasional focus on women carving out a place for themselves in forestry, travels to the Kinleith Forest to meet a lady who swapped an office job for the cab of a processor and is loving the lifestyle change.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 52 fica 54 top spot 56 new iron 62 classifieds July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor

Barking up the right tree

Tough tilter

First levelling Eltec at work in NZ ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: JOHN ELLEGARD

July 2019 | $7.20

The man behind East Coast’s forest roads

She swapped a comfy office for forest life

The first levelling Eltec 317L at work with Mana Logging, near Gisborne.

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2 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

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HE PATH TOWARDS EITHER REPLACING OR RECAPTURING ALL OF THE Methyl Bromide used in fumigating export logs took an interesting turn over the past month.

On the one hand, we saw Timberlands open its new de-barking process at Murupara that will reduce the need for gassing logs at the Port of Tauranga.

While on the other hand, STIMBR, the industry organisation charged with finding a safer alternative to Methyl Bromide or unearthing a bullet-proof method of recapturing it, has asked for an extension to the deadline that’s hanging over these solutions.

You see, our government signed up to an accord a while back that would see Methyl Bromide use stop completely by October 2020, or methods introduced to recapture 100% of the fumigant.

STIMBR has identified a likely candidate, as you can read on page 6, but it still has to go through a formal ratification process, which could drag on for a while. That’s prompted the request for the extension beyond October 2020.

Some export markets, such as India, are still sticking to Methyl Bromide as the only acceptable way to rid logs of any bugs that might hitchhike across their borders. And until a replacement is given approval here, that situation isn’t going to change.

Fortunately, our biggest export customer – China – is happy to take de-barked logs as an alternative to fumigation. Bugs mostly live just under the bark so getting rid of this outer layer removes the pests as well.

Seems to me that we should have been looking to introduce de-barking as an acceptable alternative long ago.

The port of Gisborne already de-barks most of its export logs and the new plant at Murupara means that the majority of logs leaving Kaingaroa Forest will also be de-barked. So here are two organisations taking on the responsibility of acting well ahead of time.

I understand that it would be difficult for everyone to de-bark all of the logs leaving the forests around New Zealand, but surely the industry could get together and look at regional solutions near or at the various ports.

Making crews fully de-bark logs in the forest could be another answer, but that would create more mess on skids and the opportunity to utilise the bark and earn from sales could be lost.

Long term, we really don’t want to be using toxic gas for this type of role, so de-barking may become the only acceptable way to ship our logs to overseas customers. NZL

forest talk

Red zoning to blame for higher land prices FOREST OWNERS SAY THEY ARE NOT to blame for the recent spike in North Island forest land prices that has led to protests from farming groups, particularly in the Wairarapa region, who claim trees are causing the collapse of rural communities.

According to Peter Weir, President of the NZ Forest Owners Association, the reason has more to do with changes made under the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry (NES-PF) legislation last year, preventing plantation forests going onto marginal hill country.

This land, identified as being ‘red-zoned’, means that only forests planted for long-term environmental use are now permitted, thus locking out plantations to around 7% of New Zealand – much of it being in the North Island.

“This has steered forest investors onto better hill country farmland, which is more expensive,” says Mr Weir.

“So it is no surprise that the price forest investors are paying has gone up, because they are buying a different class of land.

“With that comes all the tensions you are seeing in regions like Wairarapa. It is a direct consequence of Government policy.”

Latest Real Estate Institute figures show that for the year to April, North Island forestry land rose from a median of $6,656 a hectare to

$13,128/ha, prompting protests from farmers.

They are demanding government revisit policies that have led to thousands of hectares of hill country farmland being converted to blanket forestry in the last year.

They claim the high prices paid for land to be planted in forests is a result of investors speculating on the future carbon price for growing trees, outbidding farmers for the land.

While the government has yet to announce what the future price of carbon will be when the current $25 per tonne cap is removed, some people are speculating it could rise to between $75 and $150, which makes plantation forestry very appealing.

Mike Butterick, spokesperson for rural lobby group, 50 Shades of Green, says the real estate figures support his group’s claim of large-scale, irreversible conversion of productive sheep and beef farmland to blanket forestry in the North Island. More than 30,000ha of farmland has been sold for forestry conversion in the last year.

He argues that government incentives to plant trees under the One Billion Trees programme to offset greenhouse gas emissions and meet reduction targets are tilting the market too far in favour of domestic and overseas forestry investors. This is allowing forestry investors to outbid farmers for land.

Formed in early May, 50 Shades of Green has

garnered support from around New Zealand and plans to march on Parliament to voice its concerns.

Foreign buyers are not investing “dollops of dough” into forests and displacing rural communities, says Forestry Minister, Shane Jones.

Though he does say there is a perception the Billion Tree programme is threatening the viability of rural New Zealand.

“The facts say that over the last 10 years the opposite has happened, that forestry land has been cut down and turned back into farming.

Now the trend is beginning to reverse.”

Meanwhile, Lands Minister Eugenie Sage, says Forestry encroachment onto higher-value farm land is an issue for councils to manage.

She told Parliament’s primary production committee last month that the national environmental standard for plantation forestry doesn’t set out to encourage forestry on good farm land and should be steering planting into steeper or more erosion-prone areas.

The Resource Management Act and the national environmental standard for plantation forestry are the key tools for managing where planting takes place, she says, adding: “It’s up to councils to determine what rules they put in their plan, that may make it easier for forestry to occur there – consistent with the NES – or harder.” NZL

Government helps silvi crews find workers FORESTRY MINISTER, SHANE JONES, SAYS THE GOVERNMENT HAS referred more than 160 workers to forestry employers as part of a push to support the 2019 planting season.

With an estimated 80 million trees to be planted this season, Ministers asked Te Uru Rākau (Forestry New Zealand) and the Ministry for Social Development to ensure they work together with industry to help meet those labour needs.

The campaign includes promoting the silviculture industry to job seekers and promoting MSD services for employers to fill vacancies.

While 300 MSD clients have been placed into forestry roles across the industry over the last year the primary target has been to get planters into silviculture crews Mr Jones says: “With 125 people placed in planting jobs as a result of this campaign, we are well on the way to meet the growing labour needs.

“On top of this, six people in Hawkes Bay who are unemployed and serving community service sentences, have been connected with employers in the region.

“Through the One Billion Trees programme we are supporting training initiatives across the country that will help build a sustainable, domestic

4 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

workforce in the coming years.

“The success of a forestry training pilot to upskill young workers in Te Tairāwhiti – Gisborne is a great example of this work – with 8 rangatahi now in full-time employment.

“On top of this, a workplace pilot jointly developed by Te Uru Rakau and the Department of Corrections is underway and providing forestry training and work experience for up to 15 prisoners in Northland who will support them to be work ready on release.

“With the additional funding being delivered through the Wellbeing Budget, Te Uru Rākau will now be able to place an even greater focus on workforce development.”

However, the Forest Industry Contractors Association is worried that there will still be a shortfall and wants to be able to supplement numbers with foreign workers if needed.

To achieve this, contractors are required to gain AIP status (Approved in Principle) to be able to bring in immigrant labour and train them.

Gaining AIP status takes at least five months in processing time and FICA says Immigration NZ needs to be aware of the effects of any delays, which could result in wasted time, wasted trees and lost revenue. NZL

forest talk

Funding for fast Radiata breeding research

Radiata Pine breeding time could be halved through a newly funded research programme.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED FUNDING TO HELP FIND A way to fast-track Radiata breeding to shorten the time it takes to develop new and improved trees for forest owners to grow.

Currently, it takes around 25 years – almost a full rotation – to graft, fully test, establish seed orchards, produce seed and then propagate via cutting systems before tree stocks are ready to plant into the forest.

Genomic selection techniques offer the potential to speed up the selection process but the big gains, and the introduction of clonal forestry, are dependent on reliable and cost-effective tissue culture technologies.

A programme developed by Forest Growers Research (FGR) to do just that has now won funding from the 2018 Partnerships Investment Round over the next seven years.

The newly funded programme will enable Scion researchers to develop an automated tissue culture process using bioreactors for Radiata pine that offers the potential to reduce the time to deploy tested clones from the Radiata Pine Breeding Company (RPBC) breeding and genomics programme to less than 10 years and possibly as short as six years.

Russell Dale, Manager of Forest Growers Research, says the benefit to the industry is very significant – in the region of hundreds of millions of dollars, if this can be achieved.

In addition to the government funding, the new programme is receiving financial backing from the Forest Growers Levy Trust, as well as full support from the RPBC, and seed and clonal producers around the country. NZL

Sequal Lumber inks major Saudi deal KAWERAU’S SEQUAL LUMBER HAS SIGNED A DEAL WITH A Saudi Arabian customer to export as many as 1,500 containers of processed wood per year.

The company has been exporting wood products to the Middle East for a while, but the new deal is expected to take Sequal Lumber’s business in the region to the next level.

The company’s owner, David Turner, says this deal would double its current business. The timber is used for packaging in the petrochemical industry. NZL

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 5

forest talk

The new $13.5 million de-barking operation at Murupara.

Big de-barking process opens at Murupara A $13.5 MILLION INDUSTRIAL-SCALE DE-BARKING PROCESS HAS gone into operation at the Timberlands log-loading yard at Murupara in the central North Island.

Commissioned by Timberlands Limited (TL) and Kaingaroa Timberlands (KT) as an alternative to Methyl Bromide treatment for log exports to markets like China, the plant is expected to de-bark 660,000 tonnes in the first year of operation, rising to 1 million tonnes in year two. The ultimate design capacity is 1.8 million tonnes per annum.

Construction commenced in September last year, however the project took 18 months from feasibility to opening with a speedy decision required to secure a place in the de-barker factory order file.

The construction project represents a significant investment of over NZ$13.5 million, where more-than 30,000 trade hours were put in by 200 people inducted to the site, which required 1,760m³ of concrete and 620 tonnes of steel. This included one single concrete pour of 367m³.

The process uses a Nicholson single twin ring de-barker with the infeed/outfeed and related services provided by Demuth Maquinas Industriais from Brazil. The electrical installation and automation was supplied locally by Tui Technologies, with other local contractors providing components such as bins, walls and sub construction. The

foundations were completed by Watts & Hughes.

The Murupara de-barker is able to run twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week with a throughput of fifteen logs per minute.

Capacity is for logs between 20 and 75 centimetres diameter and from 3.7 to 12.1 metres in length.

While the plant will only employ an additional four people, it will assist in protecting many other roles by helping to preserve New Zealand’s China log exports and retaining crucial rail cartage from Kaingaroa Forest to the Port of Tauranga.

De-barking is also expected to assist the industry in other ways, for example reducing pressure on port operations hindered by the recapture process and significantly improving KT’s environmental footprint at the wharf by introducing less bark and dust to the port.

TL’s CEO, Robert Green, says he is “proud to see the project come to life. This de-barker will play a significant role in in reducing New Zealand’s Methyl Bromide emissions, whilst complementing other industry initiatives and meeting our FSC-driven pesticide reduction commitments”.

Mr Green says the KPP plant at Webb Road already carries out de-barking as part of its processing operation. The bark removed from the logs at both operations is viewed as a “valued product in its own right” and the company has sales arrangements in place for all the bark it generates. NZL

Methyl bromide fumigation may stay for a while WITH PROGRESS ON INTRODUCING A safer alternative to Methyl Bromide as a log fumigant continuing to drag on, the industry is now calling for breathing space while it tries to get the replacement over the line.

STIMBR (Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reduction Inc), which is coordinating research into a sustainable and effective alternative to Methyl Bromide, has asked the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to undertake a reassessment of its use.

The clock is ticking down to the October 2020 deadline when the ozone depleting gas will either need to be recaptured if it is

6 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

to continue to be used to fumigate logs or replaced.

An ozone-friendlier alternative, ethanedinitrile or EDN, has been identified, but is currently going through an application process with the EPA and may not be available until after the deadline.

So STIMBR is asking the EPA to look at two options as a safeguard measure; to provide a lower recapture level for Methyl Bromide beyond October 2020 and/or extend the deadline for its continued use until EDN is given the green light.

Research efforts have shown that it is

almost impossible to recapture 100% of the Methyl Bromide pumped under log covers, and STIMBR is asking for the level to be set at 80% – not ideal, but still much better than allowing it all to disperse into the atmosphere, as happens now.

EDN would then replace Methyl Bromide once it has been approved for use and accepted by forestry customers overseas.

Currently, STIMBR is providing evidence to the EPC of why it needs to take this intermediate step. An EPA decision-making committee will then decide whether to grant the application or not. NZL

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forest talk

Fire damage work could take two years IT COULD TAKE AS LONG AS TWO YEARS to clear and replace all the trees, as well as repair areas burnt in the devastating fires that ripped through Pigeon Valley, near Nelson earlier this year.

Contractors are working to harvest remnants of the 2,000 hectares affected by the blaze in what is being described as one of the country’s biggest-ever wood salvage efforts. At the same time, replanting harvested areas is already under way.

Tasman Pine Forests (TPF), which was the worst affected by the blaze, losing around 1400 hectares, says harvesting crews are still in the process of clearing the burnt trees.

Chief Operating officer, Steve Chandler, says they are making good progress “but it’s probably going to take a couple of years before we get everything done that needs to be”. In addition to plantation pines, some

H

Much of the fire-damaged wood in the burnt trees from the Pigeon Valley blaze is being recovered. native areas were also destroyed and his company is working with DoC to restore them, which will take time.

The biggest issue has been getting customers to recognise that, apart from the outside 5 centimetres or so of burnt wood, the rest of the log is undamaged and can still be used.

To that effect, TPF has been working another Sumitomo-owned company, Nelson Pine Industries, assisted by extra contractors and machinery, to peel each usable tree.

Mr Chandler says NPI has made some adjustments around the management of the burnt exterior, but it is now working well for both parties.

NPI is able to process a good percentage of the interior of these trees into laminated veneer lumber, while the burnt outer parts are being used for furnace fuel and also as wood chips to be returned to the forests as future fire breaks.

For wood that is too damaged to be turned into timber, TPF is working with a contractor to turn it into firewood.

Around 10,000 tonnes of timber from the burnt trees is expected to be recovered and will be used in local Nelson building developments, as well as being sent further south for Canterbury construction projects, while a percentage of LVL is being exported to China. NZL

NZ’s strong forestry growth to plateau AFTER SUCCESSIVE YEARS OF STRONG GROWTH, EXPORTS of forestry products from New Zealand are set to plateau next year.

That’s according to information released by Statistics New Zealand and the Ministry of Primary Industries.

In their latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report, MPI says export returns for all forestry products in the year ending June 2019 will have hit a record NZ$6.83 billion – up almost half a billion dollars from this time last year.

But the forecast for the next year (to June 2020) slips to NZ$6.76 billion on the back of growing trade tensions around the world.

Strong growth in log export volumes, particularly to China, is the

8 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

main driver behind the 7% increase in forestry export revenue, but sawn timber exports have also been growing since 2014, driven by a recovery in the US market and ongoing growth in markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

MPI expects the Chinese government to increase spending on infrastructure to help stimulate the economy in the wake of the collapse of trade negotiations with the US, which will continue to support log exports to China. But this may not be enough to boost totals above those of the past year.

And in spite of recent falls, MPI expects log prices to remain steady. NZL

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forest talk

Dannevirke rail log hub could handle 200,000 tonnes

More logs are destined to go onto trains in the Hawke’s Bay.

A POTENTIAL RAIL HUB NEAR DANNEVIRKE could take 200,000 tonnes of logs off the region’s roads, according to KiwiRail Deputy Chief Executive, Todd Moyle.

Announced as part of the broader investment package across the Hawkes Bay, around $400,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund is being set aside for government officials to evaluate the potential of a new rail hub near Dannevirke and, if successful, up to $4 million for KiwiRail to build the hub at Tapuata.

Mr Moyle says KiwiRail has been considering a hub near Dannevirke for a while and it would take a lot of pressure off the region’s roads as forestry harvests increased.

“There is a strong case for a rail hub in that area and we will be working closely to support agencies with their evaluation,” he says.

“Dannevirke is only 37 kilometres from Titoki Forest, which is already transporting more than 50,000 tonnes of logs a year to Napier Port by road. With harvests expected to hit 200,000 tonnes in the coming years it makes sense to get as much of that volume on rail as possible.

“Not only does rail have 66% fewer emissions per tonne than road transport, it would also reduce the number of logging trucks on the roads, improving road safety and saving in road maintenance costs which burden the local councils and NZTA.” Mr Moyle adds that KiwiRail is currently

10 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

developing a forestry hub in Wairoa, as part of reopening the Napier to Wairoa rail line and he believes a second hub at Dannevirke could be of huge benefit to the Hawke’s Bay. Meanwhile Kiwirail has also announced plans to increase its log capacity out of the Wairarapa by about a third to cater for the increased harvest and reduce the number of trucks travelling into CentrePort in Wellington.

The company runs two trains on weekdays – typically of 15 wagons each – and twice as many at the weekend when there are fewer commuter services.

While there are no plans for additional services, due to locomotive and driver shortages, the weekday trains currently have surplus capacity and just require extra wagons to increase their loads.

KiwiRail is adding 15 wagons to one of the daily trains once more wagons become available, which will increase the capacity by around 100,000 tonnes a year from the current 270,000 tonnes and reduce truck movements over the Remutaka Range by about 6,000.

Growth in the harvest from lower North Island forests has seen CentrePort handle 891,500 tonnes of logs in the six months through December, 36% more than a year earlier. Port Taranaki handled about 425,000 tonnes in the same period, a 24% increase, while Napier Port handled a record 2.2 million tonnes in the 12 months through September, 35% more than the year before.

Wairarapa and Tararua is home to almost 70,000 ha of forest.

Further up the coast, KiwiRail has completed the restoration of the Napier-toWairoa rail line and is now in the final stages of preparing to run trains to get the district’s logs to market.

“With work on the line complete, our next focus is to establish a log-hub in Wairoa so we are ready to begin running trains once harvesting gets back into full swing at the end of winter,” says KiwiRail Group Chief Executive Greg Miller.

“We know from our discussions with the forestry industry there is a need for our services.

“The amount of timber flowing from forests in the region is expected to quadruple in the next four years, and to get all those logs to market will require all transport networks working efficiently together.

“We are taking a staged approach to meet this demand, starting with two services a week from later this year.

“Once the harvest gets into full swing we expect we will be running up to six trains a week.

“That means more than 5,000 fewer truck journeys from Wairoa to Napier a year initially, rising to more than 15,000 as our services increase.”

The 115 km stretch of rail line was mothballed in December 2012 following severe storm damage. NZL

forest talk

Loggers care for Kauri Snails EAGLE-EYED LOGGERS WHO SPOTTED A rare native snail in a Northland forest have played their part in helping to rescue and conserve them.

Members of the Wise on Wood crew alerted forest manager, PF Olsen, when native Kauri Snails were found in the Paerata Forest, which kicked off a process to keep them safe from any harvesting operations and ensure they are relocated to a safe haven.

Kauri Snails are endemic to New Zealand and were once plentiful in Northland, but loss of habitat and the introduction of predators has seen their numbers plummet.

They have rich brown coloured shells which are shaped like a flattened spiral. Although they are called a Kauri Snail, they are seldom found near Kauri trees because the ground is often too dry for their favourite food, earthworms. They are highly mobile and have been known to move 10 metres in two

A native Kauri Snail.

weeks.

Their presence in Paerata Forest was not known until it was recently acquired by PF Olsen and the Wise on Wood crew began working there.

The snails were seen on concrete fence posts – presumably to soak up the sun’s heat or to extract lime – within the plantation areas. PF Olsen says that as this is the first time that Kauri Snails have been reported as using plantation forests for habitat, it was essential steps were taken to ensure that the snails were protected.

With no Kauri Snail experts residing locally, PF Olsen spoke to local Department of Conservation (DOC) staff, who advised that any snails found would need to be moved to a safer location to avoid forestry machinery.

PF Olsen enlisted Steve McManus, who had previously helped with relocating Kiwi in

its forests to survey the area and move any found snails to a nearby DOC reserve.

Logging contractors were also briefed on what to do if they came across more concrete fence posts and snails. Chilly bins were provided to each crew so that if Steve is unavailable then they have the means to relocate the snails themselves. Because of their cannibalistic and carnivorous behaviour, it is a good idea to keep Kauri Snails isolated from each other where possible, so the crews have been warned not to overcrowd the chilly bins and to release the snails as soon as they are able to.

PF Olsen says it’s the latest example of native species using plantation forests for habitat, as well as a good example of how, by working together, practical outcomes can be achieved that protect our native species whilst still allowing forestry operations to continue. NZL

NZIF awards and scholarship applications open APPLICATIONS ARE INVITED FOR THE AWARDS AND scholarships offered by the NZIF Foundation for 2019, with a total of $39,500 on offer.

The awards open for application are: • Two Future Forest Scholarships for post graduate research of up to $10,000 each • The New Zealand Redwood Company Scholarship of $5,000 for an undergraduate scholarship at the University of Canterbury School Forestry • Chavasse Travel Award of up to $3,500 to assist a mid-career person to travel overseas or to bring an overseas person to NZ • Jon Dey Memorial Award of up to $3,500 to assist research projects in the areas of work study or new technology aimed at improving forest engineering and harvest productivity • Otago Southland Award of up to $3,000 to assist a project of

relevance to forestry in the Otago/Southland region • Mary Sutherland Scholarship of $1,000 for a polytechnic student • University Undergraduate Scholarship of $1,000 • Frank Hutchinson Postgraduate Scholarship of $1,000 • Student poster prizes at NZIF Conference (1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes of $800, $500 and $200).

Applications must be received by the Foundation administrator (foundation@nzif.org.nz) no later than 5pm on July 17. Details can be found on the Foundation web page www.nzif.org.nz.

The awards will be announced at the joint conference of the NZ Institute of Forestry and Institute of Foresters of Australia being held in Christchurch from August 25-to-28.

The NZIF Foundation was established in 2011 by the NZ Institute of Forestry to advance education in relation to forestry. NZL

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 11

forest talk

Fonterra flags wood energy supply worries CONCERNS OVER FUTURE WOOD SUPPLY ARE CLOUDING Fonterra plans to use wood to co-fire boilers at some of its milk processing plants around the country.

The dairy giant has been testing the viability of wood through co-firing its Brightwater milk powder plant near Nelson with a woodcoal blend.

Tony Oosten, Energy Manager for Fonterra, says the experience has shown wood is a viable industrial fuel, with capital and fuel costs for new wood or coal boilers now very close and the company could – were it to be building its Darfield 2 dryer in Canterbury again – do that with wood.

But he told the recent New Zealand Minerals Forum that greater effort may be needed to ensure that new demand from processors doesn’t strip supplies from existing users.

“The problem comes down to the amount of wood,” says Mr Ooten.

Fonterra believes it can use approximately 15 megaWatts of wood in each of its plants, based on the local supply in each region.

At Darfield, that would require 50-to-60,000 tonnes of green wood “every single year,” says Mr Oosten, which is practically all the wood available in north Canterbury and would put the firm in competition with panel and board makers in the region.

He warns: “This is critical. This is transition engineering. This is about unintended consequences.

“Do you just let the market go and he who can pay the most gets it? Or do you try and make sure that the Rangiora MDF plant can continue to source material?”

The government’s One Billion Trees plan could make a difference in some regions, increasing the base of available waste wood that can be turned into renewable industrial fuel in the longer term.

But that’s not the case at present. Fraser Jonker, Chief Executive of Alexandra-based Pioneer Energy, told the conference there isn’t enough wood today and coal is likely to remain an important part of the industrial fuel mix for the next 20 years.

His firm, which operates industrial heat plants in Timaru and

Dunedin, is already competing with other wood processors for fuel for clients.

But he says more waste wood can be sourced from a wider variety of forests if there is sufficient demand at scale to build up logistics chains.

Mr Jonker says there is probably sufficient wood to replace about 10% of the South Island’s coal use over the next 10-to-15 years.

His firm will be supplying the University of Otago with 150,000 gigajoules of wood energy to meet all its heating needs by next year.

It is also talking with other potential customers in the lower South Island and that demand could be up to 500-600,000 GJ in 5 years.

Government policy will also support demand, with more schools and hospitals likely to make the change to wood.

“I don’t think you can replace all the coal, so coal will remain for a wee while,” says Mr Jonker. “But we’ve got a lot of waste wood and I think we should just give it a go.”

The Fonterra plant in Nelson is much better placed than many to utilise available wood waste to turn into energy, however there is another hitch to using it.

Local supplier, Azwood Energy, says there is ample forestry waste in the hills that could be used, but that demand is being held back by the government’s emphasis on electrification of industry.

Mr Oosten says Fonterra cheese plants use lower temperatures and can be run on electric technologies but milk powder plants are harder to do that with, requiring new plants to be designed to meet the sub-100° energy requirements with electricity. That would allow the firm to use wood in the boilers for the higher temperature requirements.

He says the company may use electrode boilers to help meet peak loads or cover specific needs, but their steam cost is roughly twice what the firm is paying now.

“Wood boilers don’t like to fluctuate a lot whereas an electrode boiler you can turn on and off instantaneously,” he adds. “But it’s very expensive electricity and it’s very expensive steam.” NZL

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NZ and China sign forestry cooperation arrangement AN ARRANGEMENT SIGNED BY NEW ZEALAND and China today paves the way for future forestry cooperation and boosting bilateral trade, says Forestry Minister, Shane Jones.

The arrangement was signed in Wellington recently by Shane Jones and Mr Zhang Jianlong, the Administrator of China’s National Forestry and Grasslands Administration.

“The updated arrangement supports and strengthens links between government, industry and research institutes in New Zealand and China. It provides a framework to address matters such as sustainability, wood processing and utilisation, and trade and investment,” says Mr Jones.

“The forestry sector is an important and growing part of our bilateral trade with China, with export revenue topping $3.2 billion in the year ending 2018.

12 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

“Much of this growth has come from increased Chinese demand for New Zealand forestry products, supporting both continued high prices and record export volumes.

“A number of Chinese companies choose to use wood sourced from New Zealand for their manufacturing and I’m keen to see how we can grow the relationship further, especially for our respective wood processing industries.

“With my Chinese counterpart, I have agreed that officials will cooperate to encourage increased trade, including in value-added wood products.

“I’m pleased to announce that we will hold talks in China later this year, which industry will be invited to, to promote governmentto-government and industry-to-industry collaboration.

“Signing the updated arrangement is

a testament to the huge amount of goodwill between our two countries and marks a commitment to continue working together for mutual benefit.

“I see a multitude of opportunities for New Zealand and China to cooperate and support our forestry and wood processing industries, in a way that also supports environmental objectives.

“The wider One Billion Trees goal to plant at least one billion trees by 2028 is an ambitious one, and it will drive regional revitalisation, support Māori to realise the potential of their land, and deliver benefits to our people and our environment.

“Ensuring an end-to-end value chain for our logs and forest products, along with our relationships with trading partners, including China, is an important part of achieving these aspirations.” NZL

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forest talk

Heather Arnold, showing the leadership skills that made her the Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year for 2019.

Heather takes inaugural TOTS top award HEATHER ARNOLD WAS THE BIG WINNER AT THE INAUGURAL Top of the South Forestry Awards, which celebrated the best in forestry across the Nelson and Marlborough regions – even though she wasn’t there in person.

Industry heroes were awarded across 15 categories, with the ultimate trophy going to Heather Arnold of Nelson Forests Ltd who won the Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year for 2019.

She also took out the Woman in Forestry Excellence category. The category attracted a high standard of entries coming from a broad sweep of the industry including environmental, accountancy, truck driving, and even those who are responsible for calculating the carbon footprint of the industry.

But in the end, Heather stood out through her very high standard of work, how she engages with staff and contractors and provides leadership within the industry – all of which was reiterated by her manager, Andrew Karaulus, from Nelson Management Ltd. Heather wasn’t able to attend the celebrations in person but did take part in a video link, so she didn’t miss out.

Her strong passion for environmental management systems has seen her influence the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry (NES-PF). She continues to have sway across a wide spectrum in the industry, from frontline workers through to government politicians.

Heather continues to strengthen her role by seeking out opportunities for training through public speaking, the facilitation of workshops and being

14 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

part of working groups with a key eye to identifying risks to the business.

Being awarded the 2019 Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year trophy acknowledges the difference she has made, both regionally and nationally, through being involved in one of New Zealand’s greatest assets – the environment. Without question judges felt Heather is an expert in her field, and one who has an enormous understanding of what’s involved in forestry.

Other key companies in the winning line-up included Reed Contracting, Taylors Contracting Company and Moutere Logging.

Also recognised by the judges with a special award was Les Bak, from Nelson Forest Ltd, for the significant role the company plays in health and safety, which has led to good outcomes for people’s own development alongside improved overall productivity for the business.

More than 540 people attended, including VIPs, mayors and politicians from across the region who left with plenty of willingness to make the awards an annual event.

Top of the South Forest Awards 2019: • Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year 2019: Heather Arnold, Nelson Forests Ltd Training Excellence • Taylors Contracting NZ Apprentice of the Year: Rob Mesman, Bryant Logging • Competenz Trainee of the Year: Luke Harris, Moutere Logging • Waratah Training Company of the Year: Wood Contracting Nelson

forest talk

Above left: Andrew Karalus (left), Estate Value Manager, Nelson Management Ltd, who accepted the awards on behalf of colleague, Heather Arnold, from Nathan Taylor, Chair of the TOTS Forestry Awards Committee.

Above right: Crew of the Year, Reed Contracting, were presented with their award by Dale Ewers, FICA Executive Board member.

Skilled Professionals • Tasman Pine Forests Forestry Excellence: Tony Dell, Action Forest Management • Nelson Forests Ltd Roading Excellence: Pete Ross, Taylors Contracting Company • Stuart Drummond Transport Harvesting Excellence: Kim Carter, Kelly Logging • Nelson Forests Ltd Distribution Excellence: Murray Newport, Borlase Transport • Crediflex Wood Processing Excellence: Daniel Rowe, SouthPine Nelson • EMS Tree Faller Excellence (mechanised): Ryan Fisher, Reed Contracting • Brent Searle Tree Faller Excellence (manual): Mark Brown,

Marlborough Harvesting Ltd • Oil Intel Woman in Forestry Excellence: Heather Arnold, Nelson Forests Ltd Industry Development • FICA Crew of the Year: Reed Contracting • DC Equipment Outstanding Health & Safety Management: Moutere Logging • Tasman District Council Outstanding Environmental Management: Taylors Contracting Company • Waimea Contract Carriers Outstanding Regional Service Performance: Brady Clements, Forest Safety Management Special Award • Borlase Transport Outstanding Contribution to the Industry : Les Bak, Nelson Forests Ltd NZL

China targets more growth for forestry industry

Inaugural awards to celebrate forestry in Hawke’s Bay

CHINA’S TOP FORESTRY AUTHORITY has unveiled plans to boost the forestry industry and set development goals.

The industry is pledging to improve its gross output by 50% by 2025, according to guidelines released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA).

The output of economic forest products will reach 250 million tonnes by 2025, with total imports and exports of forest products expected to hit US$240 billion.

And by 2035, the NFGA says China will see further expansion of the industry as the supply of high-quality resources from its own forests increases and more structural changes occur.

Among initiatives it is following is making more use of e-commerce platforms to promote the online-offline integration of forest product sales.

China’s forestry industry output reached 7.33 trillion yuan (US$1.1 trillion) in 2018, a 2.88% increase over 2017. NZL

HAWKE’S BAY’S FLOURISHING FORESTRY industry will be celebrated this year with a new awards event to be held in November.

It’s been eight months in the making and sees the region join the likes of Gisborne, Nelson, southern North Island, Whangarei and Southland in honouring an industry that is so important to the nation.

Matt Croft, chair of the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group, which is driving the awards, says it is a great move for an industry that is one of the biggest contributors to the Bay. Export levels have doubled in the past 24 months, going from 1.6 million cubic metres in early 2018 to over 2.2 million cubic metres now and an expected growth to 3 million by 2021.

With 133,000 hectares of plantation Radiata pine in the region and 48,000 hectares at a harvestable age, the industry with its associated services accounts for around $200 million of the region’s GDP. “This is a chance to put our industry in public view and acknowledge the great work being done by those who work in forestry,”

says Mr Croft.

“In the past five years the industry has developed hugely, with a lot of investment in training, machinery and upskilling. This is a far more professional workforce than it was a decade or so ago and we want to recognise that and the contractors and crews who are putting in the time and money to make it what it is today.”

Mr Croft says it is exciting for all to be launching the new awards, adding: “I really like the idea of the workers getting the recognition and for others to see them as the professionals they are.”

There are 14 different categories with the overall Skilled Professional of the Year found from six of those covering forestry, roading, harvesting, distribution, wood processing and tree faller excellence. Women, trainees and the environment are also celebrated in the awards, with categories for each.

Nominations for the awards open on August 1, with judging in October and the awards dinner in late November. NZL

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 15

forest talk

Stars align at southern awards Paige Harland, of Harland Brothers (second left), winner of the Apprentice of the Year award, with two other finalists Jackson Veitch, of Griffen Logging (far left) and Reef Aston, of Mike Hurring Logging (second right), with Graeme Manley, of sponsor South Wood Export.

MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE TURNED OUT TO CELEBRATE THE ‘best of the best’ at the 2019 Southern Wood Council Forestry Awards held in Dunedin.

The Council, representing all major forest owners and wood processing companies in Otago and Southland ran the 2019 Awards programme in conjunction with the country’s industry training organisation, Competenz.

“The turnout by forestry workers, their families and supporters on the night reflects the momentum that’s been building over the last year or so with training and safety in this region,” says Grant Dodson, Chairman of the Southern Wood Council.

“In addition to increased on-site training, two training courses in the region are now fully operational”.

“Mike Hurring’s Training School is running five one-week block courses in Balclutha for new entrants to the industry complete with hands-on training using harvesting machines located on site, leading to the first qualification of their apprenticeship. A new course, Tokomairiro Training, an initiative that’s been set up by Tokomairiro High School and Johnson Forestry Services, with support being provided by local forestry companies, is also now running 32-week courses for selected school students who are looking at forestry as a future career opportunity.”

This new emphasis on training has underlined the importance of investing in ongoing improvement to boost the industry, which is highlighted by the popularity of the awards.

“The message on the value of the awards evening has certainly found it’s mark with many companies bringing through all of their staff and workers, from Invercargill through to Timaru,” says Mr Dodson.

“One local contractor for example brought through close to 40 of their workers to celebrate their achievements in picking up training qualifications over the year as well as rewarding the harvesting crews for their efforts over the year.”

Nine major industry awards for the year were presented on the night, with around 160 National Training Certificates that had been achieved in Forestry & Wood Processing also presented to top local contractors and forestry and wood processing employees. Eight harvesting apprentices that have been involved in the Balclutha training school were also recognised at the awards ceremony. All are anticipated to finish the course in October, with another course anticipated to start in August.

2019 Southern Wood Council Forestry Awards • Training Excellence Award – Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by South Wood export: Paige Harland, Harland Bros • Training Excellence Award – Forestry Trainee of the Year (harvesting), sponsored by Rayonier/ Matariki Forests: Jointly won by Hemi Pickett, Ferris Logging and Logan Bennett, Mike Hurring Logging • Training Excellence Award – Forestry Trainee of the Year (silviculture), sponsored by Port Blakely: Adam McLennan, Johnson Forestry Services • Skilled Professionals Awards – Forestry Excellence Award (establishment, silviculture, fire, harvesting), sponsored by Wenita Forest Products: Billy Tredinnick, Forestry Training Services • Skilled Professionals Awards – Wood Processing Excellence Award, sponsored by UDC: Jamie Carr, Pan Pac Forest Products (Otago) • Skilled Professionals Awards – Forest Products/Logistics/ Transport/Port Award, sponsored by Pan Pac Forest Products (Otago): Jointly won by Stephen Gray, NFA Holdings and Craig Unahi, NFA Holdings • Industry Excellence Awards – Forestry Environmental Management Excellence Award, sponsored by Otago Regional Council: Matt Winmill, Gillion Logging • Industry Excellence Awards – Training Company / Contractor of the Year, sponsored by City Forests: Johnson Forestry Services • Industry Excellence Awards – Forest Products Health & Safety Award, sponsored by Ernslaw One: Award Winner; Dynes Transport. NZL

Below left: Contractor of the Year Award went to Steve Johnson, of Johnson Forestry Services (far right), seen here with Grant Dodson, SWC Chairman (far left) and fellow finalists Mark Fisken, of Fisken Wood (second left) and Mike Hurring, of Hurring Logging (second right).

Below right: The Hurring Logging team, with their National Training Certificates earned during the Year.

16 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

forest talk

The Hyundai excavator knocked the tree down and used its spot cultivator to break the tree apart.

Crew action saves forest from fire QUICK ACTION FROM A FORESTRY CREW working in the central North Island prevented a potentially disastrous fire from breaking out following a lightning strike.

NZ Logger correspondent, Tim Benseman, says the lightning strike caused this tree to ignite in the middle of a 50,000 hectare forest recently, which was spotted by a nearby mechanised land prep crew when they saw smoke from the smouldering wood.

“They used one of their Hyundai 210 LC-9 excavators, fitted with a spot cultivator, to

The blackened wood shows where the fire ignited on the tree from a lightning strike.

knock the multi-headed tree down and break it apart to get at the fire,” says Tim. “The local fire brigade was called and in the interim an emergency water supply drum was used to dowse the fire, which reignited soon after in the resin rich area of the stem, where the multiple leaders emerged from. The forest fire brigade arrived soon after to extinguish the fire completely and wet down the area.

“It was just lucky the crew was in the vicinity and was able to act, otherwise it could have been worse.” NZL

Northland forestry awards open NORTHLAND FORESTRY AWARDS celebrates its fourth year in 2019 with nominations now open for those who excel at their work.

“We have allocated a two-month window to get your nominations lodged as they close August 1,” says group spokesperson, Andrew Widdowson.

“There are too many great people out

there to ignore in this process and it’s quite acceptable to nominate yourself and your company too,” he confirmed.

New to this year’s line-up of categories is Woman in Forestry, celebrating the diversity of our growing workforce and the great workmanship that females are bringing to a typically male-dominated workplace, sponsored by P.F. Olsen in recognition of the

contribution and increase in females in the industry today.

The awards ceremony has been moved to Friday September 20 and will be hosted by singer and celebrity, Jackie Clarke, at the ASB Kensington Stadium, Whangarei, where a sell-out crowd of 500 is again expected.

Nominations can be completed online at www.northlandwoodcouncil.co.nz. NZL

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 17

forest talk

Or re

Workshops on sawmill technology topics will be a feature of the WoodTECH conferences in September.

WoodTECH sees practical focus on sawmilling PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGES FACING SAWMILLERS IN New Zealand and Australia will be a feature of the WoodTECH 2019 conferences taking place in September.

The two-day independent programme will also provide a unique opportunity to learn about the very latest in technologies and operating practices from around the globe in what is expected to be the largest gathering of sawmilling expertise yet seen in this part of the world.

“What makes the 2019 event stand out is the series of workshops that have been set up for local mills,” says FIEA Director and conference organiser, Brent Apthorp.

“Following on from the success of the 2017 event, a series of practical troubleshooting workshops have been designed for a much wider cross section of sawmill production and operational staff.

They’re going to provide a unique insight into how sawmills can extract the best performance out of their saws, machine centres and sawing operations.”

Workshops of between 60 and 90 minutes are being given on primary breakdown and machine alignment and maintenance techniques to improve machine reliability, real-time quality control, condition monitoring, saw and guide alignment and trouble-shooting saw guides. In addition to the workshops, presentations throughout the two days have also been geared towards sawmill production staff.

Technology advancements with robotics and automation in the

18 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

saw shop will also feature, highlighting some of the new equipment and operating practices drawn from throughout Europe, North America and Australasia, together with tips and tools from respected saw doctors will be of real benefit to those working in the saw-shop.

Advances on sawing machine centres, new non-contact, real-time saw temperature monitoring systems will be outlined by leading tech providers out of North America. Saw performance monitoring systems can accurately measure, in real time, the performance of the saw when in the cut for both circular and band saws. This provides real-time feedback of saw performance data to the user which can be used within the mill to evaluate the effect of varying sawing parameters.

“The change in focus is to encourage sawmill teams – management, mill production, saw-doctors and maintenance staff – to take advantage of the line-up of world class international specialists being brought into the region” says Mr Apthorp. “This will ensure that teams can collectively put the practical learnings into practice once back on site”.

Mr Apthrop says most of the major equipment and technology suppliers to the sawmilling industry will have a presence at the conferences.

Registrations are now open at the www.woodtech.events website, along with details of the programmes for each conference, with Rotorua taking place from September 11-12 and Melbourne from September 17-18. NZL

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Tough iron test

tilter Story & photos: John Ellegard

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The Mana Logging Eltec 317L leveller is the first to arrive in New Zealand and just the second out of the Canadian factory.

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The ELTEC 317L shares its heavy-duty levelling system with the lighter 219 model that would suit tethering in a winch-assist operation.

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HEN MANA LOGGING DECIDED TO GO FULL TILT INTO road lining and forest road construction it threw up some interesting curve balls.

“This is my first experience with building roads and we’re learning as we go along,” admits Shane McGuire, who has been used to running cable harvesting operations in the Gisborne region for the past two decades.

Difficulties finding enough people to keep his four harvesting operations going, along with some other issues, led Shane to close a tower crew and a swing yarder crew, and consolidate his business. He’s now ended up with a combined road lining and road building crew, alongside his other cable harvesting crew.

One of the many challenges stemming from that move last year has been getting the right mix of equipment to handle the various tasks involved with pushing new roads into the bush. He was left with a lot of ‘orphaned’ equipment that didn’t really suit his new venture.

So it was time for a clear-out and then go on a shopping spree for machines better suited to the new task in hand.

Shane runs his road lining crew as a fully mechanised ground-based operation, aiming to minimise boots on the soil for obvious safety reasons, only giving in to jobs such as manual falling when there’s no other option.

Inevitably, he was faced with the decision of how to approach mechanised felling on some of the steepest and most unforgiving forestry sites in the country. You can sum up his conundrum in one word; Wharerata.

Many a contractor has been broken by the physical and climatic conditions experienced in the Wharerata Range, 40 minutes south of Gisborne city. It takes skill and years of knowledge to understand how to successfully tackle the vast forests that cling to crumbling soils on these immense hillsides.

Now that he’s also having to learn to build roads in this crazy location, the challenges have significantly multiplied. And yet, Shane is loving the experience.

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“Downsizing has given me a bit more energy – I was getting a little bit stale after 20 years of cable logging,” says Shane.

“My main man, Allan Grimsby, he’s the one teaching us all here about road building. He runs the roading side and I look after the logging.

We’ve only got a little four-man mechanised ground-based crew in this harvesting operation and we’ve just brought our faller from our hauler crew in today to help get some of the trees down in the really steep places.”

By steep, Shane points to some of the nearly sheer drops on the other side of the bluff that are only just suitable for manual falling.

For everything else, Mana Logging now has a shiny, new, red Eltec 317L tilting base harvester that is tackling anything from flat ground to 30-plus degree slopes with crew 25.

This is the first Eltec 317 to arrive in New Zealand and it’s only the second one to go into operation anywhere in the world. The first has been working with the people behind the Eltec brand in Canada in order to make sure they are happy with the technology and that machine has recently sold to a customer over there to work as a feller-buncher.

It’s always good to get our hands on something really new. But in this case, there’s quite a bit of familiarity about the Eltec 317L. You see, it’s largely the same as the big Eltec 417 that we Iron Tested back in October of last year, working with one of Steven Stokes’ crews in Woodhill Forest.

The main difference is that the 317L has smaller upper body proportions and a brand new table incorporating Eltec’s own design tilting mechanism.

We’ll get to the details in a minute, but first we need to understand why Shane decided on this particular levelling machine in the first place, in light of the fact that it is largely untested in the marketplace. Loggers are notoriously shy of adopting new equipment that has yet to prove itself.

Shane’s decision appears to be a big leap of faith.

Since starting the road lining operation just under a year ago, Mana Logging has been trying to make it work with existing machines in the fleet, including a non-levelling feller-buncher that was difficult to use on the steep stuff, so a leveller quickly came into the equation.

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Above: The 42-tonne Eltec 317L is well anchored for harvesting weighty trees on the East Coast.

Below: The Mana Logging Eltec 317L has the standard 10.1 metre factory boom and arm, but a smaller length is optional for those who are only interested in felling trees, not shovelling them.

The Eltec 317L has more compact dimension than the 419 model, making it easier to get into tight spots.

Shane says the other equipment choices are consolidating around the new leveller and consist of a new Tigercat skidder to replace the old Timberjack, a Cat 336 and Woodsman PRO 850 processor, plus a shovel logger and a loader.

“We didn’t want anyone on the ground here,” says Shane. “We only need a faller occasionally.”

Shane looked at existing levellers on the market and then heard about the new levelling Eltec that was in development around the time he was considering his options.

“I didn’t take much persuading to get this machine,” says Shane.

“I was over at Cambridge (at Shaw’s Wire Ropes, the Eltec distributor in NZ) for a different reason and there was an Eltec machine (not the 317) in the shop and I was very impressed with it.

“I’ve known Jonny (Edwards) for a long time and I know that he knows what he is talking about. So I told him to take his salesman’s hat off and tell me about it from a logger’s point of view, because he’s a good logger.

And I was sold on it.

“Everything about it is right. Built by a logger, for loggers and they’re a family of loggers, so they knew what they wanted. It’s built strong, lots of heavy gauge steel all over it. And although I haven’t been around levellers, this one really impressed. I’ve tried them all and this one seemed just that bit nicer to operate.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted until I got it. They’re pretty pricey those tilting bases. But now I’ve got it…….makes a flat base look stupid, you fight so much with a flat base.”

While many levelling machines working in this type of country are used in a winch-assist set-up, Shane says he is not going to tether the Eltec 317L, adding: “It will go plenty of places that you wouldn’t in a flat base.”

Now the first 317L is here, Shane is already fielding lots of calls from other contractors wanting to see it and he reckons “these will sell themselves”.

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He goes on to add: “Things I like about it are the automatic tilt – you don’t even have to think about it because it adjusts to the slope all by itself; it’s a really smooth machine; and it’s really quick, in fact, I’ve had to dial the boom speed down to bring it into my comfort zone, because the joy sticks are electronic and they’re real touchy, so coming off an older machine and getting on that you’re naturally quite heavy-handed.

“You’ve got to be real soft on the sticks. You get quicker as you get used to it. At 60% it will still give you 100% power but it slows the action down, otherwise you’re all over the place. If you haven’t got the feel, it’s a waste of time having the speed because you’re so rough.”

We’ll return to the way this machine works shortly, right now we’re really keen to see the levelling system up close.

So, Shane climbs up and tilts the 317L forwards to its full 22 degrees for us to gain a better look – it also tilts 16 degrees each side and 8 degrees back.

Jonny Edwards joins us to examine this interesting piece of engineering and says: “We’re very impressed with the table.

“Some machines lose a lot of power because the table can’t handle it.

Haven’t needed to beef up the pumps for the table, either. This still runs off the machine pump, no dedicated tilt pump. Because it is running that much horsepower you don’t need it. And it doesn’t affect it when you are driving the machine because it still produces the same.

“It’s over-spec’d. Good for the owner because they don’t wear out the componentry as much since it’s not running at max and overheating itself.”

The rams certainly look the part, big and beefy, and the rest of the levelling system that we are able to see all looks to be similarly large.

Jonny goes on to tells us: “I saw them working on this system when I was over there. It wasn’t actually operating at the time, the prototype was just sitting there in the factory.

“It had been out and we saw some footage of it working. Very

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Left: The new Eltec 317L has aroused plenty of local interest but only one per month is currently being shipped to New Zealand until the factory can ramp up production.

Above: The new Eltec 317L has been built with lots of extra steel in the structure.

Below: With a 22-degree forward tilt, the operator is sitting level on slopes like this.

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impressive. We talked about the guarding and the rams and came up with some suggestions. They made a few different mods, trialled it, brought it back in, did some more and trialled it again. Lots of testing to make sure that it worked the way they wanted. All up, it’s been three years in the making.”

Tilting the upper body back to its upright position, Shane opens up the twin clamshell bonnet covers so that Iron Tester, Sam Keefe, and I can climb up and inspect the pumps, powertrain and the cooling system.

It’s pretty much the same set-up as I saw on Steven Stokes’ 417 last year and Jonny confirms it, saying: “Under the bonnet it’s exactly the same as the 417, same engine, layout, everything. Same cooling package, same pumps, slew motor, valve bank etc”.

Shane tells us this is what helped to sell the Eltec 317L to him, because all the running componentry can be purchased off-the-shelf from suppliers around the country “and they don’t have to send back to Canada for spares. And I was sold on the back-up service – any issues and Jonny and his team at Shaw’s are onto it, they are easy to deal with and know what they are talking about.”

For the record, the engine is an 8.9-litre Cummins QSL9 common rail diesel that delivers 239kW (320hp) of peak power, which comes here in Tier 3 spec, not the Tier 4 that we saw on Steven Stokes’ 417. The hydraulic system features Linde pumps and valve banks, while the track motors are made by Rexroth.

It’s great to see how the pumps are placed in sequence together, sitting in a position that makes it very easy for a service technician to work on them.

Another nice design touch includes the provision of a 40-litre auxiliary tank just in case a hydraulic hose blows, so there is no need to carry cans of spare oil to top up the system.

We are also impressed with the fire suppression system that is installed on the machine at the time of manufacture and very neatly integrated – we have to look closely to actually see any of the pipes that carry the suppressant around the engine bay.

There’s even a large storage box positioned in here, under the bonnet, since there isn’t a riser under the cab to keep things like spare chains, bars and lubes. The only negative aspect of this particular feature is that if the operator has to replace a chain or bar, they need to open up the bonnet for access.

You won’t find a huge counterweight on the back, just one tonne of plating to protect the rear of the machine. So, to keep it balanced when cutting big trees it has a huge 1,491-litre fuel tank positioned close to the back of the engine bay, holding enough diesel to keep the 317L working for several days.

While it can be very cold and miserable in these ranges over winter, it can get hot and dusty in summer, so that big radiator and auto reversing fan will be very necessary to keep the Cummins cool.

Moving to the cab, this one is a shade smaller than on the 417 we experienced last year, yet still feels roomy enough to provide a pleasant working environment. The large floor-to-ceiling front polycarbonate screen adds to the feeling of spaciousness without any guarding to spoil the vista and the roof is high enough to give a good view of the tree tops during felling. There is a small skylight in the roof to show the very tops of the trees when up close, which wasn’t fitted to the Stokes 417 we sampled.

The controls are the same as the 417, with some minor changes that I’ll let Iron Tester, Sam Keefe, cover in his column on page 32.

The touch-screen display that governs the machine also carries over from the 417, whilst a larger touch-screen positioned above it on the righthand column is there for the head.

And that brings us nicely to the implement on the end of the stick that Shane chose to go harvesting with. It’s a Woodsman PRO 750, the little sister to the PRO 850 working on his Cat 336. Why not go for a straight felling head?

“It was something I was leaning towards,” says Shane.

“I told Jonny I wanted to try and go felling and de-limbing so it means we can get ahead, plus it gives me a back-up to the processor.

“It’s taken a bit to get used to because I’ve been operating the 850 and there is a huge difference in the performance.”

The PRO 750 is also very different to the SATCO head Shane was using on the old feller-buncher and it’s led to a different way of harvesting on the slopes.

“I was just bunching all the time with the old machine but now we’re doing much more at the cut-over,” he says.

“The whole idea is that I wanted to spit a whole tree-length off the hill and then remove the branches so you don’t have to touch it again. That means the processor can just concentrate on cutting the logs, no worries.

“It’s getting the wood to the processor and keeping up with it that is our

Mana Logging owner, Shane McGuire.

Mana Logging’s crew 25 and their new Eltec 317L harvester, from left, Ronald Reedy, Matekairoa McGuire (Shane’s son), Allan Grimsby (the roading guru), Regan Headley (head mechanic), Jason Tither, Bruce ‘Eagle 1’ Stewart, Shane McGuire (standing by the cab) and Alex ‘Roach’ McCorkindale. Absent: Lee Amorangi and Liberty ‘Libo’ Kerei.

main focus. But we are hitting our target, doing around 300 tonnes a day quite easily. We’re still learning at the moment and we really don’t know our limitations yet.”

Another key difference to the 417 is the shorter boom and arm set on this machine, tailored to suit its harvesting role. The Stokes machine has a non-standard 11.28m reach that Steven wanted for processing, but Shane is happy with the factory version that provides 10.1 metres, while there is an option for a shorter 9.1 boom.

“That boom and arm are good,” says Shane.

“With any felling machine you need to get in close to put the tree down so it’s plenty long enough. You’ve got the head that can spit it away from you, so there’s no real need to do much shovelling with it and we have done a bit of processing when we’ve had a stockpile.

“It’s pretty well balanced. We’ve got some really big wood around here and I thought we might have issues on the hill with it, but there haven’t been any issues.”

That’s partly due to the long D7 track frame, which puts 5.2 metres on the ground. Shane also had large extensions welded to the grousers on

the 710mm tracks to provide more bite on the soil – especially important during the wet winter months.

The new Eltec has now done around 200 hours with Mana Logging. It’s not been working constantly since it arrived, due to the terrain and also the machine mix in this operation, which is steadily coming right, as well as getting crew members fully accustomed to their roles.

Shane is still operating the Eltec himself until he gets loader operator Bruce Stewart – aka Eagle One – trained up to take on some of the harvesting. He’d like others to become familiar with the 317L, too.

Plenty of hydraulic power from the Cummins engine to run the Woodsman head.

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Continues on page 32

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1: Excellent working station, with all controls to hand, although vision to the sides is somewhat limited by the after-market window tinting.

2: The auxiliary oil pumping system.

3: The Woodsman PRO 750 provides a nice balance for felling and branch trimming.

4: Iron Tester, Sam Keefe, gets a feel for the controls.

“You have to work as a team around here and you can be swapping around machines and do a few big hours, including Saturdays,” says Shane.

“And with road lining you’ve got to work with the weather, too. We actually started road building last winter up here, so we’ve got an idea what to expect. We just have to be smarter with the way we construct it, just with the material we have to work with. Got to work quick with it.

“See the big flumes we’re putting in now for the environmental stuff?

It’s just the new rules, bunding has got to be tighter all up – this is the catchment for the dam so we don’t want to get in the crap for stuff going down into there. That’s just second nature now. That’s how you’re meant to do it and that’s how we do it. No big deal, you still put a culvert in but add fluming now, which runs into hard ground. Common sense, you don’t run it into the soft shit.”

Before the roads can go in, the trees have to come off the hills and Shane has left a patch of pines on a ridge out to our left for Sam to test how the new 317L performs this task. The track winds around a couple of steep places, so it will be a good indication of how well the levelling base performs.

Shane tells Sam that while he loves the automatic levelling system “it does catch you out sometimes. You have to think about when you use it, because if you are cutting and reaching out on a hill it’s trying to adjust itself and just as you go to hit the saw it will move”.

The best way to overcome that is to use the automatic setting only when travelling and then to switch over to the manual mode when manoeuvring the head around a tree, according to Jonny.

“I didn’t know when this machine turned up that this was a fully automatic tilting system,” Jonny says.

“I thought it was just a hold down button, like other machines on the market. Engineering Services decided to put a helicopter switch in, providing up, down, left and right buttons. So, it’s just a joystick and it doesn’t have any other buttons. Works bloody well.”

Sam takes due note of that advice as he closes the cab door and makes his way up to the first trees, with the machine automatically maxing out the forward tilt on one particularly steep section to keep the body on an

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even keel. While 22 degrees isn’t the biggest forward tilt on the market, it’s good enough, because as soon as you start pushing one of the boundaries, it affects another one. So the Eltec 317L levelling system is a good compromise.

Shane has told Sam that he can take the 317L onto some really steep sections, but our Iron Tester feels obliged to play it safe, since this is his first experience of an Eltec.

Approaching his first tree, Sam realises that even though the speed of the boom and arm has been dialled down, it’s still too fast for him and he asks Jonny to show him where he can find the adjustment. A quick scroll through the screen and they decide to bring it down to a lower setting of 60%.

Much happier, Sam proceeds to pick off a couple of smaller trees first before sizing up a large pine that is definitely on the wrong side of 5 tonnes.

“That is a biggie,” says Jonny, as we watch Sam make two cuts in order to bring this monster down.

Just as well Sam brought the boom and arm in to help deliver better control over the tree as he guided it down. Jonny points out that there is a lot of meat in that base to provide extra stability for dealing with such big beasts. The 317L tips the scales at 42 tonnes without the Woodsman head, making it three-to-four tonnes heavier than similar size levellers on the market.

It would be even more capable of handling bigger trees with a lighter, straight felling head on the end like the number two 317L soon to arrive in the country that Smiley Alexander will be putting to work in one of his Fast Harvesting crews.

Equally, Jonny points out, the 317L is stable enough to take a larger head, like the Woodsman PRO 850 or a Waratah 626 Big Wood – it certainly has the hydraulic performance but might need another tonne of counterweight on the back.

Jonny also suggests that contractors looking for something lighter to go on the end of a tether, in a winch-assist operation, could opt for the Eltec 219L leveller model. It has the same engine and hydraulic configuration, as well as the same tilting table, but in a smaller package.

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IFICATION

SPECIFICATIONS - ELTEC 317L LEVELLING HARVESTER ENGINE 6-cylinder, 8.9-litre, Cummins QSL9, Tier III Bore / stroke Power Max torque Max travel speed

14 x 145 mm 239 kW (320 hp) @ 1,900rpm 1,400Nm @ 1,300 rpm 4.2 km/h

Main saw ¾” pitch, 36”, 38” or 40” bar options 850mm Max saw cut (main) ¾” pitch (0.404” option), 28” bar Top saw 590mm Max saw cut (top) Rotation continuous 3,800 kg Weight REFILL CAPACITIES (LITRES)

HYDRAULICS Implement pump dedicated displacement piston dedicated displacement piston Swing pump 115,200 Nm Swing torque 8.0 rpm Swing speed 100,000 lbs Tractive effort 22-degrees forward, 16-degrees either side, 8-degrees back Levelling tilt BOOM Model Eltec 10.1 m (34 ft 7 ins) Reach 1 tonne Counterweight

Fuel tank Hydraulic tank Aux hydraulic tank

1,491 284 40

DIMENSIONS (MM) Outstretched length 13,411 Height 3,453 Width 3,472 864 Ground clearance 5,207 Track length 710 (single grousers, extended) Track shoe width Base machine weight (without head) 41,957 kg

PROCESSING HEAD Model Max de-limb opening

Woodsman PRO 750 774mm

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Sam has been concentrating on falling trees to get used to the feel of the machine first, but with several on the ground, he’s now returning to de-limb the branches and position them for the skidder to retrieve, using the drive motors of the PRO 750 head rather than shovelling with the boom and arm.

He’s happy with the machine and with his part of our Iron Test completed, Sam hands it over to Shane to continue down the steeper part of the slope, showing just how capable the new Eltec

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1: The levelling system on the new 317L was designed and built in-house by the Eltec engineering team. Note the extended grousers.

2: The double clamshell bonnet opens right out to provide great access to all the drivetrain and hydraulic components.

3: Jonny Edwards (left) of Shaw’s Wire Ropes, discusses the big cooling system with Iron Tester, Sam Keefe.

4: Rubber protective mat stops debris falling down behind the boom.

is in this terrain before finishing the day with a team photo in front of the newcomer.

Heading back to our respective utes, Jonny tells us: “We’ve got lots of interest in this model and Eltec as a whole. Unfortunately, we can only get one out of the factory each month, but they are looking at ramping up production.”

Judging by our experience, the factory should consider going as large as it can with that production upgrade. NZL

EST 1909 | ZEALAND | 0800 WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ 0800 4 SHAWS 4 SHAWS THE SUPPLIER TO NEW HEAVY INDUSTRY July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 31

iron test: Sam Keefe

One of the best YOU KNOW THAT YOU’VE COME ACROSS a top machine when it’s almost impossible to list any faults.

That’s what I found with the new Eltec 317L leveller, which I’d go as far as saying is close to 100%. One of the best machines I’ve come across, in fact.

While Eltec is not a well-known brand, it does have well-known components, so that should put people’s minds at rest. It eased my concerns.

But it’s the sum of those parts that makes this machine a top performer in my book.

Everything works so well together and it’s very user-friendly.

It begins with an easy climb to get to the cab and includes the way the bonnet opens up, ensuring that everything is easy to get to, with the bonnet becoming an extra walk space.

It’s always daunting getting into a new machine for the first time. But the way this one is set up and works, it helps to put the operator at ease. And if there is something that doesn’t suit, the display allows you to alter the pressures without having to flick through numerous screens to find it.

I found it a little too quick for my liking,

but once Jonny showed me how to adjust, it was simple to bring it back further. That boom and arm is very sensitive on these electronic controls.

Very comfortable and roomy cab, with lots of good vision. Shane opted to get tints put on this machine after he received it, but I probably wouldn’t have tinted the windows as it makes the cab very dark and you get the odd reflection. I would also have ticked the rear camera option because these harvesters have no rear vision whatsoever and you feel vulnerable in dense trees.

The tilting system works very well. Jonny suggested that it’s easier to have it on automatic when travelling and then go to manual levelling, so it doesn’t correct itself when you’re on the hill trying to position to fall a tree and it worked for me. So nice to be operating on an even keel.

There’s a lot of power available when falling. Some of those trees were leaning the wrong way so you need to have muscle to bring them back and tip them in the right direction and in this machine, I always felt in total control.

The set up for the controls is the standard pattern for any Woodsman, with the top saw,

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Iron Tester, Sam Keefe. main saw etc located on the left joystick and harvester up and down on your right.

A panel on the far right, under the screen, works things like the bonnet, lights etc – you just have to remember what each of the icons represents. But it’s all at your fingertips, you don’t have to bend or twist around to reach anything.

With any harvesting machine you need good power available for falling as you have greater control and you’ll do less damage to the trees and machine. I couldn’t fault the power delivery of the 317L, and it comes on very smooth, even with the very heavy trees.

The single slew motor has plenty of power to swing these big trees around, too.

Being a heavy machine, it’s very stable and well planted to the ground, with a lot of climbing ability thanks to the big toes.

My only regret? Not having more time to enjoy it. NZL

in

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Tall Timber

Story: John Ellegard Photos: John Ellegard and Kuru Contracting

THE KURU WAY

W

HEN FLOOD WATERS POURED through the forests behind Tolaga Bay on Queen’s Birthday Weekend last year, they swept almost everything in their path down the slopes and through the swollen valleys to the coastal community, with devastating consequences that made national news headlines.

But the forestry roads built by the Kuru Contracting team stood up remarkably well

34 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

throughout the 200mm deluge.

“They did their job because that’s how we designed and built them,” says Ricky Kuru, quickly adding: “I learned that from my father, he’s pretty much a legend round here when it comes to creating forestry roads.”

The lessons were well-learned because Ricky was crowned the Eastland Wood Council Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year in 2013 and last year for his own contribution to

the industry, an award that made his father, Jack, very proud.

Little did Jack know that he would also be recognised for the part he has played in forestry in this region, winning the Eastland Port Roading Excellence Award at the 2019 awards held a few weeks ago. A fitting tribute to a lifetime of dedication to his art.

Now 70, Jack Kuru, sold out of his partnership in the family business a while ago to son Ricky

and daughter-in-law, Leanne, but instead of retiring to the quiet life he still goes bush on a regular basis, getting behind the controls of his favourite dozer to help build more roads.

The most remarkable thing is that Jack continues with the work he loves even after a long bout of illness. Jack’s as tough as the roads he builds.

“He’s my hero – well, he’s everyone’s hero.

He da man,” says Ricky.

It’s partly as a tribute to his father that Ricky and his wife Leanne have taken on the challenge of expanding the East Coast business that he and Jack started 22 years ago to make the most of the burgeoning harvest over the coming years…but with a twist. You see, last year’s floods provided an opportunity to branch out into a new type of work that builds on the skills and techniques developed by Jack over more than half a century; upgrading some of the public roads outside of the forest.

In addition to the two road lining / harvesting crews working in the forest, Kuru Contracting also operates four river-based quarries and builds, repairs and maintains some council roads with a fleet of new Cat equipment. And they’ve just purchased a pair of brand new Kenworth logging trucks to ease the transport shortages in the Gisborne region. All that adds up to an investment of more than $20 million over the past couple of years, with more to come, including the purchase of a new Madill 124 swing yarder that’s due in October.

But he’s not the only Kuru who is taking on more work in these parts. Younger brother, Arana Kuru, has been building up a dedicated harvesting operation on the East Coast, which got off the ground with help from father, Jack.

Both Arana and Ricky speak of the huge admiration they hold for their father and the example he has set, not just for them to follow, but many others on the East Coast.

Jack’s road-building days go back more than 50 years to when he was one of five employees at Higgins in the Manawatu, where he learned his trade. (continued on page 38)

Opposite page: Jack Kuru has always been happiest when behind the controls of his beloved bulldozers.

Top right: Jack Kuru, with this Cat dozer during an NZ Logger Iron Test a while ago.

Right: Ricky Kuru and daughter, Jasmine, who operates the Cat 568/ Woodsman PRO850 combo behind them, as well as running one of the forestry crews.

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 35

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Tall Timber

(continued from page 35) He left to experience truck driving in some of the most inhospitable conditions in Papua New Guinea before returning to Longburn, near Palmerston North, to drive trucks for JB Weir and Sons.

In the late-1970’s he worked for Bill Perry, running Cat bulldozers in a roller crushing operation, which started off his career in forestry road construction in the Santoft Forest, near Bulls.

A short break in the 1980’s to work on the Tauranga Harbour Bridge, piling for Richardson Drilling, preceded Jack’s move to Gisborne in the 1990’s to operate an open cab D7G dozer used to scrub roll and clear land for pine trees in the Whareratas, working with Steven Dewes.

Shortly after, he was joined by son, Ricky, in Mangatu Forest where they began roadline logging for Dewes Contractors, which led Jack and Ricky Kuru to formalise their relationship and create Kuru Contracting Ltd in March 1997.

Jack ran the company in conjunction with his son for many years until deciding to sell

Top: The Kuru’s Cat 568 processor hard at work.

Right: This Cat 548 is equipped with a grapple and live heel for shovelling.

38 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

his shareholding to Ricky and Leanne. But he remains as a mentor and fill-in driver on the machines.

Together with Ricky, Jack has helped build more than 250 kilometres of roads and 500 landings throughout the rugged East Coast region and also logged in excess of 3.5 million

tonnes of wood.

Jack’s experience and knowledge have been integral in the development of the unique roading construction techniques that are required here on the East Coast. His roads, skids and landings have stood the test of time, weathering the storms that frequent this

region.

It’s all been built on practical experience and local knowledge, which is not available in text books, explains Ricky.

“The soils up here behind Tolaga Bay are different from even in Gisborne and stuff people try down there will never work here,” he says. “Dad picked that up very quickly and made sure our roads were built with a very good base and more drainage than you’d expect to see elsewhere.”

Ricky says that extreme weather events like the one experienced a year ago are becoming the norm.

“The volume of water concentrated in that one particular valley during the flood was phenomenal,” he adds.

“I went up in the helicopter afterwards to see the damage and whole faces were just swept down the hill. It doesn’t matter what was on there it was going to come down anyway. But only 1.8% was damage from roading infrastructure, all the rest was midslope. That shows you how well the roads were built.”

Regardless of the causes of the damage and who was to blame, Ricky and his father still felt a responsibility to help clear the slash and woody waste washed down by the flood waters. They were soon behind the controls of a digger and bulldozer on the beach, shifting the mess into piles to be burned at a later stage.

“We’ve got to live in this community, we couldn’t just stand by,” says Ricky. He also bought another excavator specifically to help with the clean-up around the region, which continues to this day in valleys and forestry blocks behind Tolaga Bay. With so many of the public roads and infrastructure inundated and damaged by the floods, the civil contracting companies working on the East Coast were unable to cope with the demand for their services, having neither the manpower nor the machinery to press into action at short notice.

“People like Downers realised they needed more infrastructure yesterday and they brought in people from out of town and still didn’t have enough, so we jumped on that

Top right: Cat 538 loaders are used in both Kuru forestry crews for loading out.

Middle: A bucket-equipped Cat 336 used for creating roads in the forest.

Right: This Cat 336 with Woodsman PRO 850 processor is working with A&R Logging next to Arana Kuru’s Madill 124.

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 39

Tall Timber

bandwagon,” says Ricky.

“I’ve done a few small jobs for them over the years and they called us in to help out. We didn’t buy gear for it, we just had it here and utilised what we had because we didn’t think it would last.

“They drove from a council road onto a forestry road and they were like ‘this is better than ours’. We’ll put roads where they’d never even look to put them. It took forestry roaders to show highway builders how to work like that.”

The timing was good, because Kuru Contracting had already been ramping up its operations to meet the additional forestry work with additional equipment and, post-

Above: The Kuru brothers, Arana (left) and Ricky (right).

Below left: This Cat 316 is used for roading building duties in the forest.

Below right: The forestry roading building equipment line-up includes this Cat CS56 roller and Cat 142 grader. flood, the spending went to a new level.

“We used to be bigger than we are now, but we went through some bad times and at one point I was close to giving it all away before things started getting better and I said ‘well, if we are carrying on we need to get bigger again,’” says Ricky.

“I think it’s our time now, there’s a lot of work coming on with the Wall of Wood, so a couple of years ago I decided to take a big

5-year punt and Leanne has backed me.

“So here we are, the money’s available, there’s good deals on machines, the work’s there and we’re going for it.”

Sitting in Ricky’s office above the Tolaga Bay service station and adjoining workshop facility they also purchased recently, Ricky runs through the current make-up of Kuru Contracting, starting with the forestry side.

There are two crews running as joint clear-

40 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

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Tall Timber

fell and road-lining operations, which has been helpful in balancing the work across the year.

“We’re taking enough to keep the roading at a pace, depending on the seasons,” explains Ricky.

“So in the winter we slow down the roading and do more clear-felling and in the summer we do more roading. The big changes will be this winter, with the council after the floods and we’ll see what comes of that, who knows, they might shut down the road work during the wetter months. We don’t know yet.”

Both forestry crews are fully mechanised, with new tilting cab felling machines and big processors keeping all but the QC guys off the ground.

Most of the machines are Caterpillar, with one crew employing a 538, 548 and a pair 568s, plus the levelling TimberPro 756 felling machine we tested last year. The other crew runs Cat 538, 336 and 330D2 excavators, with the felling handled by a Tigercat leveller. The processors in both crews are kept fed with stems delivered by Tigercat 632 and 635 skidders.

Working with each crew is a set of roading equipment, again, mostly Cat, including an 70-tonne Cat 374 excavator

equipped with a big bucket to shift dirt and a collection of dozers, graders and rollers.

“Always liked the Cat gear,” says Ricky.

“We started off with Cat. We bought a D8K with a winch on it and then we managed to get a near-new 525 grapple skidder that had done 800 hours. It was the first grapple skidder on the East Coast.

We were told they wouldn’t work but after the first year every bastard was buying grapple skidders. Our production went through the roof.”

The new on-highway work is handled by two separate crews, utilising a variety of machines, including two Cat 316 excavators, three Cat 320 excavators, one Cat 140M2 grader and a Cat 140H grader, all purchased within the last 18 months.

Kuru Contracting also got into its own quarrying operations, working in rivers around Ruatoria, just over a year ago, initially to supply its forestry road lining crews and then the highway gangs.

“That’s been a good move so far,” says Ricky.

“We just got fed up with the quality of the metal we were being given, so decided to do it ourselves. That’s gone gang-busters,

Above: One of the four metal-producing operations run by Kuru Contracting near Ruatoria.

Right top: One of the latest additions is this 70-tonne Cat 374 bucket-equipped excavator that Jack Kuru (pictured centre) likes to operate from time-to-time.

Right: One of Kuru Contracting’s Hino trucks delivers aggregate for this Cat 316 on a public road-building job.

42 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 43

Tall Timber

D

daughter, too. As one of the road lining/ harvesting crews we visit is run by Ricky and Leanne’s daughter, 23-year-old Jasmine – known by everyone around here as Jaz. In addition to being in charge of the 10 people in this crew, Jaz also operates the Cat 568/Woodsman Pro 850 processor combo. A big responsibility, but Ricky has a lot of faith in his daughter and tries to give her the space to run the crew her way and not interfere, providing advice when needed – “she doesn’t need me watching over her all the time, she needs to have the confidence to back herself and make her own decisions”.

In another part of the operation, Ricky checks in with the guys building the road into this part of the forest. He’d like a spell in the dozer cab but we need to move on.

As we pass trucks delivering the metal for this new road, the conversation turns to the two new 50-tonne logging rigs that are going into service with Kuru Contracting and whether it’s a wise move, given how some other loggers have regretted going into transport.

“We’ve been struggling to get trucks

44 NZ LOGGER | July March 2019 2019

Above: Jack Kuru (left) receives his Eastland Port Roading Excellence Award from Andrew Gaddum, General Manager Ports, Eastland Group. to pick up wood and it’s been holding us back, so we had to do something – time will tell if it’s the right move,” says Ricky.

Part of the reason for the transport issues on the East Coast has been shortage of drivers. Did Kuru Contracting have trouble finding people to get behind the wheel?

“We’ve got drivers for them,” he says.

“We don’t advertise, people come to us.”

It’s the same with finding people to run the additional machines that Kuru Contracting has purchased over the past couple of years.

“Getting the people to run our new machines wasn’t a problem and I don’t know why, we just found them,” says Ricky.

“We’re a Whanau, family-oriented business, we pay fair money, and we’ve got a good group of people and that’s an attraction. The boys will wean out any bad eggs who rock the boat.”

Less than 20 minutes away is A&R Logging, the crew run by Ricky’s brother, Arana. It’s a totally separate business from Kuru Contracting but they keep in close contact.

Arana has a civil engineering background and among the places he has worked includes Iceland, before settling back in New Zealand, so he should be used to the brutal winter conditions up on the inland hills.

His crew runs a Madill 124 swing yarder and Madill 072 tower hauler, along with the usual supporting cast of Cat machines.

It’s the Kuru way.

And, like his brother, Arana is full of praise for the way their father steered them through their forestry careers.

These two bustling businesses are a lasting legacy to Jack Kuru.

“Our dad taught us all to work hard and we have. If you work hard you’ll do well, he said, and he’s been right,” they agree. NZL

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Timber profile

Story & photos: Hayley Leibowitz

I

T’S A GREAT FEELING AND A SENSE OF achievement being in control of such a big and powerful machine,” says Rachelle Dunn as we catch up with her at the helm of a Sumitomo SH370 processor in Kinleith Forest.

Twenty-five years working in an office with forestry companies left Rachelle keen to join the contractors she dealt with in the great outdoors. But family and children always seemed to come first.

With her two girls in their twenties, Rachelle finally took the plunge and approached a crew working in Kaingaroa Forest.

“Through my husband, who’s a harvest planner, and some field trips taken while in the forestry companies, I got to see logging operations and really wanted to be part of that industry,” she says.

“I hated being in the office. I wanted to be outdoors and loved the machinery. They said, ‘well if you’re keen and you’re willing to learn then we’ll put you on the QC – quality control of the skids – and you can jump up on the processor at lunchtime’.”

Several smokos later, spent on the machines with ‘in-the-seat’ training and Rachelle had a handle on things. She has now been in the bush four years.

“I always thought it would be really cool to get paid to be outdoors and get physically fit at the same time – sounds like Christmas every day,” she adds.

Now working for G White Logging in Kinleith since September 2018, her enjoyment as part of a 10-person crew is clear. As for being a woman in a traditionally man’s world, Rachelle says she has never felt any different.

“I’ve never felt any bias from anyone,” she says. “When I started, I did feel that I had to work a bit harder to prove myself and to prove that I was gonna give it a go

Above: Rachelle Dunn is happy to have swapped a traditional office job for the cab of a processor.

46 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

and that I wasn’t a princess. Also, because I was new and inexperienced. But no, nobody has treated me badly or looked at me differently because I’m a female.”

Gareth, the ‘G’ in G White Logging, is of a similar mindset, saying: “It’s interesting to me that you’re doing an article on women in logging because I don’t see that side of it. It’s a job that anybody can do if

Right: Rachelle Dunn with crew boss Gareth White, who says gender makes no difference to him so long as they have the right attitude – just don’t take any notice of the crew T-shirts, which all show a bearded operator leaning out of the cab of a yarder.

Below: The G White Logging crew.

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 47

Timber profile

they’ve got the right attitude. If you want to succeed, and you’re determined to prove that you can do it, then you can do it.”

He adds that he doesn’t put people into categories: “It’s whether they’re capable of doing the job. I employ people based on attitude and personality before anything else because we’ve got to be able to get along.

“When I employed Rachelle I said to her ‘you know we have a bit of a laugh, we talk like we do on the job and give each other a bit of stick. How do you think you’ll handle that?’. She said ‘no worries’ and that was the end of that conversation. But you gotta ask the question and it doesn’t really matter if it was Rachelle or anybody else. I’d also say that to the other guys.”

48 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

The pros far outweigh any cons, Rachelle says. Asked what she likes about logging, she is quick to point out the team culture and camaraderie, “the way everything and everyone works together to get results and the fun and laughter we have as a crew.”

“Plus, I don’t have to worry about what I wear and no-one judges me on how I look – that’s a nice feeling,” she laughs.

Rachelle adds that seeing what she’s done and produced at the end of the day gives a strong sense of achievement: “A stem can weigh a lot of tonnes and being able to feel in control of that by the touch of a button is really rewarding. It’s also a good challenge, and I’m still pushing myself every day to keep learning tricks to get better and faster.”

But there must be some negatives right?

Rachelle struggles to think of any. She does mention that she doesn’t always “feel very feminine”, covered in grease, dirt or dust at the end of the day. But she balances out “being one of the boys” all week with weekends spent “doing girl stuff and with friends.”

She admits that it is a long day out in the bush and could get lonely but adds: “Sometimes I do get sick of the guys talking about hunting, fishing and pig dogs. I mean if you had other women in the crew it would be great, that would be really good, but other than that I can’t think of any cons.”

Physically, she says there are some aspects she struggles with, partly why she hasn’t had training on the swing yarder yet

(though she is keen), but as Gareth says, that’s not just a female thing, it’s also about mechanical experience and “plenty of guys can’t do that stuff ”.

Rachelle adds that there’s always someone around to help out, saying: “It’s a team thing. It’s quite hard to pick out around here what is a female thing and what isn’t.

“If I need to lug two 20 litre containers across the skid, they don’t ask to help and I don’t expect them to. I really don’t want them to. But if I was struggling with something mechanically, they would come over and offer a hand, but that’s the same with anyone, male or female. I don’t expect to be treated differently.”

Opposite page: Comfortable in her latest workplace, Rachelle Dunn at the controls of a Sumitomo SH 370.

Right: Learning how to process stems into logs was a challenge that Rachelle Dunn enjoyed.

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Timber profile

Operating a processor is a bit different to an office computer, but Rachelle is enjoying the challenge.

Gareth says that with high tech machines these days, computer skills can be as important as mechanical ones.

“Rachelle’s better at that computer stuff than I am,” he says. “Having that office background and understanding that side of it was a big benefit.

“Myself, I’m a bushman, you know what I mean? I’m a logger first. Rachelle takes care of all that stuff. Personally, I don’t think being a male or a female is going to be a deciding factor as to whether you’re successful at logging or not. It’s about attitude and being able to work in a team and setting goals.”

Rachelle’s not shy of the machines, either. She says she’s enjoying the high, spacious cab of the Sumitomo, especially after the bigger, heavier processor she handled previously.

Asked what she would say to women looking to get into the industry, Rachelle reiterates Gareth’s words, saying: “You’ve got to have the right attitude, work hard, just be straight up about your abilities and be willing to learn, fit in and take advice.

“Women might think they want to do

it but be a bit scared because they think they’re going to be put down or it’s going to be too hard, but I haven’t found that.”

Looking ahead, she says she’d like to try another machine when the chance arises and has no ambition to go back to an office.

“This industry is good for women,” she reckons.

“The type of woman it suits is someone who is not afraid of working hard, not afraid of trying new things and challenging themselves, not afraid of dirt, and has a good attitude. You have to fit in with the boys, not get offended by stuff they tend to talk about and give as much crap to them as they do to you (all in good fun).

“And in my opinion, if you want to be a female in this industry you should expect to be treated as an equal, not ask for special treatment.”

“That’s the thing with someone like Rachelle,” adds Gareth, “there’ll always be a future for somebody that has the skills and it doesn’t matter if it’s a male or a female. She brings different things to the table.” NZL

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Training into the Future

When the industry was given the opportunity to respond to the vocational education proposal (ROVE) generated by the Ministry of Education, FICA jumped at the opportunity to actually have our say as a collective. The process was initiated through a meeting of a diverse industry group that collectively committed to seeing this submission develop through to completion and that is what we did. For transparency and a chance to inform you what our industry would ideally like to see happening in the training sector I am going to share the executive summary. Whether we are successful in its full format or a derivative of it, I am pleased that we have a solid and sound concept that reflects the industry voice. The submission came with the collaborative support from NZ Forest Owners and NZ Farm Forestry which also I trust has strengthened the model proposal. Our understanding is that an announcement may be made mid-July. The original consultation document proposed that the NZ Institute of Skills & Technology would be in place by 1 Jan 2020, but there is not any detail in terms of what this actually means. Competenz and other ITO CEOs, have met with various Ministers and officials last month to workshop what the skills leadership function of the new Industry Skills Bodies might look like and we understand a cabinet paper on this was going up so given the timeframes, we must be due to hear something very soon.

Executive Summary

The NZ forest industry has been encouraged by components of the proposal presented in the consultation document with the Ministry of Education. The desire to move to a system where on-the-job and provider-based learning is seamlessly integrated, bodes well for our industry and the idea that industry will shift to an approach with education providers where we say “this is what we want from you” gives certainty to our future if we are to have a successful training system.

We also see opportunities to address the labour shortages in forestry by providing more flexibility to enable delivery of the ideal mix of theory, practical and on-job training where this mix was previously largely outside the sphere of influence of the key stakeholders in the sector.

As an industry we acknowledge there needs to be a strong emphasis on consistency by providers, and emphasis on vocational training not just theory-based learning. Protecting the health and safety of our people at work is as completely dependent on the skills and competencies of our vocational training system as it is on industry and business leadership.

There still exist traditional challenges in the industry involving, recruitment, retention and reward, for which training is no magic bullet and only one of several required interventions. Workplace

Prue Younger, CEO Message learning however, is seen as the key to improving skills, safety, job satisfaction, confidence, productivity, personal growth and development of community and families.

Our summary of the proposals in the reform are; - redefine the roles of education providers and ITOs and extend the leadership roles of industry and employers across all vocational education through new Industry Skills Bodies (ISB).

- create a tertiary institution with the working name of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) bringing together the 16 public Institutes of Technology and Polytechs (ITPs) as a single entity and - create a unified vocational education funding system, equalising funding rates and removing barriers to allow collaboration and flexibility, ensuring a sustainable network of provision, and supporting the wider reforms.

Proposal 1. - Industry Skills Bodies:

We agree with the principle of establishing Industry Skills Bodies.

We seek our own well governed and well managed Industry Skills Body. ( Te Ako Ngahere- Forest Industry Skills Organisation-FISO. See table 1) In addition, we recommend several changes to the presented system (ROVE), primarily moving of training, training facilitation and qualification advice to the Industry Skills Body, and the provision of assessment and moderation via the ISB throughout a qualification. This differs from the suggestion of moderation proposed for end of study assessments.

Proposal 2. - NZIST:

We suppor t the general thrust of the proposal, merging of individual polytechs under one management structure and the concept of regional campuses and Wananga able to host Centres of Vocational Excellence (COVEs). However, in certain circumstances COVEs should also be able to be set up by the ISB, PTE’s or training providers. We do not support moving, the “arranging training” function of ITOs into the NZIST or making the NZIST responsible for all vocational education provision, including supporting workplace training and apprenticeships. These should be functions of our Forestry ISB. Training can be provided to the ISB by way of the NZ Institute of Skills and Technology and PTEs with assistance by a network of Industry Trainers and Assessors operating in collaboration.

Proposal 3. - Unified Funding System:

Our submission expresses that there are compelling reasons why the forest industry will achieve better results for the sector through the unified funding model with all funding being channelled through its own Industry Skills Body.

Funding streams and resources must reflect the character and complexity of the plantation forest sector. A set funding rate for all sectors is not appropriate. Funding needs to be at a rate which reflects the character, complexity and uniqueness of the industry, and is at rates balanced between EFTS and STMs. In addition, funding for forestry training in high schools and pre employment providers should be channelled through the forestry ISB. Our submission describes leadership and ownership of the challenges currently on offer, but previously out of reach or full influence of this sector.

FICA acknowledge contribution and support to the submission by Glen Mackie – NZFOA, Fraser Field – Rayonier Matariki and Greg Steele – FITCO Limited.

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

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top spot Safety/performance/quality

Keeping standards high when unobserved TEMPERATURES MAY BE DROPPING BUT the competition continues to run hot.

However, we have a question we think everyone needs to consider. When eyes are not on you, what do you do to maintain your professionalism?

Chances are that for 80% of the year crews are left to their own devices to get on with the job and produce a product safely and efficiently. And that’s the way it should be.

But, what do you do as individuals and a team to ensure you maintain your work standards?

Because, at the end of the day, how individuals and teams function is really the difference between top performers and everyone else.

Simple as that really.

Sorry to sound like a bit of a cracked record but, leadership, culture and individual responsibility are what counts all day, every day.

On that note, we include a few more photos of participants from crews that reflect that collective approach to achievement and safety.

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

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

Awesome companies, awesome people and

awesome support!

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

They believe in what we do and what you do.

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

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

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, Inta-Wood 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 Contracting, Johnson Forestry Services, 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 NZL 3483037 or at primefm@xtra.co.nz.

Wh the to p slow

Adam Diamond, of Hauraki 91, was first in Yarder for the first period of 2019.

54 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

Witana Murray, of CMH 60, was first-equal in QC/Retrim for the first period of 2019.

Lawrence Teka, from Te Waa 7, was third in Ground Base Extraction/ Shovelling for the first period of 2019.

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new iron

WINTER CAT

JOHN DEERE FOR GT

Corey Winter, from Masterton-based Winter Logging, has scored his first new Cat machine with the arrival of this Cat 330FL. Corey likes the speed and quality of Cat machines and the new 330FL is showcasing these and much more as it settles into work for his operation in the Wairarapa. The unit was sold by Gary Young from Gough Cat.

This is the first John Deere for GT Harvesting – a 959MH fitted with a SouthStar FD 750 falling head, working in the lower North Island. Operator, Shaun Allen, is loving the hydraulic power when falling, as it gives him great control over the tree. Pictured with the new machine are, from left, Jeff Lewis (owner), Shaun Allen and Rusty Moorcock (skiddy). The sale was made by Cameron Wait, CablePrice.

TIGERCAT & WOODSMAN PRO FOR NAB

KOMATSU FOR HANSEN

This purpose-built Tigercat 880D with Woodsman Pro 850 tree harvester is a new addition for NAB Contracting, working in the Whanganui area. The 850 is controlled by the Loggic software system and it features Woodsman Pro’s single bolt-on knife inserts.

Mardi Pritchard, of AB Equipment, made the sale.

Philip and Lynne Hansen, of Matakana-based EF Hansen, have taken delivery of a new Komatsu 895 for their harvesting operations in the Warkworth area which, operator, John Smith, says is a pleasure to operate. Pictured, from left, are John Smith, Roddy Davis, Wayne Garge-Brown, Herb Janssen, Philip Hansen and John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ). Photo: Tinus Barnard (Komatsu Forest NZ).

56 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

new iron

BRC VOLVO

LEW PRINCE DOOSAN

Brent Cudby, of BRC Logging in Gisborne, has taken delivery of his first Volvo. The EC300DL Forestry Carrier is fitted with a Duxson GX181 grapple and single bar grousers. Brent (pictured on the right) is using the Volvo for shovel logging and is impressed with the performance and travel power. The machine was sold by Karl Scragg (Territory Manager, TransDiesel) and delivered by Joe Gradwell and Mike Walker.

Richard Prince has put this Doosan DX 300 LL log loader into his Napier-based swing yarder operation working for Rayonier.

Performing mainly loading duties, operator Hamish (pictured) is liking the extra reach and visibility from the factory spec high cab and logger boom, arm and heel combo and he is very happy with the Duxson GX171 grapple. The machine was supplied by Priceright Parts & Machinery, Rotorua.

BBL CAT AND WOODSMAN PRO

ULTIMATE HITACHI

Gisborne-based BBL Contracting has received a new Cat 336FL fitted with a 850 Woodsman Pro into its East Coast operation. Owners, Tony and Julie Shanahan and operator Logan, are impressed by the big Cat’s power, fuel burn and quietness within the cab. Delivered

by Heath Stewart, Gough Territory Sales Manager, East Coast and Hawke’s Bay.

Patrick and Maria Tasker are loving their new Hitachi ZX290L-5. The machine is the second of this specification for their Hawkes Baybased crew and arrived ready to tackle any forestry task with a live heel and grapple that quickly changes over to a bucket for tracking and earthmoving. Machine sold and supported by CablePrice Hastings.

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 57

new iron

SATCO FOR SEAVIEW

SHERWOOD KOMATSU

Seaview Logging, based in Katikati, has put a Tigercat 855C with new SATCO 630E with Auto-Tensioning and Harvest lock to work in a large King Country woodlot. Clinton is using the machine to fall and also shovel the wood to a position where it can be two-staged to the road.

John and Ellen Sherwood, of Sherwood Logging, have taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 270LC-8 to work in their Kaingaroa Forest operation. Their new PC 270LC-8 has an Ensign guarding package and is fitted with an Ensign 1730C log grapple. Butch Rangiahua, operator, is very impressed with the new machine. Pictured, from left, are Tinus Barnard (Komatsu Forest NZ), Justin Morgan (Partridge Heavy Haulage), Pitoi Herewini, Butch Rangiahua, Jordan Sherwood, John Sherwood and John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ).

BLACKSTUMP CAT

VOLVO FOR A&R

Gisborne-based Blackstump Logging has recently received a new Cat 568GF Forest Machine from Gough Cat. Owners, Wayne and Ange McEwan, love the power of their big new machine as well as the high output it delivers. The 568GF has been put to work in Blackstump Logging’s East Coast operations and was sold by Heath Stewart from Gough Cat.

On a stunning Saturday morning in Gisborne, A&R Logging’s Arana Kuru took delivery of his new Volvo EC300DL VFC. Factory purposebuilt and fitted with a Money Engineering live heel and Ensign 1730C HTC grapple, Arana could not wait to put it to the test. First impressions were a big thumb’s up, very impressed with the power and quietness of the machine and he couldn’t wait to get up the hill to throw some trees around. The machine was sold by Karl Scragg, Territory Manager, East Coast for TransDiesel.

58 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

new iron

JOHN DEERE FOR HOLLOWAY

DOOSAN FOR CROPP

Ritchie Holloway, who is sub-contracting to Lealand Logging, is pictured here with his new John Deere 948L working in the Kaingaroa Forest.

Cropp Logging has taken delivery of its fifth Doosan. This DX225 LL factory-built log loader joins a recently delivered DX300 LL processor working for Wood Marketing in the Rotorua area. The unit is fitted with an Ensign 1530 grapple and was supplied by Priceright Parts & Machinery, Rotorua.

KOMATSU FOR SHANAHAN CAT FOR BROLLY Gerard Brolly, from Brolly Logging, has added a new Cat 330FL to his Wairarapa operations. He likes the speed and productivity the 330FL brings, which when added to the local service back-up provided by Gough Cat, ensures the new Cat is a combo that hits the mark. Gary Young, from Gough Cat, sold the machine.

Tony ‘Irish’ and Julie Shanahan, of Gisborne-based BBL Contracting, have taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 300LC-8 equipped with an EMS guarding package, along with a live heel and an Ensign 1730IH log grapple. Operator, Kurtis Michie, is very impressed with the lift and slew, saying “we are in big wood, but the Komatsus I have operated always have a ton of power”. Pictured, from left, are Kurtis Michie, Tony ‘Irish’ Shanahan and John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ).

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 59

new iron

LOG CHAMP FOR MCDOUGALL MCDougall Logging has received its new T Mar Log Champ 650 for its operations in the Whanganui Region. Replacing an older Madill 120, this T Mar is impressing with its operator comfort, pulling power, pulling speed and all-round increased production, helping reassure Ray McDougall he made the right decision to go with T Mar. Ray, operator Nelson and the crew are pictured with the new machine, which was sold by Mardi Pritchard, of AB Equipment.

KOBELCO & WOODSMAN PRO FOR WILD CHERRY Wild Cherry Logging, which is working in the Lake Taupo area, has taken delivery of a Woodsman Pro 850 attached to a Kobelco SK500LC-8. This is Wild Cherry’s second Woodsman Pro. The sale was made by Chase Murphy, from MIMICO, Matamata.

TIGERCAT & WOODSMAN PRO FOR STEWART

DOUGLAS CAT

Stewart Logging has added another Woodsman Pro to its line-up.

The latest head is a Woodsman Pro 850, mounted onto a Tigercat 890 forestry machine. The sale was made by Ben Kenrick, from AB Equipment, Napier.

Douglas Logging recently took delivery of a new Cat 323 next generation excavator. The unit is the first next gen unit to be converted to high and wide undercarriage with single bar grousers for forestry roading. Anton is an outstanding operator who can do tricky forestry roading projects in difficult terrain and not take any "bark" (ie paint) off his machine! Proudly sold by Jimmy Brewin, Gough Cat Territory Sales Manager, Northland.

60 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

new iron

KRUEZ-Y VOLVO FAR NORTH HITACH This new Hitachi ZX160 excavator owned by Far North Roading is clearing a block that has been harvested and reinstating water tables.

Larry Flavell has added a new Volvo EC250DL VFC to his operation in Maramarua, The new Volvo was delivered with a Rotobec grapple supplied by TransDiesel to perform fleeting, loading and shovelling duties for the Waikato-based crew. Pictured with the new machine is crew foreman Buda (right) from Kruez logging and Ewen Satherley, of TransDiesel, who made the sale.

BUSHLINE SUMI & SOUTHSTAR

DOOSAN FOR WHISKER

Masterton-based Bushline Forest Harvesting has taken delivery of a new SH350TLFS with a SouthStar 630 processor, with guarding and cab built by MSN Heavy in Fielding. This Sumitomo joins three others on the skid in Martinborough. Reliability, back-up and service made buying another Sumitomo an easy decision. Owner, Rob Coulsen, and his crew are pictured with the new machine, which was sold by Mardi Pritchard, AB Equipment.

Whisker Harvesting’s thinning crew, owned by Nick Whisker and Colin Wroe, has taken delivery of a new Doosan DX235. This machine includes a high and wide, raised cab and guarding package from Feilding-based MSN Heavy. The Doosan spends most of its life shovelling in the forest for the skidder, but also does a spot of post wood loading. Pictured, from left, are Mike, Smally, Colin and Chet. Sold by Mardi Pritchard, AB Equipment.

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 61

NZ LOGGER classified

CONTRACTORS PLANT NZ LTD 59 Broadlands Rd - Taupo

EQUIPMENT SALES

BROKERS

HIRE

FLEET SELL DOWN Tigercat 615C Grapple Skidder: Band tracks, ex tyres, very straight, 2,800 hrs.

D

Timberpro 840C Forwarder: NZ new, band tracks, very tidy, only 3,000 hrs.

SOL

Cat 527 Track Skidder, only 4.050 hrs.

Komatsu PC300LC-8 / Waratah 625C:

Komatsu PC300LC-8 / Waratah 625C: Very good condition, 8,100 hrs.

SOL

D

Timberpro TL765C / Southstar QS600: NZ new, only 3,700 hrs.

Komatsu PC300LC-8 / Woodsman 800: 8,600 hrs.

Tigercat LH830 Feller Buncher: Woodsman PRO Felling head.

Tigercat 830C, Tilting Feller Buncher, Woodsman felling head.

ROTORUA

E:

PALMERSTON NORTH

LE philt@heavymachineryservices.co.nz MP TO A S HO P

CONTACT: PHIL TODD

M: 027 595 0019

John Deere 548GIII Grapple Skidder: 5,700 hrs. NZ new, Harvestline Haulers: genuine low hour machine presented in excellent condition. 2 units to choose from Cat and Komatsu bases.

Popular size for woodlot harvesting. $155,000 plus GST Contact us for further information.

LG29666

Timberjack 460D Grapple: Very good tyres, rebuilt engine.

Tigercat 615C 6 Wheeler

$P.O.A

P: (07) 345 4343

Cat D6T XL: NZ new machine, only 1,870 hrs. Forestry guarded, Paacar winch (same as Cat 527), fairlead.

Conventional track gear – NOT System One. $P.O.A

Komatsu PC220LC-8 Log Loader: 11,000 hrs, full guarding Cat 324DL Log Loader: Kawasaki 65ZIV: package, Ensign grapple, good undercarriage.

Tidy machine, square back Ensign log forks.

Always popular and this unit is tidy. Very good $135,000 plus GST undercarriage, Ensign grapple. $45,000 plus GST $115,000 plus GST

Trades Considered – Finance Available (normal lending criteria applies)

Contact: Peter Wilson Mobile: 0274 948 742 or 07 378 6844 Email: cplnz@xtra.co.nz Contact: Phil Todd Mobile: 0275 950 019 or 07 345 4343 Email: philt@heavymachineryservices.co.nz 62 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

HAULER PARTS NZ

410c Lower Queen Street, Richmond, Nelson, Tasman.

Your Best Choice for Hauler Parts and Service WE HAVE THE PARTS TO GET THE JOB DONE! WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE TO GET THE JOB DONE!

!!HAULER HEALTH CHECKS!!

HAULER TOWER CERTS GET YOUR HAULER'S HEALTH CHECKED & TOWER CERTS NZ WIDE REGISTER YOUR INTEREST NOW AT www.drdiesel.nz/haulerwof OR INQUIRE AT service@drdiesel.nz

PREVENT THIS BRAKE LININGS, ALL CUT TO SIZE. BRAKE PUCKS USE THIS

DR D's Y-SCREEN FILTER KITS AIR RAMS WATER PUMPS COPPER PLATES DEUBLIN VALVES AIR DUMP VALVES AIR VALVES / CONTROLLERS HYDRAULIC PUMP / MOTORS BRAKE AIR VALVES / TREADLES AIR COMPRESSORS & SERVICE KITS FINAL DRIVES AND SO MUCH MORE

COMING SOON! SERVICE & RECONDITIONING OF ALL HYDRAULIC RAMS AND SEALS

GEAR TAC 460 The Ultimate Replacement for Black Tac

410c Lower Queen Street, Richmond, Nelson Office: 03 544 4172 Mobile: 021 811 057 sales@drdiesel.nz | www.drdiesel.nz

GT-460 MULTI GOLD

5th Wheel / Turntable Grease Replacement

COOL TR

HAULER PARTS NZ AIR VALVES / CONTROLLERS

1 DE 1 1007 REXROTH HD-2-FX CONTROLAIR & SERVICE KITS

1262 AVENTICS PILOTAIR 2-HA-2

1189 KOBELT CYPRESS & 1031REBUILD KIT

1296 KOBELT MADILL 124

1058 HUMPHREY 70 CONTROL

1020 1302 1209 1207 1019 WILLIAMS WM90DM WILLIAMS WILLIAMS WM512C WILLIAMS PRESSURE 3 WAY, 2 WM498W HYDRAULIC WM-607-C1 MODULATING VALVE POSITION THROTTLE & SERVICE KITS TOGGLE VALVE CYLINDER

AIR RAMS

1193 1251 1003 WILLIAMS 1270 WILLIAMS 1265 WILLIAMS PARKING BREAK WM498P WMR318 MAXI BRAKE WM318-G VALVE CONTROL REPAIR KIT REPAIR KIT SWITCH & REPAIR KITS VALVE

1205 THUNDERBIRD TMY50/70 GUY WINCH MAXIBRAKE

1035 MADILL 122/123 SPRING MAXIBRAKE M2475

1204 12/16 STRAWLINE MAXIBRAKE

1025 WABCO / BENDIX AIR DRYER

1295 1021 1022 THUNDERBIRD MADILL 122/124 TMY 50/70 GUY WINCH AIR MADILL 122 GUY WINCH TOWER DOG RAM & RAM AIR RAM REPLACMENT CYLINDERS

1153 THUNDERBIRD TSY 155

BRAKE AIR VALVES / TREADLES

1178 WM 305 SINGLE TREADLE DUAL VALVE & REPAIR KITS

1047 WILLIAMS 472 & WM325 / WM472 REPAIR KITS

1252 WM472/352 CARTRIDGE

1177 BENDIX DUAL ACTION BRAKE TREADLE

1208 WPT DUMP VALVE

1186 DUMP VALVE

EDW BUT

1176 WILLIAMS WM352F MODULATING VALVE

AIR DUMP VALVES

1174 WILLIAMS QUICK RELEASE VALVE

W NE

MAD TRANS TRAN S

1052 1026 FAIRCHILD MODEL 20 TWIN DISC CLUTCH HIGH CAPACITY DUMP VALVE & REPAIR VOLUME BOOSTER KITS

1179 WILLIAMS AIR DUMP VALVE & REPAIR KITS

1172 BENDIX T-240004-D DUMP VALVE

AIR COMPRESSORS

1109 BENDIX DF-596 COMPRESSOR

1190 CUMMINS BRAKE AIR COMPRESSOR

1226 CAT COMPRESSOR

1187 QUINCY 325, 350, 370 NEW & EXCHANGE

1305 BRAND NEW QUINCY 370 AIR COMPRESSOR

1292 QUINCY 370 COMPRESSOR AIR COOLING TUBE

1230 PILOTED UNLOADER CHECK VALVE

1192 BENDIX SHUTTLE VALVE

1260 COMPRESSED AIR REGULATOR LUBRICATOR

1229 BENDIX AIR COMPRESSOR GOVERNOR

1284 TALKIE TOOTER AIR SOLENOID

1225 WM80A AVANTICS SHUTTLE VALVE SHUTTLE VALVE

1070 EATON 224 RUBBER DIAPHRAGM

1085 ADT WICHITA 18”, 19”, 21”, 24” AIR TUBE

1313 WICHITA 3 SPUD TUBES HHVVV 18”, 19”, 21”, 24”

SUPPLIERS OF OREGON HARVEST CHAIN + CHAIN SHARPENING SERVICES

REA

DI

14”, 1

2

www.drdiesel.nz

sales@drdiesel.nz

ULTRA DEGREASER 1000

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Dissolves Black-Tac

COOLING SYSTEM TREATMENT

WE SELL OREGON HARVEST CHAIN

1241 COMPLETE DIESEL FUEL TREATMENT

1055 FULLER'S EARTH POWDER 250G

1164 POWERUP GEARMAXX

1004 OREGON 3/4 HARVEST CHAIN

DEUBLIN VALVES

1010 DEUBLIN 5/8”-18

1009 DEUBLIN 1” NPT

1012 DEUBLIN 3/8” NPT

1011 DEUBLIN 5/8”-18

1156 WICHITA LONG WATER UNION ADAPTER

1016 DEUBLIN 1/4” NPT

DEUBLIN SERVICE KITS

019 LIAMS 607-C1

1129 DEUBLIN

53 ERBIRD 155

ES

1017 DEUBLIN 3/8” NPT

1057 WICHITA CLUTCH AIR TUBE BLANK ADAPTER

1159 DEUBLIN THUNDERBIRD WATER UNION

1013 DEUBLIN WICHITA CLUTCH 18”, 19”, 21”

1015 DEUBLIN 1”-14 NPT

WATER PUMPS

SWITCHES / BUTTONS

W NE

1014 DEUBLIN 1” NPT

E YL ST

1201 EDWARDS 820 BUTTON (NEW STYLE)

1008 POTENTIOMETER 4 POLE TERMINALS

1024 MADILL 122-123 TRANS F-REVERSE SWITCH

1023 MADILL 122-123HI-LO TRANS SWITCH

1101 DETROIT 60 SERIES ENGINE THROTTLE SWITCH

76 AMS 52F ATING VE

1266 TWIN DISC 2 SPEED TRANSMISSION COIL

2 IX 04-D ALVE

1203 ACT 8 WATER PUMP 90252008 + KITS

1081 ACT 06 WATER BRAKE PUMP

TWIN DISC TRANSMISSION CONTROL VALVE GASKETS

1082 BE70-85 WATER BREAK PUMP

1194 WATER BRAKE RETURN SCREEN FILTER

1262 DETROIT 60 SERIES ENGINE THROTTLE SENSOR

1279 TWIN DISC 5 SPEED MADILL TRANSMISSION 009/046/071 FUEL / COIL HYDRAULIC PUMPS

1211 CLUTCH ACCUMULATOR MADILL & THUNDERBIRD

1181 STRAWLINE PADS

R UBE

1206 MONARCH NT2L8S

1121 WICHITA 224 WATER BRAKE

1242 / 1243 / 1318 CHOKER BATTERIES CR-P2, CR2, 2CR5

BRAKE PUCKS 4”, 4.5”, 5”, 6”, 7”, 8” 1199 MADILL 124 HYDRAULIC PUMP DRIVE SHAFT

W ED E N OV N R G P SI IM DE

COPPER PLATES EATON 18”, 24” WICHITA 18’, 19”, 21”, 24“, 30”, 36”

WICHITA 18", 19", 21", 24" WEAR PACKING SPACER

1163 1184 EATON 118 - 218 NUT WICHITA 19" BOLT SET 5/16 X 2 FRICTION PLATE KIT INNER AND OUTER COPPER PLATES

1045 TWIN DISK CLUTCH SEPARATOR PLATE KIT

A BES

”, 24”

nz

REACTION DISCS 14”, 16”, 18”, 24”

1087 WICHITA 18”, 21” ALUMINIUM REACTION DISC

WICHITA / TWIN 1188 DISC WICHITA 16" 14”, 18”, 21”, CENTER FRICTION 24”, 36” TWIN PUCK

1161 ADT WICHITA VENTED DRIVE DISC

1065 EATON 18” / 24” FRICTION DISC

1083 / 1084 BFG OIL TUBE / BAG 20¼ X 5, 22 X 5, 26 X 5, 26 X 7

HAULER PARTS NZ

1191 BFG OIL BAG BLOCK 22X5, 26X5, 26X7

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W

of the

Equipment MONTH

Finance rates available 0800 346 275

SUMITOMO SH300-5

2014. Tidy low hour forestry spec with Satco 425 processing head.

7,992 hrs.

$328,000.00

$3 SAVE ,00 0!

Invercargill #E1118113

HITACHI ZX330LC-5G 2012. Hydraulic Hitch, GP Bucket, Tilt Bucket, ROPS Cab, Aux Piping, Reverse Camera, HRV's fitted to boom and arm rams. 9,882 hrs.

JOHN DEERE 624K

2010. Trinder log forks, Groeneveld auto lube, rear radiator guard, full mud guards, one owner driver from new. 16,342 hrs.

$150,000.00

Nelson #E0718076

NOW

$76,500.00

$2 SAVE 5,0 00 !

Auckland #E0519024

WAS

$79,500.00

2013. Auto lube, log forks, GP bucket, as new tyres, guarding, rear camera. 9,250 hrs.

$155,000.00

JOHN DEERE 624K

2013. Hydraulic quick hitch, auxiliary piping, auto lube system, lever steer, new 20.5 x 25 rims. Tidy loader. 5,091 hrs Christchurch #E0419010

$168,000.00

Waratah HTH626 Big Wood head. Devine engineering ROPS, FOPS, OPS and forestry guarding. 11,000 hrs.

Grapple Skidder, Good condition. 12,260 hrs.

Rotorua #E0519022

$115,000.00

SO LD!

Nelson #E1018109

VOLVO EC360CL

CATERPILLAR 525C

Hastings #E1217095

HITACHI ZX400LCH-3

2011. Ensign 1730 log grapple, live heel. Gary Douglas side door guarding package, hydraulic door on cabin ROPS frame. 15,181 hrs.

Palmerston North #E0818078

WAS

$250,000.00 NOW

$225,000.00

$5 SAVE ,00 0!

JOHN DEERE 624K

$105,000.00

TIGERCAT 630C

2008. Tidy low hour skidder with winch. Near new front tyres and good rear tyres 6,160 hrs.

$170,000.00

Whangarei #E1018102

$165,000.00

WAS NOW

Contact your local CablePrice sales representative for all enquiries Northland: Phil McKenzie 0276 202 505 | North Shore: Luke Larsen 0275 884 064 | Auckland / Coromandel: Simon Birchall 0278 096 211 Auckland: Donal Campbell 0278 088 006 | Hamilton / Taranaki: Angelo Capon 0276 037 517 | Central North Island: Terry Duncan 0275 943 550 Hawke’s Bay / Gisborne: Colin Dulley 0272 047 289 | Lower North Island: Cameron Wait 0275 427 250 | Nelson / Marlborough: Todd Blackwood 0275 223 445 West Coast / Canterbury: Andrew McCoy 0275 320 238 | Otago / Southland: Daryl Highsted 0275 771 264 *Terms & conditions apply. All prices exclude GST

Free Phone: 0800 555 456 | sales@cableprice.co.nz | www.cableprice.co.nz

t

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEB SITE

W

www.blackduck.co.nz

SEAT COVERS

Forestry Equipment • Trucks • Utes – Vans – Commercials Construction Machinery • Agriculture Machinery • Quad Bikes

• Manufacturing for over 25 years

SEAT COVERS • Water & rot proof

• Easy to fit - easy to clean • Side airbag compatible

• • • • • • • • •

Genuine high quality 12oz canvas • Tailored specifically to fit each type of seat Manufacturing for over 20 years • Over 3000 patterns available Water & rot proof Easy to fit - easy• to clean your vehicle investment Protect Side airbag compatible • Overnight available on most products Tailored specifically to fit each delivery type of seat Over 3000 patterns available Protect your vehicle investment Overnight delivery available on most products

Ph: 0800 158 479 sales@blackduck.co.nz

0 158 479 - sales@blackduck.co.nz - www.blackduck.co.nz

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Valuation Services Include:

Forestry Civil construction and contracting Transport Mining Quarrying and extractive industries Any heavy plant & machinery Valuations for financing Valuation for financial reporting Valuations for insurance purposes Sale and purchase advice of assets Asset management Company acquisitions Lease provision Equity position Market Values Liquidation Transfer of assets into company or trust

N

N

Contact: James Peacocke 0274 222 476 Email: james@mountmachinery.nz Mail: PO Box 4254, Mt Maunganui, 3149 www.mountmachinery.nz

LG27935

• Genuine high quality 12oz canvas

LG28714

UPER OUGH

NZ LOGGER classified

STRONG & RELIABLE GRAPPLES STRONG && RELIABLE RELIABLE GRAPPLES GRAPPLES STRONG Made in NZ

• M SERIES 852 AND 864 – STRONG & RELIABLE GRAPPLES

LG29717

68 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

I d r r W

w

N

Grapplesand andall allspares sparesinin Grapples stockwith withovernight overnightdelivery delivery stock

Hea cylin circ

• GRAPPLES AND ALL SPARES IN STOCK WITH OVERNIGHT DELIVERY PROVEN852 AFTER SERIES and864 864 MM•SERIES 852 and SALES SERVICE STRONG&&RELIABLE RELIABLE STRONG GRAPPLES GRAPPLES

Bra 100 hea

U

ProvenAfter AfterSales Sales Proven Service Service ContactMarty MartyororBruce Bruce Contact Ph027 027324 3249091 9091 Ph 79Chambers ChambersStreet, Street,Tokoroa Tokoroa 79 enquiries@cdlloggrapples.co.nz enquiries@cdlloggrapples.co.nz

A DIVISION OF

Use Com

Jas ww

s e c i v r e S y r t s e r Waratah Fo

Floor Stock on Hand Just traded 625c with TimberRite Optimisation computer system, auto tension mainsaw and ¾ topsaw. Our Waratah technician will partially or fully rebuild this unit to meet your needs.

Talk to us today.

Waratah 625C Harvester

NEW STOCK NEW

NEW

FL95 Series II Brand new floor stock, Fixed saw box felling head with 1000mm log cut. Ready to replace any existing felling head plug and play. Auto tension main saw $80,000 Intimidate any steep slope with this specialist – the new Waratah FL95.Boasting Boastinganan extreme Intimidate any steep slope with this specialist – the new Waratah FL95. extreme downslope tilttilt angle, auto tension saw, extra-large cutting and grapple capacities, and weight in in thethe downslope angle, auto tension saw, extra-large cutting and grapple capacities, and weight right place for maximum carrier stability, it will help you get more work done faster. Plus, its optional right placesaw for box maximum carrier you stability, help you or getout more work done faster. retractable is just where need it it will when felling, of the way when shovel logging.

With the FL95, you’ll see challenging work dominated from a new angle.

With the FL95, you’ll see challenging work dominated from a new angle.

NEW

FL85 Series II Brand new Floor stock, small felling head ideal for small 20 ton carrier, auto tension saw $64,000

www.Waratah.com

New Waratah SG360RS Grapple with Supersaw 650S Extra heavily reinforced model for the toughest jobs in the forest and excavator applications, Strong cushioned cylinder reduces shock loads, ¾ Saw unit SC300 Integrated mounting of saw motor, No hoses in the saw box, Simple installation Introductory Pricing $38,500

www.Waratah.com

NEW

For information contact: For more more information contact:

Waratah at 03 9747or4200 0800 4WARATAH 0800 492 728

NEW

USED

Waratah 852 Log Grapple

Waratah 864 Log Grapple

Rebuilt 626 Bigwood

Heavy duty fleet and stack grapple. High pressure cylinders allow mains pressure to be used in grapple circuit.

Price $27,750

Heavy duty fleet and stack grapple. High pressure cylinders allow mains pressure to be used in grapple circuit.

Price $29,550

Rebuilt 626 Bigwood - New motors, line bore, new pins, hydraulic valve bank reseal, repaint. New TimberRite automation system.

Price $185,000

USED

USED

Waratah 618C Used unit with TR100 Controller Coming soon POA

USED

Waratah 622B TimberRite Head only. Softwood spec. Ready to go As is price $42,500.00

FL85 Series II Used unit As is price $40,000 *prices exclude GST and are valid for a limited period.

Jason Huitema - Customer Support +64274864227 www.waratah.com

NZ LOGGER classified

KOMATSU PC 400LC-8

www.chains.co.nz ENGINEERED WITH EXPERIENCE....

LG29664

Price $695,000 + GST Phone 0272 379 160

70 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

Chain Protection have been Clark Tracks NZ agent for 20 + Years.

Chain Protection Services Ph: 03 338 1552 • E: chainpro@xtra. co.nz • www.chains.co.nz

LG28236

This harvester has a full EMS build, boom and arm, tilt bonnet, cab etc.

The factory radiator and oil cooler have been replaced by an high flow radiator and oil cooler. Plus an auxiliary oil cooler in the counter-weight.

Base has done 3350 hours.

The head has only done 1000hrs and still has 1000hrs warranty left on it, 3000hrs on the chassis.

Has the latest optimisation timberite H16 computer system.

New colour marking which is not fitted.

Currently being used and will be available end of April early May so the hours will climb a little.

Clark Grouzer Super Grip with 28mm links for 30.5x32 Firestone tyres is the single wheel track that delivers maximum climbing capability for 6-wheeled machines.

GSG’s give exceptional traction and require less maintenance than tyre chains. $10150.00 + GST per pair while stock lasts.

NZ LOGGER classified

Mobile welding & light fabrication Servicing Bay of Plenty and Waikato

NEW WORK and REPAIRS onsite to all forestry machinery LG29718

we will come to you anytime Visit www.customweld.co.nz Facebook: Tauranga CustomWelding

LG29731

Re-grip for winter with our Nokian and Maxxis combo deals.

CHOOSE THE HARDEST WORKERS. Call us on 0800 NOKIAN (0800 665 426) or email info@nokian.nz to find a dealer.

Like Nokian, Maxxis understands how to make tyres stand up to the roughest of conditions and keep working hard, day after day. So this winter, we have combo offers so you can go further not only in the forest, but also on the roads that get you there. Talk to us about your requirements today.

www.maxxis.co.nz www.nokian.co.nz

July 2019 | NZ LOGGER 71

NZ LOGGER classified

NOW AVAILABLE FOR HIRE

visit us on

LG26859

www.facebook.com/RWFSfieldservice

Ph: 07 348 0501 Email: Info@rwfs.co.nz Mob: 027 817 9448 Workshop 41 Riri Street, Rotorua

IN FORESTRY, IT’S THE SIMPLE THINGS

DONE WELL THAT REALLY WORK

Ben Addenbrooke 027 359 2360 S O UTH IS LA ND S A LE S Nick Andrews 027 548 7761

dcforestryequipment.com

72 NZ LOGGER | July 2019

FALCON C L AW SAFE . SIMPLE . PRODUCTIVE

LG25750

NO R TH IS LA ND S A LE S :

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

DOZERS: Caterpillar, D4H, D6C, D6H, Komatsu D65 + D85, tie back dozers, D85/21.

Excavators: Caterpillar 320, 322, 325, 330, B,C & D. Hyundai 250/9 Volvo 240C log rigged.

Teebar manufactured and sold. Wheeled loader WA470/3.

Lakeland Heavy Machinery Ltd

Branches now in the NZ LARGEST RANGE OF SKIDDER FOR SALE: Clark 664, 666C, 666B, F67 Grapple Skidders No rth & South Island CHAINS, HEAVIER AND BETTER Komatsu D65/6 and D85/21 log rigged, CAT 936, 950B and Komatsu WA470/ wheeled loaders, buckets or forks.

Forestry Tyre Chains NZ largest raNge Of skidder

Branches noNZ w in LARGEST the North & South IslSTOCKS and

Super Heavy Dutyheavier aNd Better ChaiNs, 35.5x32 - Weight 10000kg 30.5x32 - Weight 950kg 29.5x32 28L Super Heavy Duty 23.5x26 30.5x32 - Weight 950kg

Forestry Tyre Chains

OF DOZER

NZ largest + DIGGER stOCks CHAINS, OfROLLERS dOZer + digger IDLERS, ChaiNs, SPROCKETS rOller available Roller rebuilding/reshells Track press service idlers, Mini Excavator tracks sPrOCkets

35.5x32

Heavy 29.5x32 Duty

30.5x32 -23.5x26 Weight 650kg Heavy Duty Machines

30.5x32 - Weight 650kg

Zaxis 270Standard with teebar. Teebars in stock.

D7H with30.5x32 winch - Weight 365kg Machines

Roller rebuilding/reshells available Track press service available Mini excavator tracks also available

PC350/6 with teebar or grapple DYH with winch

Cat and Komatsu Pumps Komatsu Pumps

WE QUOTE HEAVY TRACK CHAINS We DUTY QuOte heavy duty traCk ChaiNs BONING OUT DISMANTLING 525 CAT 518,CAT 525A B & C, Clark, WRECKING, SKIDDERS, John Deere TJack.

BULLDOZERS, LOADERS, Excavators all makes, CAT EXCAVATORS All Models, 3x 33OD Cat, FOR SALE: Dozer parts

NYLON / FIBRE DRIVE GEARS NYLON / FIBRE DRIVE GEARS

CAT D5B, D6D, D7H D65 & D85 KOMATSU POA TRY US WE ARE FOR WORTH IT! SALE: More Machines On Our Website NEWParts PARTS, CAT, KOMATSU, New Clark off the shelf MACHINES $2476-$6884 + gst.

Grouser Bar From $36 per 3 EXCAVATORS metres HITACHI & SUMI ADJUSTERS DOZERS + DIGGERS Scrap Handling units also 32.5x32 FIRESTONE available Used Tyres RECOIL SPRINGS AVAILABLE 126-136 View Road, PO Box 1976, Rotorua Email: info@heavy-machinery.co.nz • Phone: 07 347 0765 • Fax: 07 349 2325 • Mob 0274 945 886 ROTATING GRAPPLES TO FIT 1 TO 40 TONNES ROTATING GRAPPLES MACHINES $2476 to 30K + gst.

TO FIT 1 TONNE TO 15 TONNE Shears, dredge buckets

126-136 View Road, PO Box 1976, Rotorua Email: info@heavy-machinery.co.nz

• Phone: 07 347 0765 • Fax: 07 349 2325 • Mob 0274 945 886 Check our website for more info www.heavy-machinery.co.nz

Check our website for more info www.heavy-machinery.co.nz

EXCAVATOR WORLD

Hokitika South Island BuLLDOzERS EXCAVATORS SkIDDERS

All NEW Stock

orS ExcAVAt for SAlE

er in 0/3 30 tonn Hitachi EX30 et or grapple. ck bu r de or nice + GST $39,000

LG25750

• • • •

Buckets Cabins final drive Parts grapples

• • • •

Pump Parts ram seal kits rOPs slew drives

ALL MAKES, NEW WINDOWS, NEW DOORS + PANELS, NEW RADIATORS AND COOLERS, ENGINE KITS + GASKETS, COMPUTERS, FINAL DRIVES AND PUMPS

Logger ad March 2019.pdf 1 21-Mar-19 3:20:25 PM

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Swaged 6x31 rope is the new standard in the forestry industry.

Our high performance rope provides improved exibility and increased bend cycles resulting in increased rope life & reduced downtime.