FOREST TALK

Red light, green light

OMICRON LOOKS CERTAIN TO SWEEP

across New Zealand over the coming months. Experience overseas suggests this highly infectious COVID-19 variant is going to disrupt supply chains and leave businesses without enough workers to operate, either because they are sick or having to isolate.

That means now is the time to make any lastminute improvements to business continuity and worker wellbeing plans, including ways to reduce the spread of the infection and to help workers and businesses recover as quickly as possible.

While forestry isn’t currently covered by the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement, all businesses need to do an assessment of the risks of people being infected at work, says Safetree’s Fiona Ewing. Experience in New Zealand and overseas shows that vaccination remains the most effective way to protect people, businesses and communities.

To be specific the Government recommendation that covers forestry is worded:

A business can also decide work requires vaccination

Outside of Government vaccination mandates, businesses can assess whether specific work in their workplace requires vaccination if a risk assessment identifies this is necessary for work health and safety purposes.

THE TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND HOPEFULLY IT HAS YOU THINKING ABOUT HOW WORK SHOULD HAPPEN GOING FORWARD, PREDICITING COVID INFECTIONS COULD HAPPEN BUT PUTTING STOPS IN PLACE TO REDUCE THE RISK. WE KNOW THAT VACCINATION IS OUR BEST SOLUTION AGAINST THE RISK.

A Case X a young forester was out at the night club with the

Case C (Covid Infected) last Saturday night so deemed a

“close contact” on the Ministry of Health’s tracer scan on

Wednesday the next week.

2

PAX

B Case X had been travelling that week with his crew mates in the confines of the company van to site each day Monday to

Wednesday when the contractor receives the news that

Case X is a close contact suspect.

The whole crew is immediately told to isolate at home as “associated contacts“ and are tested, awaiting results 48 hours later.

The business is required to shut down until they are cleared.

8

PAX

C Further precautions are taken and all the families of these associated crew members go into isolation at home for 48 hours until their crew members results come back.

43

PAX

D Tracing back the movements of the crew members and their families if you assume that they had all visited on average 4 places from Monday – Wednesday and the 20 children involved had been to four schools each with 400 pupils.

This scenario alone would now effect a mega out break and close many more businesses. Further testing and association to the original case would go far and wide as those 52 people visiting 4 places of interests (assume 35 people at each place) and the schools.

8,800

PAX

8,800

Fortunately in this case all the crew were vaccinated and all received negative results. It got them thinking about how work should happen going forward, prediciting this happening and putting stops in place to reduce the risk. By the way we could also have added the truck driver and the supervisor from the forest company that came out to visit twice and then went back to their offices where they could potentially infect more people – that 8,800 could easily have gone to tens of thousands if it had gone the other way!

The Forest Industry Contractors Association’s (FICA) Prue Younger says, “In practical terms I believe that most contractors are working towards mandatory vaccination in their crews”.

Ms Ewing adds that while the outdoor nature of harvesting and silviculture operations would appear to reduce the chances of forestry businesses meeting the threshold for a vaccine mandate, companies should be aware that this could be affected by crews travelling long distances together in vehicles.

We also need to keep following the ‘golden rules’ that applied to earlier COVID-19 variants, including staying home if sick and getting tested, using the COVID tracer app, keeping your distance from strangers and wearing masks, and keeping plant and vehicles clean, says Ms Ewing. Working and travelling in ‘bubbles’ also means that if someone gets sick, fewer people will have to test and isolate.

Safetree’s latest COVID-19 guidance, Forestry Work Under the COVID-19 Protection Framework (Traffic Light System) includes information on how to assess the risk to workers, put in place controls to protect people (and your business) and what to do if someone at work gets sick (https://safetree.nz/resources/covid-19/).

The guide includes links to official information about requirements at different traffic light levels.

Safetree’s guide also includes a link to the government’s tool to help businesses decide if they should introduce a vaccine mandate. Under the tool, a business must answer ‘yes’ to at least three out of four questions before it would be reasonable to require vaccination for a particular role.

In addition, everyone needs to be prepared for being sick at home, and the Government COVID-19 website has a checklist to download and use to help you prepare (https://covid19. govt.nz/).

Advice from FICA on how to navigate the traffic light system and manage COVID-19 infection risk is illustrated in the flyers above. NZL

THE TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND HOPEFULLY IT HAS YOU THINKING ABOUT HOW WORK SHOULD HAPPEN GOING FORWARD, PREDICITING COVID INFECTIONS COULD HAPPEN BUT PUTTING STOPS IN PLACE TO REDUCE THE RISK. WE KNOW THAT VACCINATION IS OUR BEST SOLUTION AGAINST THE RISK.

Contractors, you as a PCBU have the right to establish your own policy around vaccination so we believe you have three options:

Prioritise vaccination and make it mandatory

If non-vaccinated persons do come onto site then ask them for 24 hour notice in advance and ensure they wear all PPE and maintain 2m distancing Your staff can also wear PPE if working in close proximity ensuring they stick to all the guidelines under the Industry Protocols

3 If non-vaccinated persons do come onto site you have the right to request either PCR test results or

Rapid Antigen testing before they proceed further

Extra controls to consider if workers, or visitors, are not vaccinated:

• Increased surveillance of symptoms. • Maintain work and travel bubbles, managing carpooling appropriately. • Ensure that any concerns vaccinated workers have about working with unvaccinated people are addressed.

The stronger our immunity as a country, the broader and brighter our possibilities. Reaching high levels of vaccination will allow us to start paving the way toward reconnecting with each other and the world

Omicron: ‘when, not if’

AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRINT, THE

COVID-19 traffic light settings had been newly reviewed. This was in response to the worldwide surge in Omicron cases as well as the possible spread from an Omicron-infected MIQ worker in New Zealand.

Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, says while New Zealand’s border systems are working hard to keep the new variant at bay, Omicron emerging in the community is a case of “when, not if”.

“The environment we’re operating in internationally at the moment is one of caution,” she says.

“Omicron is rife globally and at some point we do expect that Omicron will reach beyond our border, and we need to be prepared.”

When the Omicron variant enters the community, the whole country will shift to the toughest Red traffic light setting within 24-48 hours. Lockdowns are not part of the traffic light system, and while they are still an option if required, they won’t be used as they were in 2020 and 2021. This will allow businesses and domestic travel to stay open.

The Prime Minister urges people to keep up to date with their vaccinations and get a booster as soon as they’re eligible.

Government has already brought forward booster doses and pushed back the border reopening in response to the Omicron threat.

Omicron is said to be highly contagious but with milder effect than the Delta variant. NZL

Log market roundup

Story: Scott Downs, Director of Sales and Marketing, PF Olsen.

SHIPPING CONGESTION HAS CLEARED IN CHINA AND THE

backlog of log vessels has been discharged without log inventory increasing. Reduced supply in December and January should lead to reduced inventory levels heading into the Chinese Lunar New Year at the start of this month. At the time of going to print, prices had risen by about 20% on November, however log demand in 2022 is still uncertain.

The At Wharf Gate (AWG) prices for export logs remained unchanged in December, although there were price increases in a couple of ports where exporters managed to secure favourable spot deals for shipping. The CFR sale price in China bottomed at 130-135 USD per JASm3 for A grade.

The PF Olsen Log Price Index remained at $110 for December, $12 below the two-year average, $13 below the three yearaverage and $14 below the five-year average.

Domestic log market

Log supply and pricing Log pricing generally remained flat towards the end of Quarter 4. Many harvesting crews took a three-to-four-week break over the festive season with sawmills taking this time to catch up on maintenance, so builders expecting a surge of stock to greet them in the new year will be disappointed.

Sawn timber markets You don’t have to read too many papers in New Zealand to understand there is a shortage of building materials and builders as developers and homeowners grapple with rising costs. Sawmillers continue to report demand exceeds supply for sawn timber. There is plenty of demand from clearwood and structural to post and poles for infrastructure demands.

On the export side, the Asia markets that buy the fall-down grades from framing production are oversupplied. The core larger size dimension sawn timber grades have held prices better.

Export Log Market

AWG prices While the AWG price range between exporters and ports remains varied there was some reduction in the range as exporters that had better shipping deals have seen those deals end and there is a more level playing field. A couple of exporters also managed to secure good spot deals on vessels which allowed them to increase AWG prices at certain ports. The drop in sales price in China was countered by the fall in freight costs and the NZD weakening against the USD.

China The price for logs in China bottomed at 130-135 USD per JAS m3 for A grade logs.

Softwood inventory levels dropped slightly to 4.5m m3 and daily offtake for December remained steady at 75k per day. This inventory level is about 40% higher than normal for this time of the year.

Reduced log supply in December and into Quarter 1 is due to: • The New Zealand Forest Industry Contractors Association

says that in a recent survey of members only about 35% were operating at normal capacity. • Many harvesting crews stopped work for three to four weeks over the Christmas/New Year period. • Germany’s logging of bark beetle damaged wood is forecast to decrease from 60m m3 in 2021 to 43m m3 in 2022. Increasing domestic demand will further reduce the volume available for export to China.

Log demand usually reduces heading into the Chinese Lunar New Year, then increases rapidly until construction activity is at full production until the hot sticky weather arrives in China in June and July.

While we know log supply will reduce we don’t know how much construction productivity and log demand will increase after the Chinese New Year. This will depend on how successfully the Chinese Government restructures the property development sector while avoiding large scale sustained disruption to an industry that contributes a quarter of its GDP. The Chinese Government wants to see property development, but reduced speculation and the fact that President Xi is personally involved in real estate policies, means ministers won’t consider easing policies without his approval.

Most economists predict a 10% decline in new housing starts in 2022 in China. This is a combination of falling house prices reducing demand, reduced credit, and the introduction of new taxes to curb speculation. Beijing is concerned about social stability if developers are unable to complete pre-sold projects (common in China) so officials will try to ensure existing projects are finished. In many of these projects the local government made significant sums of money by acquiring land to then on-sell the user rights to developers at a healthy margin, so they are motivated to see projects completed.

India The South American logs sitting unsold at port, bonded warehouses, and on inbound vessels to Kandla has fallen from over 400,000m3 to an estimated 250,000 m3. Sentiment remains subdued in Gandhidham with lukewarm demand. The price of sawn timber from Uruguay logs is flat at INR 521 per CFT. The price for radiata sawn timber has fallen from INR 571 to INR 561 per CFT. Market sentiment is likely to remain subdued over the next couple of months as the unsold South American volume is sold off. Indian export remains constrained due to a lack of containers.

Tuticorin had a good rainy season and log demand is limping back to normalcy. The local pine sawn timber price is about INR 651 per CFT.

From January 1st, 2022, the use of methyl bromide for fumigation in ship holds will require a buffer zone of 900m and log exporters have said this is operationally impossible to ship logs from New Zealand to India. The Indian Phytosanitary Authority is likely to permit Ethanedinitrile and Sulfuryl Fluoride to fumigate logs and lumber. But given the regulatory procedures involved, it may take months, or even years, to get the necessary regulatory approvals at both ends. NZL

Methyl Bromide regulations tighten

ADDITIONAL CONTROLS AROUND THE USE OF THE HEAVILY restricted log fumigant, methyl bromide, took effect on New Year’s Day.

In August, a comprehensive suite of new controls were imposed by a decision-making committee of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). The decision sets a roadmap to full recapture of methyl bromide, and several controls began immediately, covering ventilation, notification and reporting.

Given that India and China require Methyl Bromide to be used on all logs they receive from New Zealand, in general terms, recapture means using technology to remove the methyl bromide gas from the fumigated enclosure, so that after use it cannot be released into the air.

From 1 January 2022, stepped increases began, applying to the recapture of methyl bromide from containers and covered log stacks.

“This phased approach allows the EPA to ensure that requirements are being met by industry at each stage,” says Dr Chris Hill, General Manager of the EPA’s Hazardous Substances group.

There will also be larger buffer zones to prevent people from being in the vicinity while the gas is being used. In addition, local councils and affected parties, including neighbouring marae and other community facilities, must be notified before fumigation takes place.

“We’ve been pleased to see ports getting ahead of the curve on these regulations. The Port of Tauranga required recapture technology to be used on all log stack fumigations from 1 January 2022, and Napier Port stopped methyl bromide use altogether from the same date,” says Dr Hill.

A total ban on methyl bromide fumigation aboard ships takes effect from the start of 2023.

The decision provides a clear and structured pathway for industry to reduce the amount of methyl bromide emitted. The decision recognises the benefits associated with methyl bromide use, while also protecting human health and the environment, he adds.

The EPA, WorkSafe, and local authorities all have responsibilities for compliance, monitoring, and enforcement activities relating to methyl bromide. NZL

Consider repurposing oil refinery for biofuels

THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE MARSDEN POINT OIL REFINERY

is to be closed without serious consideration of how the remaining equipment not used for import of petroleum fuels can be repurposed for production of biofuels is the result of poor planning by Government, says Brian Cox, Executive Officer of the Bioenergy Association.

“The Government is talking of having to spend $6.4 billion to purchase international carbon credits when it is not prepared to spend a fraction of that amount on emission reduction solutions in our own country, which would also create new employment and be part of the emerging bioeconomy,” he explains.

“In its recent Emissions Reduction Plan discussion document, Government says that its own draft plan is not adequate to reduce emissions enough, yet it is not prepared to investigate and work with opportunities which a repurposed refinery could provide and would fill that gap.

“Government is about to introduce a mandate for use of biofuels in transport yet is not prepared to look at how the refinery can be used to reduce the cost of domestic biofuel production. The plant could be a biorefinery to produce biofuels for heavy transport, marine (InterIslander), rail and sustainable aviation fuel. Domestic biofuels production will face a significant barrier if a new biorefinery has to be built from scratch. However with the refinery closed the most likely option will be that we simply import biofuels which are already high-priced because of world demand.

“The maximum value of the refinery for future biofuels production would be achieved if the Government assisted Refining New Zealand to keep the facility operational, at least for a period in which to develop a future plan for repurposing the assets.” NZL

East Cape wharf could boost logging industry

THE CLOSURE OF SH35 BETWEEN OPOTIKI AND GISBORNE

due to flooding late last year, again highlighted the need for an alternative transport route for the East Coast.

“As climate change makes events like flooding more common, it’s clearer than ever that this region needs the security as well as economic benefits of a deep-water wharf,” says Dave Fermah whose company Terrafermah is working with local landowners and hapu, Potikirua Trust, to build the wharf at Potikirua, between Cape Runaway and Hicks Bay.

As well as being a boon to the East Coast’s logging industry and cutting carbon emissions, the multi-purpose wharf can provide alternative ferry or boat services to guarantee access to markets and essential services for some of New Zealand’s more remote communities, he says.

The project received a setback when the Government’s funding agency, Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP), declined funding through its ‘Shovel Ready’ Projects fund last year.

Instead, CIP has given a competing project $2million initial funding to progress its proposal to establish a barging operation for logs in Te Araroa.

Mr Fermah describes the decision as “extremely shortsighted”: “We are disappointed for the region that CIP has chosen to progress a very limited and specialised barging operation. It provides a worse outcome for the logging industry and offers none of the wider economic, climate or transport benefits that a multipurpose port provides.”

In addition, the proposed ferry service from the wharf can provide alternative transport options as well as backup during emergencies, he says.

“Waka Kotahi NZTA tell us they have budgeted $300m over the next 30 years to maintain this stretch of road. It is geologically unstable and our proposal takes all logging trucks off it,” Mr Fermah adds.

Potikirua Trust Chairman and local Coast Community Board Deputy Chair, Allen Waenga, adds, “Government planted our lands in pine forests in 1970, and in 1972 recognised we needed a new wharf and commissioned studies. Fifty years later they still haven’t built what was recommended by the then-Ministry of Works and our people are still paying the price, with logging trucks wrecking the roads and Māori landowners getting no returns on our lands from forest owners due to high transport costs.”

Mr Waenga says his group is continuing to develop the wharf project and believes that its strong business case and wider community development opportunities make it an attractive investment for private or public partners.

“Upgrading transport links is the key to our region prospering,” he says. “It is time the Crown fulfilled the obligations they promised in 1972. Get us the reports so we can get on with building our wharf.” NZL

Natives versus exotics: the debate continues

FISH & GAME NEW ZEALAND SAYS IT IS TIME FOR AN URGENT

rethink on the rapid proliferation of exotic forests currently being supported by central government, refocussing instead on native plantings for better long-term environmental and social outcomes.

Forest Owners Association (FOA) President, Phil Taylor disagrees:

“We all love native trees. They are a natural part of our landscape, culture and history. Many of them have incredible wood qualities. There’s 8 million hectares of native forests in the D0C estate. But they lock up carbon very slowly.

“So when Fish and Game, and the new Native Forest Coalition – comprising the Environmental Defence Society, Pure Advantage, Road Donald Trust, the Tindall Foundation, Project Crimson, Dame Anne Salmon and Dr Adam Forbes – start arguing that native trees are a much better means of meeting New Zealand’s greenhouse gas reduction targets than exotics, then that needs to be called out,” he says.

“Pine trees, the majority of the plantation estate, sequester carbon at a great rate, as well as providing an income from timber on a forest rotation.

“The sequestration power of pine trees is so substantial that without at least another 380,000 hectares planted in the next 15 years, then even more drastic and rapid cuts would have to be made to both agriculture and transport to get to carbon zero by 2050.”

However, Fish & Game spokesman Ray Grubb says while the organisation is behind initiatives to address the climate crisis, “the current short-sighted focus on securing offshore carbon credits ignores significant long-term environmental and social problems .

“A very real concern is the effect of pines on instream flows. Research has established rainwater run-off is diminished by up to 40% by pine plantations. Widespread plantings in catchments will be in direct conflict with the Government’s current objectives to improve freshwater,” says Mr Grubb.

“Further, mass sedimentation events when exotic forests are felled have catastrophic impacts on instream biology and water quality,” he adds.

Mr Taylor says Fish and Game’s criticism of exotic plantation forests doesn’t accord with reality: “Fish and Game is, quite simply, barking up the wrong tree when it invents what it calls a ‘myriad of adverse impacts’ from exotic forests.

“It is true that forests moderate rainfall entering waterways – which reduces the risk of floods. But that also applies to native trees – which Fish and Game wants a lot more of – as well as to exotics – which Fish and Game wants less of.

“The same applies to water quality. Water emerging out of forests is cleaner than that flowing off farmland – irrespective of the type of forest or type of farmland.”

Mr Grubb acknowledges that plantation forestry has a place in helping meet New Zealand’s climate change commitments, but says the proliferation of monoculture pine plantings in recent years has clearly been “out of control” and “ill-considered”.

“Look at what’s happening in the high country where the Department of Conservation and landowners are waging an ongoing and very costly war against wilding pines, which threaten the iconic landscape.

Addressing biodiversity, Mr Taylor says “it is true that, by very definition, indigenous forests have more indigenous biodiversity than any other land cover”.

“But if you look at the facts, there is a higher level of indigenous biodiversity in New Zealand’s exotic forests, than there is on New Zealand farmland. There’s more indigenous wildlife in any type of forest than there is in pastures,” Mr Taylor adds.

“On top of that, there are the areas of mostly native bush in both exotic forests and pastureland. It’s about 19% in our forest areas. Beef + Lamb New Zealand estimates the same indigenous vegetation area on its farms is 13%.”

Mr Taylor acknowledges that while “exotic forests are vital to transition our economy, we agree such an expansion cannot go on indefinitely. We would run out of land”.

“In the shorter term though, if the projected modest exotic forest expansion was stopped now, and replaced by native trees, it would need, to absorb the same amount of carbon by 2050, taking over more than two million hectares of farmland and the cost to taxpayers would be tens of billions of dollars,” Mr Taylor says. “I would think that both the land, and the taxpayers’ money, could be used in much better ways to fight climate change.” NZL Offer A:

Recognising forestry excellence

DIVERSITY, STRENGTH AND PROFESSIONALISM ALL CAME

to the fore in the 2021 Northland Forestry Awards which saw a very colourful James Wilson walk off with the top award as the Skilled Professional of the Year.

James, a breaker out for Rosewarne Contracting who is better known as JDubb Yo (featuredintheFebruary2021 editionofNZ Logger) and loves nothing more than to spread positive vibes through the industry, also won the Breaker Out Excellence Award. He was a unanimous choice by judges Nick Jessop, Brett Gilmore and Mandie Skipps who were impressed with the calibre shown amongst a solid number of nominations this year.

Judges described James as an “amazing professional bushman” who is humble with an incredibly high work standard and someone who is always focused on health and safety. He has done plenty of good for the wider industry and has led his team through some of the toughest country in Northland, keeping them all safe and morale high. He initially contemplated a career as an engineer but soon changed his mind and followed in the footsteps of his father into forestry.

It was a great award for Rosewarne Contracting with Scott Ringrose also winning the Harvesting Excellence crown, with the other awards well spread across the region.

Judges were excited to see an exceptional number of woodprocessing nominations and tipped their hats to the women in forestry, saying some had to overcome a few extra challenges to do their job.

Leevon (Libby) Popata from Mold Logging won the hotly contested category. Libby was described as a woman with a real “can-do” attitude who balances a busy home life with her work. From modest beginnings, she has achieved notable success through hard work and

training. As a foreman on a high production ground-based harvesting crew, Libby has transformed the culture within. Those who work with her say she has reignited the fun in their work. The Sullivan Family from Forest Protection Services won the Forestry Family of the Year Award. They are celebrated as a family whose strong desire to do things differently has been the driver behind their success in the industry. They have faced many a challenge that has seen the family become even more committed to the industry with the second generation now well entrenched in the business. Family is at the heart of this business and those who have hired the company describe them as “just amazing”. Forest Protection Services also won the Contractor of the Year Award. Judges added that it was great to see highperforming operators being mentors who would only strengthen the industry for the future. Northpine also put up its educational scholarship once more and the recipient, Hayden Bartlett from Bream Bay College, was successfully awarded, setting him up with James Wilson, aka JDubb Yo, won the Skilled Professional of the Year Award funding Science to study the programme Bachelor of Forestry at the University of and the Breaker Out Excellence Award. Canterbury. The Northland Forestry Awards, established in 2016, were cancelled last year due to COVID and this year were postponed and then moved to a virtual platform, with comedian Jeremy Corbett hosting the online event on Friday December 3. Andrew Widdowson, chair of the Northland Health and Safety Group and Wood Council thanked the 2021 judges for their time. “This is a really fantastic judging panel. It is such an important element of the whole forestry awards model and programme.” NZL

THE AWARDS

• SkilledProfessionaloftheYear(sponsoredby

Northland Forestry Health and Safety Group):

James Wilson (Rosewarne Contractors) • Trainee of the Year (sponsored by

Competenz): Jordan Whitehead (Rosvall

Sawmill) • Training Company/Contractor of the Year (sponsored by UDC): Anthony (Shorty)

Murray (FNR Forestry 2019) • Forestry Excellence (sponsored by Northland

Forest Managers): Phil Cornelius (COC

Fencing) • Roading Excellence (sponsored by Fortuna):

Robert Schrafft (JSB Construction) • Harvesting Excellence (sponsored by

AB Equipment – Tigercat): Scott Ringrose (Rosewarne Contractors) • Distribution Excellence (sponsored by Pacific

Motor Group): Andrew Ward (C3) • Wood Processing Excellence (sponsored by

Whangarei ITM): Ed Wilson (Northpine) • Breaker Out Excellence (sponsored by Terra

Cat): James Wilson (Rosewarne Contractors) • Tree Faller Excellence (sponsored by Hancock

Forest Management): Gary Wickman (Wickman Contracting) • Women in Forestry Excellence (sponsored by PF Olsen): Leevon (Libby) Popata (Mold

Logging) • Log Truck Driver Excellence (sponsored by the Patchell Group of Companies): Reece

Mist (Mike Lambert) • Emerging Talent of the Year (sponsored by North Tech Tai Tokerau Wananga): Dan

Kawana Pool (Rosewarne Logging) • Forestry Family of the Year (sponsored by

Northern Forest Products): The Sullivan

Family (Forest Protection Services) • Contractor of the Year (sponsored by ISO):

FPS Forestry • Outstanding Health and Safety Management

(sponsored by Summit Forests): DaronTurner (Despatch NZ) and Grimmer Contracting • Outstanding Environmental Management (sponsored by Wise on Wood): Peter Davies-

Colley (The Tree People)

SPONSORS 2021

• Gold Sponsors: Northland Forestry H&S

Group, Summit Forest NZ, Woodbank,

Northern Forest Products, ISO,Wise onWood • Silver Sponsors: AB Equipment – Tigercat,

Hancock Forest Management, Fortuna,

Northland Forest Managers, Terra Cat,

Competenz, Pacific Motor Group, UDC,

Patchell, Finance NZ, WIDE Trust, NorthTec,

Te Uru Rakau – NZ Forest Service, P F Olsen,

C3, ITM Whangarei/Bay of Islands • Bronze Sponsors: Shaws, Trimble Forestry,

Rayonier – Matariki, NZ Forestry, NZ Safety

Blackwoods, Northpine, NZME, Deals on

Wheels, FICA, Quest Hotel. NZL

Seeing the forest for the trees

SCIENTISTS FROM TAURANGA’S PLANTTECH RESEARCH

Institute are celebrating their involvement in two successful funding bids to the Ministry for Business, Innovation & Employment’s (MBIE) Endeavour Fund, New Zealand’s largest contestable research fund. In this year’s round of funding, 69 new scientific research projects were awarded more than $244 million.

A $9.6 million MBIE-funded project, led by Scion, Seeing the forest for the trees: transforming tree phenotyping for future forests, involves using PlantTech’s capability in hyperspectral imagery analysis to support research that will identify the best genotype to plant in different environments for commercial production and indigenous uses. This is in addition to a $1 million successful bid for a two-year international project, that will use airborne remote sensors to discover what is causing plant stress in kiwifruit orchards.

The five-year project Seeing the Forest for the Trees, will explore the phenotype (characteristics) of trees to identify trees that grow well in specific environments.

The research programme is focussed on forest phenotyping using remotely sensed data and advanced concepts in data science. Combined with genomic data, Scion expects to select and breed trees with traits such as high carbon storage and resistance to disease and drought. For example, in Gisborne it may become more important to use a drought resistant radiata pine if droughts increase in severity.

Scion Data and Geospatial Intelligence Principal Scientist, Dr Mike Watt, welcomes PlantTech’s participation in the project, citing its advanced capability in hyperspectral imaging technologies. PlantTech will use this technology to assess the attributes of trees that can’t be seen by the naked eye, such as the tree’s ability to deal with water stress or disease.

“You can’t see those problems so easily with the eye, but hyperspectral imagery can be used to look beyond the visible wavelengths to characterise these traits,” Dr Watt says.

By the end of the project, Scion plans to have a climate-based deployment guideline developed for radiata pine. Effectively, this will be a map showing where each genotype can be allocated throughout New Zealand to optimise productivity or resistance against water or drought stress.

“We know that if you optimally allocate different genotypes to the right site, then you can get a gain of 20% in productivity. That translates into quite a bit of value for radiata pine,” says Dr Watt.

Radiata pine is not the only focus of the programme. Indigenous forests will also be included, as Scion aims to explore the cultural links that Māori have to forests and taonga (treasure) species.

For example, the researchers want to find out what cultural phenotypes are important to Māori, such as a trees’ potential for carving. It is hoped that cultural phenotyping could incentivise the planting of indigenous tree species, leading to more diverse forests and more opportunities for Māori to harvest indigenous trees for carving or other traditional uses NZL

Safety doesn’t happen by accident. Safety doesn’t happen by accident. Falcon Claw grapple carriages now in stock. Falcon Claw grapple carriages now in stock.

The Scion and AgriSea team.

Top honours at Science NZ Awards

WOOD NANOTECHNOLOGY, SEAWEED NANOCELLULOSE

products and an internationally recognised microscopist were among top successes celebrated by Scion at the Science New Zealand Awards in December 2021.

All seven Crown Research Institutes and Callaghan Innovation had awardees in three categories. Scion’s awardee for Lifetime Achievement was Doctor of Science, Lloyd Donaldson for his microscopist work, Scion’s awardee for Early Career Researcher was Dr Qiliang Fu – leading scientist in wood nanotechnology and functionalisation, and the awardee for the Team Award was the Agrisea NZ and Scion collaboration.

Scion Chief Executive, Dr Julian Elder, says the awards showed the depth of talent across Crown scientists including Scion, which is recognised nationwide and internationally.

“It’s wonderful to see a lifetime of significant work such as Lloyd’s being recognised, and the innovation behind the wood nanotechnology and the Agrisea partnership are examples of how cutting-edge the science here at Scion is.”

Scion Forests and Biotechnology scientist Dr Lloyd Donaldson received one of eight Lifetime Achievement Awards for his influence as an internationally recognised microscopist specialising in plant anatomy and ultrastructure for the last 40 years at Scion. He has pioneered techniques in confocal fluorescence imaging of wood and biomaterials, with his methods forming a part of researcher toolboxes globally.

With an h-index of 42 (Google Scholar), he has over 100 publications including sixteen books and book chapters, with his images selected four times as journal covers.

An Early Career Researcher Award was made to scientist Dr Qiliang Fu who specialises in wood nanotechnologies, including various chemical treatment and functional approaches, applied to tailor and modify the nanostructure of bulk wood. Dr Fu has contributed strongly to developing this field globally.

Dr Fu did the original research on transparent wood and transparent wood film, novel designs and multifunctionalities of sustainable materials. This work has led to breakthroughs in transparent, fireretardant, hydrophobic/lipophilic and opto-electronic applications.

The Team Award was the third category and Scion’s awardee was the Scion and Agrisea NZ collaboration team which together are accelerating new nanocellulose-based business opportunities

Scion’s wood pulping expertise and AgriSea’s 25 years in seaweed processing has resulted in a novel seaweed gel product.

The team developed a method to produce nanocellulose from AgriSea’s seaweed waste stream without disrupting current products and processing. Their innovative approach enables the extraction, isolation and manufacture of high-value nanocellulose hydrogel and nanocellulose. Applications for these materials include performance biocomposites, biomedical engineering applications, wound care, cosmetics and drug delivery.

The Scion technology to produce seaweed nanocellulose was licensed and transferred to AgriSea at the start of 2021. Manufacture of nanocellulose was successfully trialled at pilot scale (funded through the Bioresource Processing Alliance).

An intergenerational whānau business, AgriSea is now upgrading its factory to include an industrial nanocellulose production plant in its hometown of Paeroa and employs local people in coastal regions to collect beach cast seaweed.

The Scion team members involved are Dr Stefan Hill, Sean Taylor, Dr Yi Chen, Rob Whitton and Dr Marie-Joo Le Guen, working with AgriSea team members Clare and Tane Bradley and Dr Melodie Lindsay. NZL

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Scion puts Kiwi architecture on the map

SCION’S INNOVATION HUB, TE WHARE NUI O TUTEATA (FEATURED

in the April 2021 edition of NZ Logger), has won 14 domestic and international awards in 2021, making it an international timber architecture icon.

The Rotorua building is believed to be a world-first diagonal-grid (diagrid) timber structure for a three-storey building, while also being embodied-carbon neutral. The name acknowledges the mana of the tupuna Tuteata, from whom Ngā Hapū e Toru descend and the connection to the whenua, Tītokorangi.

The building was designed by RTA Studio in collaboration with Irving Smith Architects.

In December 2021 alone, Te Whare Nui o Tuteata won two World Architecture Festival awards (World Best use of Certified Timber Prize; World Higher Education and Research), a New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) National Award (Commercial), and a Resene Total Colour award (Neutrals).

A NZIA juror described Te Whare Nui o Tuteata as the “striking new public interface” of Scion, complimenting the “beautifully articulated timber framework”.

Overall, Te Whare Nui o Tuteata has won 14 significant national and international awards in 2021. Scion Sustainability Architect and Portfolio Leader ‘Trees to High Value Wood Products’ Andrea Stocchero believes there are many compelling reasons why.

“If you look from the outside, you see a simple building with fascinating colours that match the forest and at the entrance, engaging Māori carvings which tell the story of mana whenua. But, architecturally, it is when you walk inside that magic happens… the contrast between the simple aesthetic outside and the shock of entering a huge void hits. You see striking timber structure, architectural lines and natural materials in harmony with each other – that is what is so impactful,” he says.

“The essence of the building speaks very honestly about Scion’s intent. It’s a Crown Research Institute for forest and wood products making a timber diagrid structure home, located amongst mana whenua’s Tokorangi forest. The symbolism is really strong.

“We have a forest. We have a building. We have a purpose,” he explains. “But there is something more… and it is the important part for Scion.

“The world is on a quest to decarbonise across many different sectors as we saw at COP26. Many people don’t realise New Zealand’s built environment is responsible for about 20% of the country’s carbon footprint.

“Trees sequester carbon from the atmosphere while they’re growing, and as long as the wood is in use that carbon is stored, so it’s not going back into the atmosphere. If the timber is sustainably certified it means that the forests are re-growing after each harvest, and the carbon sequestration cycle continues.”

Te Whare Nui o Tuteata stores 418 tonnes of CO2-eqv for the life of the building, which is the equivalent of one person flying 160 times return from Auckland to London.

“We calculated that the timber that we see here in the Te Whare Nui o Tuteata structure has been regrown in 35 minutes by New Zealand planted forests,” Mr Stocchero says.

“This is a compelling story about the capacity of New Zealand forests to provide the timber we need for future developments.

“I believe the reason why Te Whare Nui o Tuteata won all these awards, is because it showcases the opportunities architects have with timber, to design exciting buildings, beautiful buildings… buildings that are worth winning architectural awards, while using a locally-grown and manufactured material which is also helping to reduce our carbon footprint.”

RTA Studio Executive Director, Rich Naish, says the team is honoured to have been recognised at the World Architecture Festival Awards: “In these weeks after COP26 the recognition of this building and the innovation it proposes for sustainability and carbon neutrality in the building sector could not be more relevant. We are proud to be able to make a global contribution to the climate emergency.”

Irving Smith Architects Design Director, Jeremy Smith, says it’s wonderful to be recognised on the global stage for Te Whare Nui o Tuteata which sets new conventions: “Tackling climate change requires working together and this building provides an invitation to ‘come walk in our forest’ and see how we can all better participate with the environment.”

Scion Chief Executive, Dr Julian Elder, believes the accolades have been wonderful, however admits there’s another part that resonates most: “From my perspective, the people we’ve had coming into Te Whare Nui o Tuteata this year – visitor, industry and community groups – those who wander into the café and spend their time here – it’s their positive and engaged feedback with the building which is important for Scion.”

Other highlight awards in 2021 have included Property Council NZ Awards of Excellence, Best of Best Masterprize Award for Green Buildings at the USA Architecture Masterprize Awards, and The Building Award at the Indo-Pacific INDE Awards in Sydney.

Te Whare Nui o Tuteata opened in January 2020 and was gifted its name by Ngā Hapū e Toru who hold mana over the whenua. NZL