TALL TIMBER

from NZ Logger March 2022

by nzlogger

FOREST TALK

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Signing off after five decades of forestry

Story: Debbie Harrison

MURRAY BRAITHWAITE IS A FAMILIAR

name in the forestry industry. His 52-year career in forestry has seen the industry go from pen and paper to technology, and from axe to mechanised harvesting. After half a century giving his all to forestry, Murray is signing off and retiring. Before he left his role as Forest Operations Manager for Summit Forests for the last time, we grabbed him for a quick Q&A...

How did you end up in forestry? My grandfather (who I had a lot of time for) worked in a sawmill pit, sawing timber. He encouraged my decision to work in forestry, telling me it was a growing industry and there would always be work there. I started as a trainee woodsman in Kaingaroa Forest in January 1970 and spent two years there, learning the basics of the different jobs: planting, pruning, thinning and harvesting.

Can you share a brief history of your career? In 1972 I transferred to Forest Research in Rotorua and spent a year there, working in the mensuration department. Here, we measured trees and recorded the measurements to produce volume tables. I then transferred to Rotorua Conservancy Office and joined a team that was Timber Cruising. We measured out sawmill areas and measured all the trees in that area to establish the volume of wood by tree

species. New Forest Service would then sell these trees to the sawmill for processing. I spent two-and-a-half years doing this job and really enjoyed it. I moved on from this job when it became controversial to log native trees. I then transferred to Aupouri Forest (now called Te Hiku) in 1975 and, other than a relieving job in Pouto Forest, I have been there since – forty-six years!

What kinds of work have you done at Aupouri? When I first arrived in Aupouri it was just raw sand from Hukatere Road, north. Tree planting was in progress south of the ramp at Waipapakauri and had been planted up to Steeds Road. The sand needed to be stabilised before tree-planting, so there was a large programme each winter that saw up to 1000 hectares of raw sand being established each year, achieved by planting marram grass and then lupin. Tree-planting was done generally about five years later.

To plant marram grass it first had to be dug out, then carted to site for planting. This usually involved three digging crews and each man was required to dig a tonne of grass each day. Three to

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Clockwise from top left:

1. Forestry stalwart, Muray Braithwaite. 2. Murray (second from left) in orange high-vis, at a harvest site in Te Hiku with visiting members of the Japanese Summit Forests executive team, including Chairman Kuniharu Nakamura (centre). 3. Murray next to a Firedam beside Hukatere Road, which offers a water source should a fire develop. 4. Stills from a 1970 Country Calendar story which featured young Murray Braithwaite in a story about transforming marram grass-filled sand into productive forest in Northland.

four 4X4 Bedford TK trucks would carry the grass and two six-man planting crews with D6-sized bulldozers would pull the planting machine over the raw sand, creating three furrows for the crew to plant in. There were also three-wheeled tractors that did the wet flats where there was likely quicksand. On top of that, there were hand planters that planted the areas too steep for the bulldozers to access.

The tree-planting was mostly done with small bulldozers – either Allis Chalmers HD6 or D4 Caterpillar – towing either a trailing arm or Louther tree-planters. Each machine would plant around 10,000 seedling pines per day. I first worked these jobs, then later supervised the operations.

In later times I have organised and supervised the land preparation for second rotation planting which includes forward budgeting, determining what chemicals are required to control the different weeds on each block setup, the prescriptions, notifying neighbours, and organising the helicopters to spray. I would also organise the seed to be grown in the nursery, have these available for the planting season and then arrange our silvicultural crew to do the planting. This crew would also do any thinning and releasing that was required.

I would also organise areas to be foliage- sampled and fertilised again by helicopter when required, along with aerial releasing to control weeds. I corresponded with neighbours over boundary fencing and was a Rural Fire Officer actively involved in arranging Fire Permits and attending wildfires.

It’s been a job with variety, that’s for sure!

What kinds of changes have you seen in your time? There’s been a massive change in how jobs are managed. When I first came to Aupouri, the only documentation was a diary that was filled out each day, recording what each crew was doing and the timesheets for everybody. Now we spend most of the time in the office making sure everything is documented. Also, back in the 70s and early 80s there were no computers and to do the pays you’d have to punch figures into a calculator.

I learned how to cut trees down with an axe. The chainsaws available back then were the Canadian chainsaws which were heavy and unreliable. There was also a lot more heavylifting in those times, loading truckloads by hand-lifting 50kg bags of fertiliser; they now come in 20kg bags. Crews travelled to work on the back of trucks in canopies – think of the health and safety now!

Opposite page: Murray and former colleague, Camryn Stewart, at the ‘Money Tree’ near North Cape. People passing by would leave coins on the tree for good luck. Above: Murray standing beside a six-man planter. This was used for planting marram grass in large areas of raw sand. It was towed by a D6-sized bulldozer attached to a winch. The planter carried around 80 bundles of marram grass and six people to plant handfuls of grass in the furrows left by the three ploughs.

Grooved Drums and Sleeves

Another change is that there is a lot more attention given to environment and what impact our industry has on it. Very robust systems have been formed to minimise any effect our operations are likely to cause.

What do you wish didn’t change? I have seen a lot of change in the forestry industry over my time and, even though I do struggle with the new technology, I believe that as long as it is done well it has huge advantages, especially for data collection. GPSs have also been a great innovation and have made the industry much more efficient and accountable for both ground and aerial operations.

Some of the highlights or most memorable moments? Seeing large areas of sand being stabilised and growing trees… then having those same trees cut down thirty years later, not with chainsaws but with mechanical harvesting machines.

The worst moment? Trying to extinguish large fires burning through the forest. A lot of work was put into the areas that were burnt so it was crushing to then see them go up in smoke.

Anything you’re particularly proud of? My son has obtained a forestry degree and he is currently working for a forestry company. His role is to supervise harvesting operations.

Any good yarns to share? One thing people do not appreciate today is that the forest area was once prone to quicksand. When working these areas, all vehicles, tractors and bulldozers would get stuck at some stage. I remember being a planter on the six-man planter when the International TD20 bulldozer dropped the winch rope but didn’t move off – when I got out of the planter to see what was going on, the bulldozer had sunk in the sand. It was like placing something heavy where it bends but doesn’t break. Then the sand collapsed in and engulfed the tracks of the bulldozer, sinking it down close to two metres. In an attempt to get the bulldozer out, they strapped a strainer post across its tracks. On full power the bulldozer could just turn one track only. They needed another bulldozer to anchor and winch it and even then, it took several days to retrieve it. It then had to be completely stripped down because sand was all through the working components of the bulldozer.

Your advice for young people looking to get into forestry? Get a good education then a degree. The forestry industry is still developing so it needs great minds to help it along its way.

What will you miss when you retire? I will miss the people in the industry. I have worked with some great people over the years – people who have got great innovation and want to make things happen.

What are your plans for retirement? Any projects on the list? I want to have a bit more family time and also get more involved in helping with community projects. I also love my fishing so I can now spend some of those nice days fishing instead of being at work spraying.

Murray checking on a trial tree in the protection zone in Te Hiku. The protection zone is created along the coastline to protect the production forest behind it from harsh salt winds. Summit Forests would like to have this area re-established in native trees and is doing trials as to which species will survive in this harsh environment.

SUMMIT

SUMMIT FORESTS STARTED ITS NEW

Zealand operations in 2013. Today, it is the seventh-largest forestry business in New Zealand with over 50,000ha of forestry. The estate is spread throughout iconic landscapes in Northland, the Coromandel, Whanganui, and the Gisborne and East Coast regions. Summit’s main areas of business include harvesting, exporting logs and private woodlots, and investing in New Zealand forestry assets for the future. Along with export volume from its own estate and managed forests, 80% of Summit’s annual harvest is supplied to the domestic market. This is spread across seven local processing sites. The company employs over 200 staff and contractors around New Zealand and is currently building teams in Gisborne after a recent acquisition of forest in the area. NZL