NZ Logger April 22

April 2022|

Unique swing yarder cheats death

ISSN 2703-6251

Marvellous makeover

Carbon forestry raises hackles

Opportunity knocks for women in logging

$8.00

contents APRIL 2022

18

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FOREST TALK Overseas investment reform questioned; Container shipping to Russia suspended; Small relief for diesel users; Championing timber; Top axeman to take on world title; Foresters join forces with firefighters; Robot drone swarm to detect fires; Breaking new ground; Waratah to offer Moipu branded products; Grappling with safety; Durable debarking; Put through its paces; Tackling big wood.

30 18

SHAW’S WIRE ROPES SPECIAL FEATURE: MACHINE OVERHAUL One of just seven built by a Caterpillarled consortium, this fully rebuilt SY235 swing yarder may be the last survivor. It is making wood recovery easier for the ACL Logging crew.

30

CARBON FORESTRY Forestry writer, Jim Childerstone, attempts to get some perspective on carbon forestry with input from a wide spectrum of stakeholders and no shortage of strong opinions.

38 38

WOMEN IN FORESTRY Growing up on a farm in the Wairarapa, Allen Logging’s Juliette Allen never imagined she’d end up with a logging business. But when husband Mike had the opportunity to start a crew, it was too good for them to pass up.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 42 fica 44 top spot 47 new iron 50 classifieds

April 2022 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor April 2022|

$8.00

Marvellous makeover

ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: JOHN ELLEGARD

Unique swing yarder cheats death

Carbon forestry raises hackles

Opportunity knocks for women in logging

Fresh from the workshop, this fully rebuilt Caterpillar SY235 swing yarder has survived some 40 years in the bush.

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Front and centre I WAS TAUGHT NEVER TO USE THE WORD UNIQUE IN JOURNALISM AS it’s so over-used and rarely the truth, but the Caterpillar SY235 swing yarder featured on our cover fits the bill. One of only seven in its heyday, it’s now one of only one, reborn after a full rebuild. The cost of the overhaul has already proved the value of the 12-month exercise, as the swing yarder takes on wood recovery with gusto for the ACL Logging crew.

Also featured this month is the contentious and complicated topic of carbon farming as forestry writer, Jim Childerstone wades through a plethora of opinions. While the agricultural sector is keen to implement a national strategic plan, those in forestry warn of unintended consequences if draconian regulations come into force, he says.

And it’s those in forestry who continue to inspire and impress us. In light of International Women’s Day last month, we take a look at Juliette Allen’s journey to our industry, running a logging company together with husband, Mike. With all members of the crew able to do all jobs on site, Allen Logging may be small, but it packs a punch – a good example of why Competenz is calling for more women to enter the trades, and for industry to redress the gender imbalance and pay inequity in predominantly male-dominated sectors like forestry.

Another International Day that slipped past quietly last month was the International Day of Forests. With 9.7 million hectares of forests – exotic and native – covering 38% of New Zealand, it’s not just forest workers who ought to sit up and take notice. Since 2018, Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service has supported planting of nearly 350 million native and exotic trees, with projects spanning from rural and provincial areas to urban and inner city too. The organisation’s Alex Wilson reiterates that forests enhance regional development, enable strong partnerships with Māori, improve water quality, enhance New Zealand’s biodiversity, and reduce erosion, as well as, of course, those pesky carbon emissions. Nothing we in the forestry industry didn’t know already.

Hopefully the opinions in this edition of NZ Logger guide you to your own conclusions, while the people and machinery featured highlight just what can be achieved when we push aside the politics and keep our forests front and centre.

Until next time, stay safe.

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forest talk

Overseas investment reform questioned THE FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION (FOA) IS QUESTIONING WHY the government needs to reintroduce more process around overseas investment for conversions from pasture to plantation forests.

Associate Minister of Finance, David Parker, says the government is changing the application process for conversions.

FOA President, Phil Taylor, says he hopes that this will not lead to a protracted and cumbersome process that kills off interest in New Zealand by overseas investors.

“Minister Parker acknowledges the need for overseas investment in our primary sector, given that there is a limited amount of capital within New Zealand. The government in its previous term realised that the application process was bureaucratic and pointlessly expensive and so brought in the special forestry test.

Now it’s changing it back again for new planting.”

Since the special forestry test was introduced in late 2018 the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) has approved a total of 23,402 hectares of pasture for forest conversion, which is an average of 600 hectares a month.

“That is a very modest rate in the context of a total hill country estate of 8.5 million hectares,” Mr Taylor says.

“My main concern though is that the government is sending mixed signals about the need for an expansion of plantation forests.

“Minister Parker says it’s important that we have a ‘strong forestry sector’. We agree of course. That must mean an expansion. The Climate Change Commission says we need to grow the area by another 380,000 hectares for New Zealand to meet greenhouse gas emission goals.

“The government has also set lofty goals for increased export income from forestry. An emerging bio-economy and the widespread adoption of modern engineered timber will also drive extra consumption, here and overseas.”

Federated Farmers, on the other hand, believes the new requirements for overseas investors buying New Zealand farmland for forestry are encouraging but are only step one of a suite of changes required.

“For years Feds and other organisations have been calling for a reversal of rules that exempt overseas buyers intending to convert our farmland into forestry from the ‘proof of benefit to New Zealand’ requirements that apply when buyers intend continuing farm production land use,” Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Chairperson William Beetham says.

“That chorus has grown ever louder as tens of thousands of hectares of productive farmland are blanketed in pine trees, in large part because of the chase for carbon credit revenue.

“We’re glad the government is listening and taking action. But more must be done,” he says.

Federated Farmers supports a ‘right tree, right place’ philosophy and agrees there is an important role for production forestry, and for farmers to have the option to choose to integrate more sequestration into their farms by planting out land that they see as being marginal to their farming systems.

“Increasing the integration of vegetation into farms can bring biodiversity, animal welfare and environmental benefits, including sequestering carbon to fight climate change,” says Mr Beetham.

“What we oppose is interventionist government policies – and in particular ETS settings – that lead to a skewed, unfair playing field. Employment and the viability of rural communities are being destroyed as good production farmland is blanketed in pines in a chase for short-term profit.

“It’s not even sound policy in the long-term on the climate change front because such offsetting means polluting industries have less incentive to develop more emissions-friendly ways of doing business.

“As well as getting the ETS settings right, there are options for even-handed treatment in terms of resource consent conditions between production forests and ‘carbon-only’ forests, and the treatment of forestry in terms of the rates income requirements of local councils,” he adds.

For more on the carbon forestry debate, turn to our feature on page 30. NZL

Sa S

Container shipping to Russia suspended SHIPPING GIANTS, SWITZERLAND-BASED MSC, DENMARK’S Maersk and France’s CMA CGM have all halted non-essential cargo bookings to and from Russia until further notice.

This covers the Baltics, Black Sea and Far East Russia, says MSC. These steps taken by the world’s largest container shipping lines effectively cut Russia off from a large chunk of the world’s shipping capacity. However, essential supplies, such as food, medical

4 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

equipment and humanitarian goods will still be delivered.

They are among many corporates boycotting that country over the invasion of Ukraine, including our own Fonterra which has suspended shipment of product to Russia and closed its Moscow office.

The escalating conflict and Russian sanctions are expected to have a significant impact on the shipping industry for some time. NZL

F Fa

E EN

forest talk

Small relief for diesel users THOUGH RECENT GOVERNMENT MEASURES saw 25 cents per litre of tax removed from the price of petrol and a three-month reduction in Road User Charges, the National Road Carriers Association (NRC) warns that relief for freight costs may be months away.

NRC Chief Operations Officer, James Smith, says that as there is no excise tax on diesel, Road User Charges (RUCs) have been chosen by the Government to be the method to get relief to users of diesel.

“It is important to remember RUCs are bought in advance so there will be a lag until the discounts are seen by users. It will be a complex set of calculations to convert the announced 25 cents per litre reduction into a dollar per thousand-kilometres RUC reduction.

“Users will then need to work through the process of refunds and paperwork to access the lower rates. A significant portion of the diesel fleet purchases RUCs manually so there is no easy solution.”

Mr Smith says there are also a significant number of diesel vehicles that do not use public roads so do not pay RUCs. National

Road Carriers is working with officials on practical options to get relief to users of diesel.

He adds that up until the tax cuts were announced recently, New Zealand had experienced the sharpest increases in fuel prices since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

Since January diesel had increased in price by over 55 cents per litre.

“On top of these fuel and additive pricehikes, the cost of labour is going up because we have a serious shortage of truck drivers in New Zealand, so companies are having to pay more to attract and retain drivers. And the

cost of parts is increasing because of supply chain hold-ups. No costs are going down.

“These increases blow right through the supply chain, adding cost to everything consumers buy, from groceries to clothing to building supplies,” he says, adding, “Every single carrier is different, so it’s not possible to talk generically about the freight cost increases.”

National Road Carriers offers fuel discounts through MobilCard and Z Energy and has cost calculators to assist its 1,800 members who collectively operate 16,000 trucks throughout New Zealand. NZL

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forest talk

Championing timber THE CREATION OF AN INDUSTRY ADVISORY service for building designers will promote and facilitate greater use of timber in New Zealand buildings, says Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service Deputy Director General, Jason Wilson.

“This advisory service, called the Timber Design Centre, is a milestone for increasing the use of timber in the design and construction of building projects, particularly in non-residential structures such as offices, hotels and multistory apartments.”

The Centre is an initiative between Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service and a consortium comprising Scion (Crown Research Institute), the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association, New Zealand Timber Design Society and BRANZ. “Through this collaboration, the Centre will provide information on timber design guidance, research and development, and specialist technical advice to increase and speed up the use of timber in buildings. A great example of what is possible to be achieved through designing in wood is the world-leading Scion headquarters in Rotorua,” Mr Wilson says.

He says the initiative builds on international experience and learnings and will drive the shift

to using timber to its full technical potential in New Zealand, particularly in mid-to-high rise buildings.

“The Centre will also provide an independent forum for fostering connections across the forestry and construction sectors and can develop local expertise, knowledge, techniques, and skills on all aspects of using engineered timber in our buildings.

“By overcoming barriers to using timber in design and construction, New Zealand has the opportunity to replace steel and concrete with wood, lower carbon emissions, and support our country’s drive to greater environmental sustainability.

“The Centre is also a pathway to increase long-term demand for New Zealand wood products and support greater investment in domestic wood processing.”

Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service is funding the Centre as part of the Government’s Fit for a Better World roadmap. The Centre is one of several key initiatives underway this year to help transform the forest and wood processing sector.

“By providing an innovative and inspiring source of the latest expert advice and information, the Timber Design Centre

Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service Deputy Director General, Jason Wilson. will inspire building owners and property developers to commission wooden buildings,” says Mr Wilson.

“This is an exciting step to supporting design professionals to specify timber in building designs and enabling builders and contractors to build high-quality wooden buildings which not only support our economic potential but will also deliver strong environmental outcomes for the future.”

The Timber Design Centre is currently virtual, so head to timberdesigncentre.co.nz to find out more and get involved. NZL

Top axeman to take on world title A CHANCE AT A 10TH WORLD TITLE FOR Jason Wynyard came as he won the 2022 New Zealand Stihl Timbersports National Championships last month.

The victory means he has earned the right to represent New Zealand at the Stihl Timbersports World Championships in Sweden

in October – a tournament he last won five years ago.

Since 2017 Mr Wynyard has battled debilitating arthritis in his hip, but now following nearly three years’ break from full-time competition – involving stem cell treatment and a hip replacement – the ninetimes world champion is on the comeback at the age of 48!

“I had this goal to try and qualify for the World Champs for some time now since hip replacement and stem cell treatment and it’s pretty cool to take that next step and qualify, but I realise that there’s a lot of work ahead of me,” he says.

He dedicated his victory to fellow international competitor, Martin Komarek of the Czech Republic, who recently died tragically in a forestry workplace accident

Left: Jason Wynyard with second place winner Shane Jordan and Nathan McDonald coming in third.

Right: Jason Wynyard in action.

6 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

overseas. He was very well known to the New Zealand Timbersport community, having competed here.

Over the years Mr Wynyard has won over a hundred world titles in the sport.

He received the Order of Merit for services to the sport of wood chopping in 2017. NZL

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forest talk

Foresters join forces with firefighters

Fire training.

FORESTRY COMPANIES ONEFORTYONE NEW ZEALAND, TASMAN Pine Forests and PF Olsen have signed an agreement allocating funding, people resources, training and equipment to manage fire risk in the Nelson Tasman region.

Fire and Emergency District Manager, Grant Haywood, says the new agreement with forestry companies has formalised and extended local arrangements that have existed for several years.

“Forestry companies are valued partners in fighting rural fires all around New Zealand, and it’s no exception in our District,” he says.

“They bring valuable skills and knowledge in tackling forests and vegetation fires, and we appreciate being able to call on forestry crews to work alongside our firefighters.”

In November last year, Fire and Emergency took over the management of all rural fire services in Nelson Tasman that had previously been contracted to the Rural Fire Network (RFN). Now RFN is working with the forestry companies and supporting the implementation of the new agreement.

Based at the Tapawera Fire Store, Manager of RFN, Ian Reade, says there are 50 fire-trained forestry contractors available to assist in the event of a fire: “Along with their knowledge of local terrain and forests, the forestry contractors are hill fit, meaning if there is a prolonged fire event in rugged terrain they can keep fighting fires safely day after day without excessive fatigue.

Forestry company employees could also fill roles in an Incident Management Team if needed during an extended fire response, he says: “Roles such as GIS fire mapping, machinery and operations management, technical fire behaviour, planning and logistical functions are all skills that closely relate to a forester’s day-to-day work.”

Another agreement between the forestry companies and Fire and

8 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

Emergency New Zealand allows for the continued operation of the Richmond Hill Lookout for the 2021/22 fire season.

Local Lookout Attendant Robbie Campbell is based at the lookout full-time during the fire season. His job doesn’t just focus on watching for fires. He also acts as a local communications hub for firefighters, forestry personnel and the public. Richmond Hill is one of a network of four lookouts that are still in place, maintained and sometimes used in very high fire danger situations.

Mr Haywood says in spite of any wet weather, rural fires remain a constant risk over summer and the relationship with forestry companies is an important part of building resilience in the community. “Our firefighters have been working alongside forestry crews for many years. We know we can rely on each other and that’s important for our region.” NZL

Field trip with OneFortyOne and Fire and Emergency New Zealand. (View from Richmond lookout.)

forest talk

Robot drone swarm to detect fires

Source: The National Land Survey of Finland.

AMONG THE WORLD LEADERS IN DRONE RESEARCH, FINNISH researchers are developing the technology to use a swarm of coordinating drones equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect and prevent forest fires.

Geospatial data is crucial in preventing, monitoring and extinguishing forest fires. However, while information on current forest fires is already available using satellites, there are no efficient methods to quickly detect small and recently started forest fires and monitor the fire in real time.

How can a forest fire be detected early enough? How can up-to-date information on the progress of the fire and a forecast of how it will spread in the next hour be obtained?

That’s what the FireMan consortium formed by the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI) of the National Land Survey of Finland (NLS), the University of Jyväskylä, the University of Oulu and the researchers from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland are attempting to answer. The project will run from 2022 to 2024, funded by the Academy of Finland.

“We’re developing a new AI-based drone technology to quickly detect forest fires and provide situational awareness when extinguishing the fires,” says Professor Eija Honkavaara from NLS, who is leading the project.

“Drones can help us in providing real-time information on how the fire front is progressing, and how high and hot the flames are. We’re developing methods to locate a swarm of drones and produce remote sensing data in real time. In addition, we’re developing sensor technology that surpasses the ability of the human eye in terms of seeing through smoke,” Prof Honkavaara explains.

Associate Professor Ilkka Pölönen of the University of Jyväskylä adds, “Forest fire progression can be modelled numerically, considering topographical features, vegetation and wind direction. In this project, we use forecast models to teach the AI so that it can assess the fire progression based on remote sensing data collected in real time.”

The performance of the broadband connection from the device to the network will also be crucial, with connections having to work reliably in remote areas and at typical flight altitudes.

Drones must be able to monitor wide forest areas and react and act independently as required in fire situations. It is essential that the drones operate as a group in a fire situation, say the researchers who will be testing the swarm of drones in practice.

In the FireMan project, the researchers will test the drones in practice. Material will be collected during prescribed burning

by Metsähallitus and the Finnish Forest Centre. The first drone flights will take place as early as the European spring of 2022.

A demonstration of the drones operating as a group observing and monitoring a forest fire will be held at the end of the project.

Records show that more than 400,000 hectares of forest burned down in 2019, which was the worst year for forest fires in Europe. This grim record was broken last year: by the end of October, half a million hectares of forest had already burned down in Europe. Forest fires are expected to increase due to global warming so forest fire control is naturally of interest in Finland – with 75% of its land area being forest. NZL

April 2022 | NZ LOGGER 9

forest talk

From left: Penske New Zealand General Manager, Brent Warner, Kaumatua Sonny Ranapia and Kaumatua Des Tata.

Breaking new ground PENSKE NEW ZEALAND HAS BROKEN GROUND ON THE SITE OF ITS new Tauranga facility. Providing full retail sales, parts, and service support for the Western Star Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus, Dennis Eagle, mtu, and Detroit brands, the new facility will be located at Kaweroa Drive, Tauriko.

Situated on 13,167 m2 of land, the purpose-built facility will comprise 2,550 m2 of workshop space, a 700 m2 parts warehouse, and 800 m2 of retail and office space, including a drivers’ lounge.

The new Tauranga branch will also house 17 30-metre truck bays, a machine shop, a drive-through wash bay, a full-length service pit, and two built-in hoists, along with a certificate of fitness (CoF) and a heavy vehicle entry compliance certification bay.

“It’s very exciting to have broken ground and commenced the construction phase of our new Tauranga facility,” says Brent Warner, General Manager of Penske New Zealand.

“And having Kaumatua Des Tata of Ngai Tama Rawaha Hapu

and Kaumatua Sonny Ranapia of Rangi Ranginui Iwi undertaking a blessing ceremony on site was an incredibly special experience.

“We look forward to welcoming our customers to our new site in early 2023 and demonstrating our ongoing investment and commitment to the New Zealand transport industry and the Bay of Plenty region.” NZL

Proposed new Tauranga site.

Waratah to offer Moipu branded products WARATAH AND MOISIO FOREST OY, A Finnish-based forest machine attachment and accessory manufacturer, have signed a co-operation agreement for sales, marketing and distribution of Moipu branded products.

Waratah will begin marketing and selling the well-known Moipu energy wood solutions through its global distribution network primarily in Europe and Asia-Pacific, with some sales in other global markets. Moipu products sold through Waratah dealers will be supported by Waratah dealers and field teams, with spare parts available through

10 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

Waratah’s distribution network.

“With the addition of the Moipu brand, we’ve added new solutions to our portfolio, which will help our customers get more products for their forestry operations – plus they have the added benefit of our extensive dealer and field team for parts and support,” says Markku Ojaniemi, Manager, Waratah distribution Europe, Russia, South America, and Japan.

Moisio Forest Oy will continue to sell products jointly with Waratah in Nordic and Baltic countries as well as in the UK and Ireland. The new collaboration will expand the

Moisio Forest Oy distribution as well as the Waratah portfolio.

Moipu energy wood heads were first built in the 1990s and applications include energy wood harvesting, early thinning, roadside cleaning, rail side cleaning and riverbank cleaning. Moipu products are designed to be installed on practically any carrier and most of the products operate without a control system or electricity. Compatible carriers include forwarders, harvesters, excavators, timber trucks, or any carrier with a crane and suitable hydraulic oil flow. NZL

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forest talk

Grappling with safety GETTING WORKERS OFF STEEP HILLS, AWAY FROM HAZARDS ON the ground, is still proving to be a tough ask for some crews around the country, particularly when it comes to extraction, with manual breaking out often required where there are no alternatives.

But it doesn’t necessarily have to be like this, according to forestry contractor and new technology champion, Dale Ewers.

“We operate 15 crews around the country, sometimes in very difficult locations and we’re able to use mechanisation in up to 98% of those situations in all but one of our crews – and that crew still does around 80-to-90%,” he says.

The challenges of keeping people safe prompted Dale to start up his company, DC Equipment, which has developed a number of solutions to mechanising steep slope harvesting, including the Falcon Winch-Assist system and the Falcon Claw grapple carriage.

It was the safety of his people that led Dale to come up with a workable grapple carriage ten years ago. In spite of being told by many in the industry that it would never work, the Falcon Claw has gone on to become a key piece of equipment for many crews in New Zealand and overseas.

The Falcon Claw has also spurred a number of others to design and build their own grapple carriages and release them to the market.

“That’s good,” says Dale of the increased competition. “It shows that we’ve been on the right track and, quite frankly, I’m not bothered what colour grapple carriage people buy, so long as they adopt the technology.

It means that we are putting fewer people into dangerous places.”

But the adoption rate is not growing anywhere near as fast as it could, for a variety of reasons: some older towers either don’t have water cooled brakes or just don’t have enough power to lift a skyline with a carriage; contractors are not in a position financially to adopt the new technology; and, of course, there’s always challenging terrain and other obstacles.

Yet Dale says there are ways around those roadblocks: “I struggle with the theory that tower haulers cannot run grapple carriages because I don’t agree with that,” he says. “You can run grapple carriages on all those machines, some better than others, of course. Any machine with a water-cooled skyline can run them and that’s most machines being used here in New Zealand forests.”

For those that are not capable of running a grapple carriage, Dale says that the cost of a set of water-cooled brakes is around $10,000-to$15,000.

“It’s not a major job to adapt most towers – I’m talking about those built from the early eighties onwards,” he adds.

Like any old machine, there’s always a need for ongoing maintenance, so upgrading with water-cooled brakes and even a new engine to increase power can be built into the schedule.

Dale goes on to say: “Breaking out and manual tree falling are the most dangerous jobs in the forest and there is always the potential for something to go wrong and for someone to get hurt… or worse.

“That’s why I decided to look at mechanising those tasks. To protect my people. It’s not about putting them out of work – no jobs have been

12 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

lost since we started introducing these technologies. Those guys are being deployed in much safer jobs elsewhere in the company.”

Asked why he thinks the rate of mechanisation is slower than expected, he says: “It’s a mindset and the willingness to make a difference.

“There needs to be a change from saying ‘we can’t make it work’ to ‘how can we make it work’. While they are saying they can’t make it work, they won’t ever make it work. There has to be an action, otherwise there’s not going to be a result.

“They are going to have to adopt that technology otherwise we are not going to be able to get people to go on the hills.”

That last point is a reflection of the situation already facing the industry where it’s becoming harder to attract new blood to fill vacancies in forestry, partly driven by the perceived poor safety record. It’s a struggle to convince parents to recommend their children take a job in forestry, he says.

Safety was a key concern when Gareth White decided to put a grapple carriage onto his Skagit 739 100ft tower hauler.

“Getting people off the ground is most definitely a major reason for introducing the grapple carriage,” says Gareth.

“When you’ve got breaker-outs down the hill, at the back of your mind is the thought that something could go wrong.”

It’s been more than a year since he put the grapple carriage to work and he says it is going even better than he first imagined, staying on the skyline in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

And, contrary to what some may think, productivity has improved, not gone backwards. It can pay back in other ways, such as in reduced maintenance, because there is less stress and shock to the ropes and running gear, so they last longer.

It does take time to learn how to use a grapple carriage effectively on a tower, utilising a mobile tail hold to shift the skyline around or using a Live Dutchman setting to create lateral movement, but the more familiar the crews become with how it works, the better it works for them.

In the ten years since grapple carriages first came to market, the technology and reliability has improved substantially. Hauler and swing yarder operators can see the wood on the ground much better thanks to the introduction of high-definition (HD) cameras and there’s now a move to fit multiple cameras on the carriage to give a much broader view of the cut-over.

Nelson logger, Jason Moir, is now on his third Falcon Claw and has used them on a tower and swing yarder over the past nine years. He says: “I honestly don’t know how we used to do it (before the Falcon) and these days to get a man to go down a hill to hook up a tree, they don’t exist – so you move with the times or get left behind.

“And this thing doesn’t complain, it just turns up every day and does the job. The last claw we had, before our latest one, we just tipped diesel into it and it did not let us down for one day.”

In spite of the slow progress, Dale says he can foresee a time when all manual breaking out is consigned to history.

“It’s not too far away for us. We are currently working on a project that will eliminate all manual tree falling and manual breaking out.” NZL

forest talk

Durable debarking WARATAH FORESTRY EQUIPMENT HAS launched the H225E – a new generation of its H215E head. Designed for use on large, wheeled harvesters and excavators, the H225E is a powerful, high-capacity debarking head for harsh applications.

“The H225E redefines what it means to be a workhorse, with improved features that facilitate enhanced debarking productivity and durability,” says Product Marketing Manager for Waratah, Brent Fisher.

Weighting in at 1690 kg (3,720 lb.), this new 200 Series head features a higher performance valve that allows for better oil flow and greater hydraulic working pressure capabilities (35 MPa or 5,076 psi) for more feed power. It also boasts reduced frame friction for straight or curvy trees. Improved measuring wheel log contact enables more accurate measuring while a new find-end laser sensor reduces the need to saw.

The H225E also includes patented variable angle feed rollers for better bark separation cutting as well as debarking initialisation and

efficiency, improving debarking for varying diameters. Redesigned swept cast arms improve delimbing in harvesting or processing applications with lower knife improvements for reverse delimbing. The H225E features Waratah’s TimberRite H-16 measuring and control system for increased efficiency, accuracy and productivity.

Built to master debarking, the H225E also features new delimb arm profiles, which improve delimbing and durability in plantation stands of consistent diameter or variable diameters of big timber. The length measuring system has been improved for more durability and placement on the log – or with optional measuring from the feed motors.

The new valve includes anti-cavitation protection for feed motors, and additional guarding protects the main frame and roller arm cylinders. Additionally, a new hose bulkhead bracket reduces hose wear and interference on tracked carriers. Extra protective elements have been added to the rear knife hose routing and tilt cylinder base-

end bearing for increased part durability.

With more efficient hydraulic operation, the H225E valve design allows for higher working pressure to reduce oil flow needs and provide more torque with reduced fuel consumption.

This also decreases the need for hydraulic oil cooling. Additionally, an improved hose layout promotes uptime by minimising potential hose failures.

The Waratah H225E head is currently available to customers in New Zealand, Australia, Asia Pacific, the United States, Canada, Brazil and Latin America. NZL

Grooved Drums and Sleeves

DIAGNOSE • DESIGN • DELIVER

forest talk: opinion

Put through its paces THE JOHN DEERE SERIES-II EXCAVATOR MADE ITS ENTRANCE into New Zealand six months ago after being introduced to the Australian market over a year ago.

The line-up includes eight models to take on Australian and New Zealand conditions.

Through John Deere Customer Advocate Groups (CAGs), engineers and developers engage closely with customers, and respond to their feedback at key points in the design of John Deere machines, so that and response for maximum productivity and strong digging force.

Other strategic features include a durable and thick boom, arm and features and specifications deliver what is needed. Customers also help evaluate John Deere designs by putting equipment through its buckets to withstand tougher digging conditions, and Auto Pressure Boost to anticipate and deliver power when it’s needed. paces in a series of in-dirt evaluations.

The John Deere PowerTech Plus engine with variable-geometry “By understanding real-world application, our engineers have the information and insights they need to create a differential edge on turbocharger (VGT) delivers strong fuel efficiency, to move more John Deere products, and this critical input is the driver behind every material on less fuel. Full integration with the Intelligent Hydraulic comfort, function, and performance feature we produce,” says Kel (JD-IHC) system combines performance with smooth, low-effort Davison, Director for Marketing and Sales, Construction and Forestry control. Generous flow, arm force, and swing torque help keep things moving, while the 90/180-deg function (available on the E300’s) Equipment.

The result is a machine with a number of useful features. The increases the boom-up speed for faster truck loading.

In addition, the JDLink Telematics system enables dealers to spacious cab of the Series-II was designed with convenience in mind, with plenty of storage and easily-accessible controls. The Sealed respond to customer needs and diagnose and even correct many Switch Module (SSM) is intuitive, conveniently placed, water and issues, without leaving the dealership. This also means software dust proof and eliminates unsealed connections and moving parts updates can be made quickly and simply, by pushing downloads over associated with traditional rocker switches. The 7-inch touch screen the air to equipment. NZL monitor is easy to navigate, providing quick access to machine features and functions.

Multiple machine readings and Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC’s) are available for the operator to read via the touch screen.

Grouped service points, single position swing greasing, 4,000-hour hydraulic oil and filter and 500-hour engine oil and filter changes, as well as the oil-sealed and lubricated undercarriage, ensure daily servicing is simple and efficient.

John Deere excavators are built tough to deliver more uptime by harnessing the power of heavy-duty booms and arms, a robust electrical system and optimised hydraulic routing. A sealed and lubricated undercarriage and heavy-duty welded X-frame provide a solid, stable platform, while the sloped track frame resists material build-up to decrease cleaning time.

Full-length track guides and double-grouser track shoes are optional for rocky terrain and a heavy-duty cooling system keeps the engine and hydraulic system running efficiently, even For additional quality auditing, a UV sensitive dye is added to the factory fluids, the equipment is run through a thermal cycle then thoroughly inspected under a black in tough environments. Four power modes light to detect even the smallest of leaks. and three work modes deliver the right power

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CASTROL’S NEW SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY Castrol is helping to drive a more sustainable future with its recently announced PATH360 strategy The strategy sets out aims for 2030 to save waste, reduce carbon and improve lives, not just in Australia and New Zealand, but on a global basis.

Castrol became Australia’s pioneer in carbon neutral lubricants in 2016, when the premium Castrol VECTON range of diesel engine oils became the first to be certified as carbon neutral.

In 2021, all Castrol products we sell in Australia and New Zealand will be committed to carbon neutrality in accordance with PAS 2060.

CASTROL’S 120 YEAR FIGHT AGAINST FRICTION, CORROSION AND WEAR Close to a quarter of the world’s energy is believed to be lost to friction, corrosion, and wear as per study by Kenneth Holmberg and Ali Erdemir.

“From Castrol’s earliest days, we have delivered products that help save energy by fighting exactly these problems,” says Jotika Prasad, Castrol Marketing Director, Australia and New Zealand.

Castrol is also supporting new and growing sectors, like renewable energy and e-mobility with products and services.

For example, Castrol is the first lubricant supplier in the world to offer PAS 2060-certified carbon neutral lubricants for the wind turbine industry.

REDUCING PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE CARBON EMISSIONS As well as significantly increasing its carbon neutral offers to Australian customers, Castrol is aiming to halve its own global use of virgin plastic packaging from its 2019 baseline. The PATH360 strategy is based on circular thinking, which means the company is looking at the life-cycle of its existing and new products, to see how they can be improved, extended, reused, or recycled.

“Customers in the mining and CVO sectors are especially committed to reducing their carbon emissions,” said Jane Carland, General Manager Castrol Australia and New Zealand, “and we plan to be an important partner in helping them achieve their goals and our target is to halve the net carbon intensity of our products by 2030.”

For example, three of Castrol’s plants globally moved to renewable electricity in 2020.

At the same time, the company has developed new light-weight bottle designs which use less plastic, saving on a global basis 7,000 tonnes per year by 2023.

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CARBON NEUTRAL PROJECTS To help fulfil its carbon neutral programme, Castrol works with bp Target Neutral who purchase carbon carbon credits that support a portfolio of carbon reduction, avoidance, and removal projects around the world.

These include support for projects such as the Zhaoyuan Zhangxing wind energy scheme in China, which mitigates more than 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide are each year by replacing fossil fuel power.

Another such project has supported investment in solar energy in India, through a large-scale project that helps provide reliable and cost-effective off-grid electricity for families and business.

To date, 60,000 solar units have been distributed.

BUILDING ON ACHIEVEMENTS Castrol’s Senior Vice President, Mandhir Singh, said: “PATH360 builds upon work we’ve been doing for years, pulling it all together into one integrated sustainability programme. We know that many of our customers are looking for more sustainable offers and help with their sustainability goals, and this is what this programme is designed to deliver.”

15/03/2022 20:47

forest talk: opinion

The upgraded Ponsse H8 harvester head.

Tackling big wood THE UPGRADED PONSSE H8 HARVESTER HEAD FEATURES powerful feed, firm grip and a solid, agile frame.

The Active Speed feature means the operating speed can be adjusted based on tree species and stem diameter. Equipped with this new function, working with the H8 harvester head is smooth and productive, no matter what the tree diameter is.

“We have developed our product range of harvester heads actively with our customers. Many of our customers work in challenging conditions, which is why their ideas give us the best possible feedback for product development. With its completely new structure, the H8 harvester head is ideal for processing large trees,” says Product Manager for Harvester Heads, Janne Loponen.

The new head can be mounted on Ponsse Ergo and Bear, the strongest harvesters in the product range. The wide saw box area makes the head a good choice for trees with a high butt diameter. The harvester head’s structure has been designed for easy maintenance, and the frame has been built for durability.

A powerful feed, combined with a geometry that firmly supports larger stems on feed rollers, results in high productivity and fuel economy.

The automatic features of the Opti control system, developed and built by Ponsse, control the feed speed and saw movement according to the tree diameter, and ensure fast and precise sawing.

16 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

MORE WOOD IN ONE GO The Ponsse Elephant King forwarder is the most powerful machine in Ponsse’s forwarder range. It is particularly economical and efficient when transport distances are long or transported trees are large.

“Elephant King’s technology, tested in extreme conditions in the Russian cold and the Brazilian heat, improves productivity and helps the operator keep going. The forwarder’s cabin is comfortable and safe. The powerful engine and the 20-tonne load carrying capacity guarantee that trees are transported efficiently,” says Product Manager, Forwarders, Juha Haverinen.

When the Elephant King is equipped with Ponsse Active Crane, a loader control system for forwarders, productivity in demanding conditions further improves. The system allows the operator to control grapple movements instead of individual functions, thereby lightening the operator’s workload. One lever controls the grapple height from the ground and the other controls the direction of movement.

The Elephant King forwarder with the K121 loader is the most powerful combination at worksites where load handling takes up a large part of working hours, says Mr Haverinen. The K121 loader also makes working easier at sites where large trees are handled and on steep slopes. The high slewing and lifting power, longer reach, new loader geometry and good controllability, speed up loading and unloading. NZL

Special feature: Machine overhaul

Unique Cat swing yarder cheats death Story & photos: John Ellegard

YES, YOU READ THAT HEADLINE RIGHT – this is a story about a Caterpillar swing yarder.

Not many people know there was a Caterpillar-branded swing yarder on the market back in the day – I certainly didn’t, until I came across this particular machine now working in Northland. And then discovered that it’s actually been hiding in plain sight here in New Zealand for the past 40 years.

Well, we think this Caterpillar SY235 has been here that long, but the actual date of its

arrival is not clear. It has passed through a few hands over the years after being imported brand new sometime in the 1980s by Canadian logger Brent Hewlett, who established a harvesting operation in the North Island.

It has gone through a few more hands since then, before being purchased by Palmerston North-based forestry manager, Forest360, three years ago to work with one of its Northland crews.

It was in need of some serious TLC and the

next stop may well have been the graveyard.

But Forest360 has a history of breathing life into old machines, especially yarders (swing and pole) and after keeping it going for a couple of years, it decided the SY235 was worth hanging onto and commissioned a 12 month-long complete overhaul.

At the end of February NZ Logger travelled north to see the end result. The reason for our special interest? This may well be the last Caterpillar SY235 still working anywhere

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Fresh from the workshop, the fully rebuilt Caterpillar SY235 swing yarder is making wood recovery easier for the ACL Logging crew.

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The rebuilt Caterpillar SY235 currently uses a mechanical grapple that is due to be fitted with a high-definition Falcon camera system to help the operator spot trees on the ground.

in the world, making it a rare beast.

Only seven were put into production, following the development and testing of a prototype in Canada in the early 1980s. Some 40 years later there is no record of whether any of the other six are still working. Caterpillar never made any more after that first batch, so the Kiwi SY235 is likely now one-of-a-kind.

There is precious little information on the web and what we do know has been gathered from local knowledge, plus a technical study carried out on the prototype by the Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada, FERIC, (the forerunner of Canada’s current forestry R&D organisation, FPInnovations).

According to the FERIC report, the SY235 was the result of a 1979 collaboration between Caterpillar, the Finning Tractor & Equipment Company and Lantec Industries. The aim was to build a lightweight, all-hydraulic, high production swing yarder to work on compact and environmentally sensitive sites, similar to the PeeWee yarder that the USDA Forest Service and Lantec had developed for thinning coastal stands.

Caterpillar supplied its 235 excavator undercarriage, the hydrostatic drive and associated hydraulic pumps, Lantec provided the PeeWee winch set, boom and gantry, while Finning assembled the whole thing and provided technical assistance.

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that in the right situation it could be very useful. In an effort to keep our costs down, like a lot of our gear, it has to be a reasonably low capital outlay and that’s great on the one hand, but bad on the other because there are challenges around reliability, and even things like safety start to become an issue due to the age/design.”

The SY235 was purchased with an eye to using it on the broken hill country of Northland, to assist Forest360’s local contractor, ACL Logging, overcome the challenges of recovering wood from steep, hard-to-log sites.

Battered and bruised Although it was battered and bruised, the Dan Gaddum, Managing Director of Forest360, SY235 was still in working order and was explains what drew his company’s attention pressed into service with one of three logging to the Caterpillar SY235: “It just looked like a crews run by ACL. The owner of ACL, Lance Aukett, also useful piece of kit. We bought the 235 along with a Halla Harvestline from Shane McGuire of doubles as the regional manager of Forest360 operations in Northland. Formerly a civil Mana Logging in Gisborne.

“Prior to that it was owned by Gus Thompson contractor, who got into forestry 15 years ago who, we understand, purchased it after it had when the Global Financial Collapse severely been sitting in Rotorua for a while, where it had impacted his business, Lance has made a habit of getting the most out of whatever equipment been working in the GSL Eucalypt.

“We’ve always had this philosophy of trying he has to hand. But he admits that the SY235 to support contractors into good kit to be able did test his fortitude.

“It arrived as an old beaten-up, end-of-life to do the job, so we invest in the machine then lease it out. We’ve done a lot of haulers machine,” he says.

Apart from being “bent and buckled”, there this way because of the size of the investment SERIOUS POWER FOR issue BIG TIME LOGGERS was a major with getting the SY235 onto required.

“When we bought this one, we could see and off the transporter, says Lance.

Interesting technical innovations built into the SY235 included the fully interlocking three-drum winch set, which was considered a unique feature at the time. Also, the walking guy line sheaves on the gantry that swivel independently for quicker direction changes.

Up in the cab, the controls were laid out to mimic those of an excavator, with all movements worked from the two joysticks. It was a cool machine in its day, but the SY235 did have some quirks that hampered the operation – we’ll get to those shortly.

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EST EST 1909 1909 | TOCALL WWW.SHAWS.CO.NZ JONNY EDWARDS 021 944 894 THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER NEW TO NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 20 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

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“There was no way to walk the machine when we got it up here, we couldn’t even get it off the transporter without a lot of drama.

With the boom and gantry lowered you literally put the cab over and somehow had to sit in the cab to push the pedals to get it onto the transporter. You ended up standing on the inside of the roof, pushing the pedals. There was not a lot of control. I don’t know how they shifted it in the past. It was bloody dangerous.

“We ended up putting in five metres of hydraulic lines that connected to a hand-held unit – I wouldn’t even describe it as a remote control as it was pretty primitive – just to be able to walk it from outside the cab. All to get it off the transporter.

“Using that primitive hand-held was interesting because things on the machine would start working by themselves, like guy ropes or whatever, because there was stuff touching other controls.

“Then you had to get a digger in to lift the cab, which rocked over with a real thud because of all the weight on it. That just added to the drama.”

Compounding the situation was the effort needed to raise the boom and gantry using chains with grapples, requiring one of the crew to climb up the precarious structure and secure them with locking pins. “The potential for someone to get seriously hurt was very high,” reckons Dan. “When you start looking at things in regard to working at height, with everything being so manual, essentially we should have had guys fitted with harnesses or set up scaffolding around it to assemble this kit and we decided that we can’t do that anymore,” he adds.

“The track motors, slew gear, pumps, winches, they’re all original but they have been refurbished or rebuilt. It’s got a new Cat 3306 engine, basically replacing like-for-like and it’s a Tier 2. Hydrostatic transmission is the same. Even the interlocking mechanism for the winches is the same as before.

“The bodywork was bent and buckled through years of use and misuse, so we had to straighten out a lot of the metal. And we made some changes, such as fully re-guarding and fitting a rear drop-down plate that opens up to the engine. Like, we couldn’t get the engine out, so we had to cut parts of the framework at the back that had the gantry on. Now we’ve got much better access and that rear plate can be lowered and raised with hydraulic rams, so there’s good access to the engine now.”

Hydraulic rams were also fitted to the boom and gantry so that these can be raised and lowered at the push of a button. Same with the tilting cab.

There’s also much better access to the rear of the cab through stairs built into the bodywork, along with a set of hydraulically folding steps that make it so much easier to climb up from ground level. For safety, the yarder will not operate until those steps are raised.

The cab itself remains fairly basic, with felt covering some of the inside metal surfaces and rubber matting on the floor. But it is very roomy, with space for two people to stand behind the operator’s seat.

Above: One of just seven built by a Caterpillar-led consortium, this SY235 swing yarder may be the last survivor.

Below left: The battered bodywork has been totally reconstructed and now features stairs up to the rear of the cab and hydraulically folding steps for easy access from the ground.

Below right: Operator, Carl Sadgrove, demonstrates the fully remote control unit that controls the walking and assembly of the cab, boom and crane from the ground.

Better access The decision was made to decommission the SY235, send it to the workshop and rebuild it into a more user-friendly, up-to-date yarder.

“The work was done by Nick Hill in his yard and our mechanic Kevin Griffiths, who also happens to be my stepfather who has worked for us for around 13 years – and 12 months later it came out looking like new,” says Lance.

“It’s very original in terms of the base machine. The gantry is obviously original. The cab is original but we pulled all the guarding bars off and replaced them with Marguard so you’ve got great vision from the operator’s seat now.

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The controls haven’t changed. They’re all still hydraulic, working off the four-way joysticks as before, with a foot pedal on the extreme left for controlling the speed of the ropes. The operator has a panel of switches on the front-left pillar to control the winches. On the front-right pillar is a cluster of gauges to provide information on items such as engine oil pressure, water temperature, a voltmeter, etc.

In a nod to the crew’s initial answer to the challenge of walking the machine on and off the transporter, they’ve now fitted a sophisticated fully-wireless remote-control system to operate the machine from the ground in place of the rudimentary hydraulic hose handset.

Lance says: “You can stand beside the machine, push the button on the remote and it will start up, put the cab down because it now has hydraulic rams, then you can walk it off the transporter and put the boom up using the remote. No one hops on until the mast is up and the gantry slides out and all you do is put two pins in and pull the guy ropes out and start pulling wood. It’s a one-person set-up.”

Dan concurs, adding: “It’s a lot easier and a lot safer. Guys climbing around that thing, dealing with chains and bits of steel swinging around, that’s all history. Fiona Ewing (of the

Designed as a compact swing yarder to work in compact, environmentally fragile areas, the Caterpillar SY235 was said to be quite advanced for its time. Having survived around 40 years in the bush, the 12-month long rebuild will ensure it goes on working for many more years.

Forest Industry Safety Council) talks about ‘safety by design’ and that’s the sort of thing we were looking to do and we’ve achieved it here.

“And we’ve also turned it back into a reliable and productive piece of equipment. Just about every hydraulic hose has been pulled off and

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Above left: The battered and beaten-up Caterpillar SY235 prior to its full rebuild – there was no way to remove the engine from either the sides or the rear.

Above right: Most of the original structure of the Caterpillar SY235 has been retained in the rebuild. replaced, the pumps have been reconditioned.

Still fully hydraulic, not air over hydraulic, even the controls in the cab – no electronics. The same unlagged PeeWee drum set. Running ¾” swaged ropes on the big drums. It’s the same, but better.”

Lance chips in: “As the boys say, it’s not a Madill 123 or whatever, but it’s probably more current now than a lot of machines out there.

With all that integrated gear for walking and all that stuff, it’s right up-to-date.”

Weighing in at around 55 tonnes, the rejuvenated Caterpillar SY235 is just the right piece of kit for tackling the current harvesting job on the Brynderwyn Hills, just south of Whangarei.

Reaching this site was another first for me; the first time I’ve ever had to access a forest directly through a working quarry, manoeuvring in between massive dump trucks running up and down the roads. It’s part of the Atlas Concrete quarry complex situated on the southern side of the Brynderwyns.

Lance explains that Atlas owns two quarries up here and two forests, comprising a total of 230 hectares of pines. The site his crew is harvesting is the steeper of the two forestry blocks and it’s very broken, with gullies and ridges criss-crossing at all sorts of angles.

Best forestry roads In terms of roading challenges, working in a quarry is woodlot utopia, says Dan. This forest has some of the best forestry roads to be found anywhere in New Zealand, all built by Atlas.

When the harvesting crew wants a new track created, they just get on the radio to the Atlas team and their equipment arrives in minutes to take charge.

The trees were planted 23 years ago, tightly stocked and then pretty much left to fend for themselves. They are over-crowded and the piece size is very small compared to trees found in other forests around Northland.

The crew started logging it 18 months ago when prices were very high to maximise the

returns and even though there was a dip towards the end of last year, prices have rebounded and it’s still paying off, although the skyrocketing fuel prices are eating into the budget.

“We looked at whether we could hold out and let it grow more but it wasn’t really worth it because it’s so tightly stocked,” says Lance.

“So it was about coming up with the right systems to get it done properly and having the SY235 working in here now is going to help make a difference.”

Above left: The new Cat 3306 engine can now be easily accessed from the opened-up rear of the body.

Above right: The original PeeWee winch set, complete with interlocking feature, was regarded as an innovation back in the early 1980s.

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The setting where it is currently working is the first since the SY235 arrived, apart from a trial carried out in another part of the forest to check everything was running correctly.

The main line is stretching out over a deep gully where it connects to a backline machine on the opposite hill, more than 300 metres away.

Currently, it is running a mechanical grapple without the benefit of a motorised carriage or even a camera system to help spot the trees on the gully floor.

“We’ve got some camera gear for it (a Falcon HD system) but haven’t quite got around to putting it on yet, so we do use a spotter when needed,” says Lance.

Members of the crew are being rotated through the SY235 cab so that there is always someone available with experience to operate it through holidays, sickness and COVID isolation requirements.

30-year forestry veteran, Carl Sadgrove, is at the controls today and after a little over a week he admits he is still getting used to how the SY235 works. He’s operated a range of machines in his time, including tower haulers, swing yarders and also Harvestlines (there’s one working up here with ACL Logging).

“It’s like a Harvestline incorporated into a swing yarder – with a bit more height and swing,” says Carl.

“It’s all mechanical, all hydraulic. But in saying that it’s quite a nice machine, it is smooth. In a machine fitted with air lines you can get a lot of fluctuation and the controls can feel very touchy.”

He’s enjoying the simplified joystick controls – moving the right lever forward and backward

Forest360’s Dan Gaddum (left), with Lance Aukett of ACL Logging. lowers and raises interlock (haulback) tension, while left-to-right controls the slackpulling function, along with a grapple opening and closing switch; moving the left lever forward and backward controls the speed and direction of the yarder primary drive and moving it left-toright works the swing and line direction.

“The remote control for walking is really good,” he adds. “Being outside the cab you can see everything going on around the machine, which is much better.”

One of the things that makes this yarder work so well is the interlock system on the drums.

When the interlock is set, it allows the operator to take up one drum and pay cable out of another drum and provide a predictable tension between the two. The line pulls and speeds might be a bit lower as a result, but it has the advantage of reducing wear and tear. A lower line pull also reduces the chance of pulling over the tail-hold machine.

The hydraulic interlock on the SY235 is said to

have inspired others to use the same technology on their yarder designs over the years.

The ACL Logging team is looking forward to seeing what they can wrangle out of their newly upgraded swing yarder, although Lance admits: “It’s still very early days and in this setting it’s not easy, especially in this broken country, which makes it hard with having to move it around so much.

“We’re probably sitting at around 130 tonnes a day right now and the wood is nothing flash - mind you this is probably the best wood that we’ve come into in the whole block. It would be good to get into a really nice forest and see how it goes.”

For Forest360, the cost of the overhaul has already proved the value of the exercise, with Dan Gaddum noting: “The cost of the upgraded machine is about one-third of the cost of a new Harvestline.

“No one is saying the productivity is the same, but it would be a lot better than one-third!” NZL

1: Operator, Carl Sadgrove, now has a great view from the cab following the replacement of the guarding bars with Marguard protective glass.

2: The SY235 is controlled through the pair of joysticks.

3: Switches for the different winches are easily accessed from this panel on the front-left pillar.

4: Key information on the swing yarder’s systems are displayed on these gauges on the front-right pillar.

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Carbon Forestry

Mixed vegetation of conifers, weeds and native shrub adjacent to carbon forest on old goldmine workings.

Forestry writer, Jim Childerstone, attempts to get some perspective on carbon forestry after reviewing an array of responses from stakeholders and independent organisations concerned with permanent forestry. Input from a wide spectrum of stakeholders in these articles indicates conflicting interests around permanent carbon forests, coupled with lack of clarity and considerable misunderstanding among media and the general public. The emphasis, mainly from the agricultural sector, is to implement a national strategic plan to sort out different aspects of carbon farming. However the forestry sector warns of unintended consequences if draconian regulations come into force.

F

OR A START THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA needs to define the difference between Permanent Carbon Farming and Commercial Productive Forestry. This is vitally important as it affects the forest industries as a whole as well as this country's attempt to mitigate climate change.

There is a major difference. Farm woodlot owners, private and corporate forest owners all have the opportunity to register for carbon sequestration under the New Zealand Emission's Trading Scheme. And most do, and therefore are also carbon farmers.

Government, regional and local authorities need to note this difference before planning

30 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

land use regulations under the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry (NES-PF).

It also appears that purchasers of land for carbon farming have deep pockets. Very deep pockets. This tempts livestock farmers on less productive and marginal lands to sell up, as prices being offered tend to be well over the productive capacity of the land and New Zealand Quotable Value. It goes without saying that income from carbon forests is well above many Beef + Lamb earnings per hectare on some land classes, particularly as carbon prices escalate.

Attempting to get transparency on who the

big time investors are is met with obfuscation.

One obvious question being posed is: Are they large multinational fossil fuel extracting entities?

Firms such as New Zealand Carbon Farming, Interpine Innovations and My Farm Investments are New Zealand listed companies, therefore not required to apply to the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) for fee simple land sales. We can be certain funding sought for My Farm land purchase is a local identity as it's targeting Mum and Dad investors through local media ads. That is, if you had a spare $50k to invest!

Attempting to throw some light on the

subject NZ Logger approached Stuart Nash, Forestry Minister, backed by Damien O'Connor, Agriculture Minister.

The mantra remains “the right tree in the right place for the right reasons”. Responding to some of the controversy as to what, where and when this takes place, Minister Nash indicates "some changes are underway" to tinker with the Climate Change Commission Zero Carbon Act. Mr O'Connor opined in a recent article to the local media (Otago Daily Times) that "tweaks” were being considered to alter the national policy statement.

Mr Nash reiterates that it is not the role of Government to tell farmers who they can or cannot sell their farms to, "especially if the prospective purchaser is a New Zealander".

This presumes he (with other commentators) realises offers are being made by off-shore investors. (Southern Wood Council's Grant Dobson is adamant that no sales have been made through the OIO.) There is agreement by farmers that Government has a role in curbing the rising number of farms sold to carbon farmers. This is currently being worked on by related state sectors "as top priority," but could be running out of time.

The Ministers listed four steps towards this: • Review the process that overseas investors undertake in purchasing farms to convert to forestry (recently adjusted).

• Also changes to the National Environmental Standards (NES) on plantation forestry to give local authorities the right to plan where trees can or cannot be planted.

• Where only native trees are allowed as permanent forests to be tested.

• And looking at improved sequestration rates with native vegetation varieties. (See article on Transition from exotic to native on page 35.)

According to the NZ Forest Service some 1.2m ha has been identified as uneconomic for farming or plantation forestry in NZ, plus another 1.2m ha of marginal land more suitable for mixed species plantation forestry.

And herein lies the big question: Who, or what entity, is going to decide what the right tree is, where the right place is and what are to be the right reasons? Certainly not Government, or its departments, regional or local authorities, some private landowners believe.

Forestry consultant Mark Belton, Managing Director of Permanent Forestry NZ, begs to differ: "Forestry land use, both for timber and carbon could be appropriately regulated through the Resource Management Act (RMA) and existing Land Resource Inventory (LRI) and Land Use Capability (LUC) mapping and

land types, and their suitability for different land uses.

"The science-based land use capability mapping work is readily available. It just needs to be intelligently applied. For example Class 8 land may have extreme limitations for productive agricultural land use. However it could be suited for productive carbon and conservation forestry, with either introduced or indigenous tree species". Due to its extreme limitations, obtaining a land use consent would be required, Mr Belton explains.

"Even more constraint is called for on highly valuable agricultural land types, especially Class 1-3 lands," he says, backing Beef + Lamb NZ suggestions.

A well-tended private woodlot in North Otago, CO� registered for sequestration. FML's Stu Brown discusses options for harvest.

"As carbon prices track upwards, so will land prices," Mr Belton believes. "The only way to put the brakes on land price escalation would be for Government to put a cap on price of carbon from forests."

He asks: “How many politicians and eco romantics know that in addition to supplying timber in quantity, plantations are super rich in bird life, are extremely effective in soil erosion protection (except , for example following clearfell harvesting), and soil fertility improving through symbioses with ectomycorrhizal fungi that solubise otherwise intractable soil phosphorus.” (This would apply equally to continuous cover select stem harvest managed plantations.)

He goes on: "And radiata, being so productive, can sequester carbon super-fast in the near term when it most matters and at a very low cost, about $25 for each tonne of CO2 extracted from the air and held in the forests’ biomass. (Fast growing eucalypts are the only species that can out-perform radiata.)

By comparison, planting native forests to

sequester carbon makes no economic sense, the cost of each tonne of C02 extracted could be $500/t CO2, require 10 (times) the land area, and take many centuries to do the same carbon removal job. Is effective climate change action needed or not?”

To summarise choosing what to plant, where and why, obviously has to be advised by researchers within Crown Research Agencies, sectors involved with climatology, botany, forestry scientists, and soil and water engineers familiar with catchment land stabilisation and erosion. Also multigenerational farmers who have in-depth knowledge of the land they own.

Modification of New Zealand's landscape has been ongoing for over 700 years, with vast areas of introduced exotic plants, animals, insects and micro-organisms. This has more recently been exacerbated by climate change.

Average rainfall varies from 600 cm/year to 30 cm and topography from sea level to over 3000 m, and now subject to more recent changes. This requires continuous research and alterations to land use.

Perhaps a major “tweak” could be a significant query as to why the Government is prepared to spend well over $2b purchasing overseas CO2 credits to mitigate climate change in New Zealand. First priority should go to local sequestered carbon. Also alterations to the Zero Carbon Act under the ETS so that CO2 emissions are drastically cut while incentives continue to bolster alternative low emission energy sources.

Currently this just retains the status quo, hardly reducing the overall CO2 tonnage to meet COP 26 requirements to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 and beyond. It seems our emissions are far greater than the carbon being sequestered by our trees. According to the Climate Change Commission, at least a further 380,000ha of pine needs to be planted by 2030! Or so it would appear. Another option, suggested

by Mark Belton, is to plant fast-growing tree species (not just pine) on 1 million ha of unproductive and environmentally problematic marginal land - thereby removing the entirety of our Ag Sectors GHG emissions for the next 50 years, and enabling farmer landowners to capture exceptional economic returns while delivering exceptional environmental benefits, which should include some increased establishment of native forest habitat.

Hopefully this will generate some balance for an informed debate to clarify each sector's problems. Thus, let the discussions begin...

April 2022 | NZ LOGGER 31

Carbon Forestry

Concerns aired B EEF + L AMB NEW ZEAL AND Chairman, Andrew Morrison, has a number of worries: "Our concern is carbon farming. The Government is economically incentivising wholesale land use change from pastoral-based farming into exotic trees – because the increasing price of carbon credits is distorting what land is worth and productive farmland is being sold for the future planting of trees - mainly exotic species such as p radiata "The big problem is that the Government has not set any limits on how much offsetting of emissions can happen through the ETS to meet our climate change targets, and therefore how much land can be converted to forestry to create carbon credits for sale.

"This means fossil fuel polluters can keep avoiding the need to actually cut back on fossil fuel use and instead offset their pollution by using carbon credits generated on our farms through the wholesale planting of pine trees, most likely never to be harvested."

Morrison believes this scenario is a short-

Regenerated beech floor. term fix for a long-term problem which "is something we and forest owners agree on".

He says 100% carbon offsetting should not

be allowed. New Zealand is the only country allowing this through forestry, as far as Morrison is aware.

CARBON FORESTERS PROMOTE INTENTIONS A SPOKESPERSON FOR NZ CARBON FARMING (NZCF), IN A

statement, says the organisation is a wholly locally-owned company which only selects lower productivity land for planting – “over 95% of its nationwide conservation estate made of Grade 6 and above land." (They are able to pay over the top prices for these classes of land say Beef + Lamb farmers.)

The company states permanent forestry can be a great opportunity for owners of unproductive farmland, both as a source of complementary income and vital support for New Zealand’s fight against climate change. The company claims it has returned more than $95m to the sector (presumedly through carbon credits?).

The statement continues: "But while permanent exotic forests can be an excellent option for landowners, NZCF does not support 'plant and leave' carbon farming. This type of unmanaged forestry creates poor outcomes for communities and for the environment.”

The company claims its method of using exotic plantings to act as a nurse crop for the ultimate establishment of native environments – reinforced by more than 40 years of local scientific research and supported by ongoing independent 32 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

analysis – “requires regular and ongoing management over the long term”.

Attempting to throw some light on management queries, such as pest control, the company says it currently invests more than $1m p/a on pest control, which it believes to be "the largest private programme in the country".

Management systems with carbon farming virtually eliminate activities such as pruning and thinning regimes, and “nil harvest at maturity suggests these forests also provide a range of other complementary income sources for the sector. Continuous canopy harvest of carefully selected trees on a sustainable basis is a strong emerging market."

(Continuous cover forestry with select stem logging has been ongoing with some growers who carry out normal management systems.)

"A range of other industries, from honey production to ecotourism and biofuels have strong potential to support the development of sustainable regional industries.

The growth of these businesses offers even greater opportunities for diversification of local farm incomes", the company concludes (in-forest management systems not specified).

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Carbon Forestry

Too good to be true?

M ANY LIVESTOCK FARMERS THROUGHOUT THE NATION question the intention of permanent carbon forest owners to carry out the plans being promoted - in the long term. In the North Otago downlands near Tokarahi some 3300ha of land has been bought and planted in radiata by NZ Carbon Farming (NZCF), resulting in negative reactions from local livestock farmers.

Local Tokarahi farmer, Murray Simpson, also a farm forester, is extremely sceptical whether much of the company proposals will be carried out on its permanent forestry management agenda. "It looks too good to be true. I don't believe a word of it," he says, referring to the promotional material.

On a drive around the two sold properties with Murray he points out discrepancies in the Fairview block, bought in 2012 and Hazeldene, bought last year. Certainly there is little evidence of appropriate management regarding distance off roadsides, or fire breaks. Density of planting is at least 1000 sph, including plots deep into damp gullies which should normally be left for regeneration of native vegetation. The only pest control is deer shooting after plantings to prevent seedling damage, says Mr Simpson. No sign of the 10-yearold trees being thinned or pruned. No sign of ponding for fire control or tracking for vehicle access.

In 2020 a forest fire ripped through about 600 ha of the 1250 ha plantation, narrowly missing the Simpson homestead adjacent to the plots, which Mr Simpson was in the process of selling. Some 2000 ha of Hazeldene has been planted in grids of about 1000 sph as sighted from Balmoral Road.

Much of this is flat to rolling territory up to about 1000 m asl, which Murray describes as reasonable pasture land for grazing and haymaking. He also notes that if a limited harvest (select stem felling under a continuous cover system) is being contemplated, it should require pruning and thinning to produce good quality stems.

Mr Simpson, 67, a fourth generation farmer in this part of North Otago, also a woodlot owner, explains it is a dry inland area with light pebbly soils, mainly tussock land with areas of woody shrubs. But exotic weeds, such as broom and gorse, as well as rampant growth of exotic grasses are a threat as fire danger. The 2020 fire was thought to have started through

Murray Simpson. crossed power lines during a nor'wester.

Although he has retained some 170 ha from the sale of the homestead block, he says the two forested properties were sold through local Oamaru rural farm trading companies, Combined Rural Traders and PGG Wrightson.

It appears the buyer, NZCF has surprisingly deep pockets as they were able to offer prices well over current valuations of beef and lamb properties, as well as covering the costs of land prep and planting. Hazeldene's near 3000 ha of bare land sold for $7m according to a PGG sales spokesman, which did not require OIO consent.

Mr Simpson believes investment funding could be sourced from overseas investors and large GHG emitters aiming to mitigate carbon payments by investing in growing trees. A recent TV1 Sunday programme, which featured his thoughts on carbon farming, was unable to get clarity on the sale.

An approach by NZ Logger to Oamaru solicitors, Dean & Coleman Law, who handled the legal side of the sale of Fairview, seeking transparency, was met with the response that sales are private and confidential, thus they were unable to comment.

WAITAKI DISTRICT COUNCIL WANTS REGULATIONS MAYOR GARY KIRCHER OF THE WAITAKi District Council (WDC) was partly influenced by a visit to Te Kuiti chatting to locals on farms being taken over for permanent carbon farming. Also the purchase of a North Otago property for conversion into a carbon forest in the Downlands foothill country.

"Following the Livingstone fire in October 2020 it became clear just how poorly many carbon forests were managed," he says.

Mr Kircher cites insufficient control of pest plants and pest animals; minimal

34 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

fence maintenance, and little attention given to requirements such as setbacks from boundaries, firebreaks and tree maintenance.

"We are considering special rates for properties used predominantly for carbon." This would be a rate that would be collected for social benefit and provide a fund to help neighbours with pest control and some of the other issues (he does not specify permanent or commercial forests).

"If possible some form of (government) charter would be very

helpful in the industry - basically an accreditation for those forests being managed responsibly," Mr Kircher points out. "Such an accreditation might allow a decrease in the rates charged, and an ability for those investors to be acknowledged internationally."

He also cites the issues of declining rural communities affecting economies through loss of productivity, also attributing taking advantage of emission reducing options to adding to the divide between rural and urban communities.

Unintended consequences, WARNS FARM FORESTRY ASSOCIATION

T

HE NEW ZEALAND FARM FORESTRY Association (NZFFA) differs somewhat on Beef + Lamb's concerns.

Graham West, NZFFA president warns of the unforeseen consequences if Government or local authorities implement harsh regulations relating to land use to appease opposition to forestry establishment.

"If we don't like the carbon forest solution we need to suggest an alternative. Land use change, carbon forests and the ETS carbon price are all driven by the one issue - risk of climate change," he points out. Which brings it all down to the nitty gritty and basic economics.

"Fix that," he says, "and everything related goes away. Climate change is likely to devastate pastoral farming, forestry and horticulture equally. The New Zealand economy cannot afford a drastic change in climate. So we need to address it and not bicker about right land use.

"Fortunately, introduced exotic timber tree species grow about five times faster than indigenous forest species, and at maturity hold at least three times more carbon as permanent sinks – which is the objective."

Mr West points out that exotic plantations will grow on almost any soil type and do not

slow down after 30 years. "Radiata doesn’t slow until 70 years, Douglas-fir about 120 years and Redwoods about 200 years."

He adds that radiata doesn’t collapse if not harvested, but it will slowly reduce in stocking from natural competition according to data on this.

The Association promotes the farm forestry model to land owners, where pastoral farming diversifies its land use to produce timber, and GHG emissions are addressed through permanent land use change, Mr West concludes.

Understory growth in well-spaced Douglas fir plantation, Herbert Forest 1998.

TRANSITION FROM EXOTIC TO NATIVE – MORE RESEARCH NEEDED UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY SCHOOL

of Forestry Professor David Norton, in support of Scion Research's submission to MPI, says establishing native trees among permanent exotic forests, primarily p-radiata, is a relatively new topic.

So far "there has been a lack of

Native shrubs prosper under a stand in Dunedin City Forests.

research to determine actual time frames to transition exotic permanent (nonharvest) plantations to native forests", Prof Norton explained in a comprehensive detailed email to NZ Logger, adding there was insufficient time to fully research the data to give a fully informed conclusion covering the whole country.

A report, commissioned for the Ministry for Primary Industries, says work and funding is needed, such as guidance on canopy interventions to aid transition, methods of gap creations, staging, maintenance across rainfall and temperature gradients, seed source proximity, pest management and fencing.

In another report ex Canterbery University

School of Forestry scientist, Dr Adam Forbes, adding to the Scion submission, has been researching self-sustaining permanent forest site suitability, nurse crop concepts and understory regeneration with transition to self-sustaining forest.

He writes factors being studied include stand age, canopy cover, understory structure, seed source proximity (distance or amount), climate, herbivore species (pests) and numbers. Research also includes evidence-based policy for permanent forests using data research into soils, biodiversity and/or CO2 applications.

The conclusions so far from existing research are that “transition would be most appropriate in areas of high rainfall with a good amount of native seed source, healthy native bird populations, low numbers of grazing animals and manageable pest issues." Research is proving long term – very long term.

April 2022 | NZ LOGGER 35

Carbon Forestry

Keep choice open, says NZ forest owners Association

N

ON-PRODUCTION PERMANENT FORESTRY can be a valuableland use option providing it can be managed appropriately, subject to land use rules like those applying to other forestry, and over the long term based on species that are suited to permanent cover," says the NZ Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) policy statement.

"The imposition of land use controls that constrain landowners’ choices and impede their potential returns where there are already sufficient controls protecting the environment is opposed" by the NZ FOA. This is a crucial issue being pursued by local authorities to regulate land use under the RMA National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry (NES-PF).

The FOA accepts the need to use forests as long term carbon sinks to mitigate climate change to enable the transition away from a fossil fuel-based economy.

"We note concerns by some sectors of the community over which species these forests should be, where they should be planted and how they should be managed.

There are particular concerns for "carbon farming" and the establishment of permanent carbon forests".

The FOA suggests the terminology needs defining, particularly as all forests sequester whether in the ETS or not.

Fire breaks and water sources are a necessity with permanent forest – Murray Simpson looks over the results of the Fairview fire of 2o2o.

The FOA wants forests that have been deliberately planted for carbon with nil harvest to be referred to as "carbon-only forests".

This distinguishes them from those forests that have been developed for both carbon and fibre production. "All can, of course, have a range of other values for which they are often established for biodiversity, erosion control and recreation."

The FOA does not support carbon-only forests being established and managed in

a way that significantly increases risk to other forests and surrounding properties: "A carbon-only forest will typically not have the same level of management or roading, fire breaks and ponds as production forests, and consequently it poses an increased threat in terms of biosecurity, pests and fire."

It also observes that nil harvest affects wood production which would work against the development of the forestry and domestic wood processing sector with a negative effect on GDP and employment.

Native shrubs prosper in Dunedin City Forests.

36 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

3qtr_bc_

As carbon prices are predicted to skyrocket, the FOA wants to prevent forest owners delaying harvest to cash in on carbon credits. Thus two accounting approaches have been introduced, the Stock Change approach and Averaging.

Referring to carbon accounting, FOA President, Phil Taylor, explains that Averaging will become compulsory next year and Stock Change will disappear.

"Although at this stage the existing registered stands will be able to continue using Stock Change.

"With Stock Change your carbon stock increases annually until you clear fell, and then you have to repay it back on harvest.

With Averaging, you can earn and sell up on carbon stock (age 16 years for p radiata) - provided you replant on harvest you do not have to pay it back."

Putting the case for Southern Wood Products, Grant Dobson, Dunedin City Forests CEO, says it is “very important to stress” that carbon forests are very different from commercial forestry intended for productive harvest. “The NZ ETS is not linked to any international schemes, that is any carbon credits

Carbon farming permanent forest, Tokorahi. earned in NZ forestry investment can only be sold to NZ emitters within the NZ ETS.” (So how do overseas investors using local based companies benefit?)

Mr Dobson observes that many organisations have reservations about using short-lived exotic tree species including p radiata for permanent carbon forests. “Any permanent forests need to

be on appropriate land and in long-lived species such as natives.”

The country needs to expand the commercial forestry estate, forest industry and wood processing sector, Mr Dobson emphasises. "There is a real risk that any controls put on carbon forestry (can) spill over into commercial forestry ," he warns. NZL

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Women in Forestry

Loving logging

Juliette Allen pictured with husband Mike and sons Patrick (left) and Jimmy.

Story: Kim Godfrey

G

ROWING UP ON A SHEEP AND BEEF farm in the Wairarapa, Allen Logging’s Juliette Allen didn’t ever imagine she’d end up with a logging business. But when husband Mike had the opportunity to start a crew, it was too good to pass up.

When they met at a barbeque over 10 years ago, the pair hit it off instantly.

“We met through a mutual friend who I had studied with at uni while we were at a barbeque in Cambridge,” says Juliette, who holds an Agricultural Finance degree from Massey University.

Mike was working for Skyline Harvesting in Whakatane at the time, with a few years of forestry experience under his belt, but neither Juliette nor Mike come from a logging background.

“Mike started out as a motorbike

38 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

mechanic, then went into building forestry roads. Then his mate, Will Marshall, told him to come over to Whakatane to work in forestry, so that’s what he did,” she says.

Meanwhile, Juliette was working in Rural Banking since graduating, giving her a good foundation for understanding finance.

When the couple got married and started thinking about having kids of their own, they relocated back to the Wairarapa to be closer to extended family.

“We looked at options to expand the family farm, but missed out on the adjoining property,” says Juliette.

Opportunity knocks “Mike started working for Guy Farman from Farman Turkington Forestry in a small wood lot crew. Then we started to think more

about going out on our own, if the right opportunity came along,” she adds.

“Guy was a really helpful mentor, showing us how things worked. When a gap opened up for them to have another crew, we approached them to do it.”

The couple’s first machine was a Sumitomo: “I was pretty nervous, given the Sumi’s value is basically the same as a house.”

They then acquired an old bulldozer, which Mike fixed up himself, adding a winch to it.

Juliette says their backgrounds outside of logging have been valuable within the business.

“Mike’s mechanic background has been really useful in terms of our repair and maintenance, while when it came to seeking

finance, I had been banking for 12 years so I knew how to put together a proposal to get our finance over the line,” she says.

“In my last four years in the bank I looked after high-risk customers, which really helped with managing risk.”

Juliette also gives credit to their accountants at Blackburne Group – Mark Blackburne and Craig Munro.

“Mark Blackburne didn’t know me from a bar of soap, but he gave me heaps of information over the phone and email. That support was pretty invaluable,” she says.

“For the past couple of years Craig has looked after us, and he’s been awesome too.”

Allen Logging currently has four staff including Mike, and they’re working to become more mechanised, allowing them to adapt to different terrains and block sizes.

Juliette says having a small, agile team where everyone knows how to operate everything has been good for continuity.

“All of our guys know how to do all jobs on our sites. That way, there’s not too much of a difference if one man is out,” she says.

As well as doing the books for Allen

Mike Allen (left) with the rest of the four-man Allen Logging woodlot crew.

Women in Forestry Logging, Juliette has gone back to her roots, leasing a block of land to graze sheep and cows which she juggles with raising their two young boys, Jimmy (aged 4) and Patrick (aged 2).

Not one to sit around, when she was on maternity leave, she also found the time to get out to the bush.

“I was on maternity leave and worked as a Quality Controller a couple of days a week,” she says.

“It was a really useful experience. I got to walk the blocks with Mike to understand the harvesting plan, and got to know the guys better too.”

Juliette is loving logging and sees the opportunities it provides.

“It’s a really good industry that is so underrated in terms of how people can build a business from it,” she says.

“It can be a good cashflow industry if you have timing on your side and don’t over-invest. We’re working hard and making the most of the opportunity, to build the lifestyle we want.”

“We don’t see ourselves in the industry forever, but it’s helping us to achieve our goals and learn along the way.”

A member of the Women in Forestry Board, Juliette says attending last year’s Conference solidified this thinking for her.

“I feel like we’re pretty small-time with our little wood lot crew, but the model we have works for us,” she says.

“Hearing some of the stories and challenges at the conference confirmed to me that I am happy with staying small. We want to make hay while the sun is shining but also adapt when we need to.” NZL

Juliette Allen is a Board member of Women in Forestry, a grassroots network of female business-owners in the New Zealand forestry industry. Representing a range of contracting companies, members are often under immense pressure running their businesses, and this informal network provides support, knowledgesharing and networking opportunities.

To learn more visit: www.womeninforestry.com

1

2

4

3

Clockwiswe from top left: 1: In 2021 the Allen Logging crew was working at this Wairarapa woodlot site, about 10 minutes outside of Martinborough.

2: Allen Logging runs a Sumi 240 loader, Sumi 300 with Satco processor head, Tigercat 620 skidder and a CAT D6H bulldozer.

3: Juliette and Mike met in 2010 at a Barbeque.

4: The terrain in Wairarapa can be quite diverse and the small crew is able to adapt for each job .

40 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

CALL FOR MORE WOMEN IN THE TRADES IN LIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY last month, work-based learning organisation Competenz is calling for more women to enter the trades and for industry to redress the gender imbalance and pay inequity.

While there has been a gradual shift with more women taking on a trade apprenticeship or training, it’s a slow burn and only 12% of trade jobs across all industries in New Zealand are held by women, says Competenz.

Competenz General Manager Employer and Learner Support, Toni Christie, says women are still significantly under-represented in the trades, and that there are several barriers still in place for women who want to embark on a trade career.

“I believe the biggest barrier is the opinion held by many that the trades are for men and the lack of knowledge about the opportunities that exist within trades for women. There is a real opportunity for more employers to be willing to create suitable working environments for women, as often women feel they must adapt to the male-dominated culture that exists in a business,” says Toni.

“When I started my career 28 years ago, I worked at a large oil company, which was a predominately male-dominated industry.

I was a business advisor to the independent service stations, a role historically not held by a woman. I came up against a huge amount of resistance from the service station owners who felt uneasy about a woman holding the role. As a consequence, I felt I had to continually prove

to myself and to the customers, that I could excel. In the end I was successful and believe it contributed to paving the way for more women to take on these traditional 'male' roles.”

“With hard work and determination, I had to overcome barriers I felt simply should not have existed,” she adds.

Ms Christie says Competenz promotes workbased training for 37 sectors including forestry, manufacturing and mechanical engineering. She says female participation in training is slightly higher in these sectors.

“Currently women make up 14% of apprentices and trainees across the sectors we promote – above the national average of 12%. While the employers we work with are training more women in trades, we have an enormous amount of work to do to encourage more females into a rewarding trades career.

Jadzia Pyne is halfway through her Fitting and Machining engineering apprenticeship working at Auckland University’s machining workshop.

She is the only woman at her workplace.

“Engineering is traditionally a maledominated industry and while my workplace is very professional and respectful of me as the only female, I do often experience discrimination from visitors at work. It could be weird looks from visitors who are surprised to see a woman on the tools, or assumptions that I work in the office,” she says.

“I was the only woman in my engineering class at school and now the only one in my workplace where I’m training. It can be challenging when

there aren’t any other women around to support you but I see myself as someone carving out a path for other women to join me and pursue a trade,” she says.

International Women’s Day also focussed its lens on gender pay inequity, which in New Zealand still sits at 9.1%, according to Statistics New Zealand 2021.

“It saddens me a gender pay gap still exists.

Historically factors such as education and industries that men and woman work in drove the gap, however today I feel it is much more complex with conscious and unconscious bias at play. I think the solution is complex and addressing the gap requires sustained action over time, including changing societal attitudes and beliefs about woman and men, and work,” says Toni.

“Attracting more women into the trades is essential to address the skills and labour shortage, and there is great opportunity for building great careers in these industries.

“Educating women on the opportunities is the first step. I have had many conversations with business owners who say women’s attention to detail is outstanding and they have a hugely positive impact on workplace culture.

“I have always held the opinion that ‘women can do anything’ and have never been one to shy away from roles or situations which went against this thinking. International Women's Day is a celebration of creating a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive and that is exactly what we have to do for woman in trades!” NZL

www.fica.org.nz

Trial for silviculture silviculture Trialof ofnew newmentoring mentoring programme programme for workers workers proves proves successful successful Prue CEOMessage Message Prue Younger, Younger, CEO

Ten silviculture crews around the country have completed Ten silviculture aroundprogramme the countrydeveloped have completed a trial of a newcrews mentoring by thea trial of a new programme developedCouncil, by the Forest Forest and mentoring Wood Processing Workforce with funding the Forest Growers Levy Trust support and Woodfrom Processing Workforce Council, with and funding from from MPI.Growers Levy Trust and support from MPI. the Forest Mentoring Programme Manager, Steele, saysCounthe Mentoring Programme Manager, GregGreg Steele, says the Council is looking to improve the status and mana of the cil is looking to improve the status and mana of the silviculsilviculture ture sector. sector.

“We want to formalise mentoring in the forestry training “We want to formalise mentoring in the forestry training ininfrastructure, especially as some good crews already do frastructure, especially as some good crews already do take take on this role. on this role.

“Using the process, we aim to get new people more skilled “Using process, we aim to get new people more earlierthe in soft and practical skills.

We selected crewsskilled who earlier in soft and practical skills.

We selected crews who were interested and had a new entrant to put through.” were interested and had a new entrant to put through.”

Currently new entrants are encouraged early on in their work to new achieve unitarestandards toearly meet Currently entrants encouraged on compliance in their work tostandards. achieve unit standards to meet compliance standards. thought we identified other key interpersonal, “We“We thought if weifidentified other key interpersonal, commucommunications and induction skills and nications and induction skills and packaged packaged them on athem timeon a basis, time-serve basis, for example the first month, serve for example within the within first month, that could that could work. A person following the full programme will work. A person following the full programme will achieve sevachieve seven to eight full introductory unit standards as en to eight full introductory unit standards as well as achievwell as achieving time-served milestones. They will be ing time-served milestones. They will be recognised at each recognised at each milestone, beginning with a one-month milestone, beginning with a one-month certificate. Some of certificate. Some of the guys have nothing in the past from the guys have nothing in the past from school.” school.”

As As well as as the presentation front of oftheir their well the presentationofofaacertificate certificate in in front peers, elements achieved areare downloaded via App onto peers,their their elements achieved downloaded via App a onto smarta card which shows as a part their smart-card which these showscredentials these credentials as of a part record of record learning.

QR codeAallows scanning immediate of their of Alearning.

QR code allowsand scanning and access to credentials immediate access toheld. credentials held. mentoring programme is designed a package TheThe mentoring programme is designed as aaspackage thatthat can canup run 36 months. three months have been run toup 36tomonths.

The The firstfirst three months have been tritrialled by the 10 crews. results were assessed in alled by the 10 crews.

TheThe trialtrial results were assessed in late late December and a prepared report prepared for the Taskforce December and a report for the Taskforce Council.

Council.

Greg says he is happy with the trial outcomes. “The intent is Greg says he is happy with the trial outcomes. “The intent now to ramp the programme up, engage more crews in 2022, is now to ramp the programme up, engage more crews in and establish the training funding the from education 2022, and establish the with training with from funding the sector. education sector.

“Mentoring depends on someone being prepared to address “Mentoring depends on someone being prepared to it address and become a role model, rather thanrather leavingthan a new entrant it and become a role model, leaving a tonew theirentrant own devices. many cases,Inthey turn people around to theirIn own devices. many cases, they turn and provide a realand service to the crew and the people around provide a real service to community.” the crew and the community.”

Troy Mason, Managing Director of KTM Silviculture based in Mason,says Managing Director of KTM Silviculture based the Troy Wairarapa, the mentoring programme allowed their in the Wairarapa, mentoring programme allowed mentee to completesays andthe pass three assessments in a day on their to complete and passand three assessments in a the jobmentee – in communications, health safety, and nutrition. day on the job – in communications, health and safety, and “He is well on his way to getting his national certificate; that nutrition. will be a huge reward for us. He is probably one of the strong“He is well on his way to getting his national certificate; est young fellows I’ve ever seen – a qualified builder and a that will be a huge reward for us. He is probably one of the shearer.

Heyoung has a good work to learn. strongest fellows I’veethic ever and seenis–willing a qualified builder “He works in a great is outdoors all day.” and a shearer.

Heteam has environment a good workand ethic and is willing to learn.

42 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

“He works in a great team environTroy in the all industry menthas andworked is outdoors day.” for 30 years.

His company employs 18 staff.

Troy has worked in the industry for

30 His does company employs 18 His years. company all aspects of silvistaff. and over the years he has emculture ployed many young people.

His company does all aspects of silviculture and over thebyyears he “Many are referred to us the police has employed many young people. to give them a go and try to turn their referred to us by the life“Many around.are Some are at-risk or troubled police to give them a go and to youths. Some are too far gone try to turn turn their life around.

Some are at-risk or troubled youths. around.

Some are too far gone to turn around.

“A lot of them don’t have a good work ethic. They don’t have a “A lot of them don’t have a good work ethic. They don’t lot of confidence – we try to build have a lot of confidence – we trythat. to build that.

“That’s why there areare accidents in forestry – they have have issues, “That’s why there accidents in forestry – they they have financial burdens burdens at home. at home. issues, they have financial “It’s being able to read them, minutes, “It’s being able to read them, taketake minutes, beingbeing able to five five abletotothem talk to them – whether me or a crew –member –a talk – whether it’s me orit’s a crew member and build and build a whanau-way getting know one whanau-way around them;around gettingthem; to know one to another and if another and if they are mentally okay. they are mentally okay.

“As a company, we take the financial burden “As a company, we trytry toto take the financial burden offoff ourour ememployees. We pay our cutters and production leads more ployees. We pay our cutters and production leads more than than others pay them and because of what we do for them, others pay them and because of what we do for them, their outtheir output is higher. As a result we deliver very good put is higher. As a result we deliver very good quality work to quality work to customers, which I can then reward in customers, which I can then reward in turn.” turn.”

Ben White, Director of Ace of Spades Contracting based in the Ben White, Director of Ace of Spades Contracting based Bay of Plenty, also a supporter of the mentoring programme. in the Bay ofisPlenty, is also a supporter of the mentoring His company has staff going through programme.

His two company has two staffit. going through it.

“It’s a better way of learning, especially if experienced you have “It’s a better way of learning, especially if you have experienced mentors in the crew.

Our workers don’t likeup to in mentors in the crew. Our workers don’t like to be cooped be cooped up in a classroom where things go over their a classroom where things go over their heads but out here in heads butthey outcan here in the they acan relate to it. It the forest, relate to it.forest, It provides point of difference.” provides a point of difference.”

He says their mentees are receptive to the information which He says their mentees are receptive to the information includes safety and a knowledge of the bush. which includes safety and a knowledge of the bush.

His company people to do variety of silviculHis companyemploys employs1616 people to ado a variety of ture work and was set up two years ago by five Directors who silviculture work and was set up two years ago by five are good mates.

“The company evolved from that friendship,” directors who are good mates. “The company evolved from says that Ben. friendship,” says Ben. “I love outside the and sunrise andIt’s “I love my my job; job; beingbeing outside seeingseeing the sunrise sunset. sunset. the with crewthat you’re withit;that culture the crew It’s you’re makes the makes culture it; is the so great, and is so great,have and bought our people our people into have it. bought into it.

“Silviculture is never going to wind up. Trees will always “Silviculture is never going to wind up. Trees will always need to need to be planted and they will always need to be cut be planted and they will always need to be cut down.” down.”

Recently I have joined Council knowledge the Recently I have joined the the Council and and withwith knowledge of theofReview Review of Vocational progressing to 2023, of Vocational EducationEducation progressing through tothrough 2023, this project thispilot project andto pilot is some goingvaluable to provide some and is going provide feedback intovaluable the Trainfeedback into the Training Strategy for the Forestry Industry. ing Strategy for the Forestry Industry. Thus, we are keen to keep you Thus, we areacross keen ittoaskeep yousome all informed it as it has all informed it has alignmentacross with the harvesting some alignment with the harvesting sector as well which will be sector as well which will be complimentary to this specific silviculcomplimentary to this specific silviculture mentor pilot. ture mentor pilot.

April 2022 | NZ LOGGER 43

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

Celebration of individual a

TO FOLLOW ON FROM THE LAST ISSUE OF NZ Logger, we bring you more photographs of top individual and team performance from 2021.

Ka mau te wehi! Awesome individuals, awesome teams and awesome people behind the scenes supporting them in what they do!!

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.

Top Thin to Waste Crew, Xmen Forestry.

44 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

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, Ernslaw One, OneFortyOne New Zealand, Crown Forestry, Forest View Contracting, Makerikeri Silviculture (2020), Mitchell Silviculture, Puklowski Silviculture, Gutsell Forestry Services, Johnson Forestry Services, McHoull Contracting, Wayne Cumming Contracting, Howard

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

Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

Contact Shane 0274 781 908, 07 primefm@xtra.co.nz. NZL

Perrett on 3483037 or at

Kelvin Stratford (Mike Hurring Logging) with Phil de la Mare (Chief Operating Officer and South Island Regional Manager, Ernslaw One).

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

l and team achievement

Mike Hurring Thinning top achievers.

Reef Aston (Mike Hurring Logging).

Dean Beauchamp (Mike Hurring Logging).

Runner up Thin to Waste Crew, Inta-Wood Forestry.

April 2022 | NZ LOGGER 45

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

Walter Beamsley and Mathew Waller (foreman, Mike Hurring Logging).

Adam McIvor (Bluewood Logging).

Clint McIvor (The Boss, Bluewood Logging).

46 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

James Sell (Mike Hurring Logging).

Shannon Todd (Bluewood Logging).

Kane Heads (Bluewood Logging).

new iron

TEREX TA300 FOR GADDUM CONSTRUCTION A new Terex TA300 was recently delivered to Guy's crew down in Waikawa Forest, East Cape to run with two other TA300s doing forestry roading work and hauling logs from upper skid to main skid sites at Gaddum Construction. The TA300’s are performing well in some very steep country; but wow what sea views from the comfort of the operator's seat! Machine sold and delivered by Porter Equipment Territory Manager, Steve Puddle.

CAT 538LL FOR NIXIN CONTRACTORS Masterton-based Nixin Contractors has taken delivery of a new Next Gen Cat 538LL forest machine, featuring an Ensign 1750 grapple. The unit has been put to work in the Wairarapa region and owner Nick Cusack says he is really impressed with the unit and all the Next Gen features. Sold by Territory Account Manager Forestry, Heath Stewart.

KOMATSU PC 270LC-8 FOR CRG FORESTRY Channing Green of CRG Forestry from Mangonui has recently taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 270LC-8. The Komatsu has a full Active Heavy Duty Forestry Guarding Package and is fitted with an Ensign 1730C log grapple. Channing commented to John Kosar of Komatsu Forest NZ that he is very impressed with his new Komatsu PC 270LC – 8… “Heaps of power”.

Pictured from left: Darcy Smith, Channing Green and John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ).

Photographer: Mark Chisnall (Komatsu NZ).

SATCO 630H FOR MG LOGGING MG Logging has taken delivery of a new SATCO 630H. Shaun says he is loving his new 630H and all he wants to do is “go down the hill and cut wood”. He is using the 630H to fall and shovel, placing stems ready for extraction in the Marlborough region.

JOHN DEERE FOR TUMEKE LOGGING Tumeke Logging has taken delivery of a new John Deere 648L-II grapple log skidder for its Takaka clear-fell operation. Sold and supported by Mark Blakemore and the team at Drummond & Etheridge in Nelson.

April 2022 | NZ LOGGER 47

new iron

CAT D8T FOR NEVILLE EARTHWORKS

NEW MACHINERY FOR JENSEN LOGGING

Barry Neville of Neville Earthworks has taken delivery of this big Cat D8T dozer. The unit joins Barry’s Cat fleet in the company’s Hawke’s Bay operations. Barry operates the machine himself and says it meets all his expectations when it comes to performance and ease of operating. Sold by Terra Cat Territory Account Manager Forestry, Heath Stewart.

Russell Jensen pictured with operator, Grant, on Jensen Logging’s new 1910E, working in a thinnings crew in the central North Island.

Sold and supported by AGrowQuip, Rotorua.

CAT 982M’S FOR ISO LIMITED ISO Limited has taken delivery of a new Cat 982M wheel loader.

The new unit is fitted with 5.66m log forks, and has been put to work unloading log trucks at the Port of Gisborne. Following on from the Cat 982M delivery to the Port of Gisborne, this 982M is one of two units that have arrived at ISO Limited’s Murapara site.

The units have been put to work loading the rail at the log yard.

It has been a few years since they’ve had a Cat on site and the team say they are very impressed with the advancements made, especially the lift and operator comfort. The 982M units were sold

by Terra Cat Territory Account Manager, Brent Van Der Burg.”

NEW MACHINERY FOR AWAKERI PLANT HIRE

CAT 336GC FOR DOUGLAS LOGGING

Awakeri Plant Hire recently updated its 850J-II to a new 850L to tackle a variety of work including forest roading and skid site preparation. Seen here on the left, Gus Greer says he is impressed with the upgrades and performance on the 850L over the 850J. Sold and delivered by Phil McKenzie and the team at AGrowQuip Hastings.

Douglas Logging has recently added this new Cat 336GC traction line unit to its Northland operations. The Next Gen 336GC package combined with the EMS traction line is set up to run Douglas Logging’s skidder in a steep slope application and can also run the feller buncher when required. Sold by Terra Cat National Account Manager, Anthony Ireland.

48 NZ LOGGER | April 2022

new iron

ANOTHER SATCO 630E OUT TO THE WOODS

NEW MACHINERY FOR ROXBURGH CONTRACTING

Moutere Logging has taken delivery of a new 630E to add to its fleet. Chris will be operating the new machine. His duties will include falling and placing stems ready for extraction. Machine delivery was assisted by Matt Goodall.

Roxburgh Contracting has taken delivery of a new Tigercat, L855E with a 5185 fixed felling head. With Phil Jones in the operator's seat, the Roxburgh 2 crew couldn’t wait to get some wood on the ground.

KOMATSU PC 400LC-8 FOR MOLD LOGGING Pete, Glennys, Tim and Tracy Mold of Pukenui-based Mold Logging have recently taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 400LC-8. The PC 400LC-8 has a full Active Heavy Duty Forestry Guarding Package and is fitted with a Waratah HTH 626. Ken Tepania (operator) commented to John Kosar of Komatsu Forest NZ that he is very impressed with his new Komatsu… “A pleasure to operate”.

Pictured from left: Cruz Hobson, Dion Erstich, Ken Tepania, John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ), Jessie’Lee Winikerei and Frank Vojcich.

Photographer: Pete Mold of Mold Logging.

BOAPOD FOR WOODLOT HARVESTING Based in the Nelson/Marlborough region, Woodlot Harvesting runs two fully-mechanised ground base crews. With 13 late-model high production machines in Brad’s fleet, an onsite solution for hydraulic hose repairs was imperative. In just a month of having the BOApod onsite, he says Woodlot Harvesting has seen massive savings in dollars and downtime, through improved machine utilisation – reducing machine downtime from 2-3 hours to 30 minutes. Onboarding technician, Oliver, is pictured with Brad on site on delivery day.

FIRST LOW-CAB CAT 538 FOREST MACHINE IN NEW ZEALAND Shane Jordan of Shane Jordan Logging, Firewood & Sawmilling has recently taken delivery of the first low-cab Cat 538 forest machine in the country. The speed and power of the new 538 of this unit is impressive, with the unit pictured picking up the biggest log in the yard estimated at just over 7-tonne, at full reach with very little effort! Sold by Territory Account Manager, Brent Van Der Burg.

April 2022 | NZ LOGGER 49

new iron

JOHN DEERE FOR MOUTERE LOGGING NEW MACHINERY FOR DG GLENN LOGGING DG Glenn Logging has added a new 635H to one of its Pan Pac operations in Hawkes bay. The team says they are stoked with the performance and comfort of the new machine.

The Moutere Logging (M2) crew in the Karioi Forest, Tangiwai has taken delivery of a new John Deere 948L-II skidder. Pictured here on delivery day are operator, Levi O’Loughlin, crew boss, Max Horton and AGrowQuip Technician Stephan Ebert. The new machine replaces the crew’s trusty John Deere 848H skidder that has been redeployed into another block, leaving the new 948L-II skidder to handle the larger trees.

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Terms and conditions: Subscription rates and a free copy of Equipment Guide are for NZ orders only and only for NZ Truck & Driver, NZ Logger and Groundspread Magazine subscriptions. Rates include GST and postage.

For overseas prices please enquire.

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XMAS SUBSCRIPTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 14TH DECEMBER 2021

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Ble Ons

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H215E debarking head suitable for Tracked & Wheeled carriers 15 to 25 ton.

Priced from $154,234.00

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For more information contact: Karl 021 1926 567 North Island Gerard 0274 794 664 South Island

Waratah H215E Debarker

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2

00 Waratah H212

Waratah 626 Series II

POA

Priced $110,634.00

Priced from $134,413.00

Priced $150,000.00

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Waratah 625C

Waratah 626 Used 626 - soon to be rebuilt POA

Currently under rebuild POA

Priced $50,000.00

Arriving Soon – to be rebuilt.

POA

10% OFF

10%

Waratah Grapples From $4279.38

OFF Delimb Covers From $2461.76

Pallet of 12 Colour Marking Dye

Northland Mechanised logging services

Gisborne AB Diesel Ltd

Hawkes Bay Forestry Maintenance HB

Nelson Tasman Heavy Diesel

Blenheim Onsite Mechanical

Greymouth SM Hydraulics

Dunedin Heavy Diesel support

Southland Heavy Equipment Repair

Auto Tension Kit

Komatsu PC300HW

WG Boom Set Internal Hose Routing

Forestry Cab Options • Komatsu • EMS • Active • Ensign Komatsu HD Cooler Package Options

Komatsu Integrated Control System

Komatsu High/Wide

Optional Guarding Packages

Komatsu Forest working closely with Komatsu Ltd Japan have developed two new Forest Xtreme models the PC270HW & PC300HW. These two models feature unique forest specifications from the Komatsu Osaka factory; • High & Wide undercarriage / Forestry Boom Set / Forestry Cabin Options supplied from KF are; • Large HD Cooling / Guarding Packages / Forestry Cabins

Komatsu’s unique ‘Forest Combinations’ Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd 15C Hyland Cresent Rotorua, New Zealand John Kosar M: 0274 865 844 Paul Roche M: 021 350 747 E: info.au@komatsuforest.com