Accolades for industry heroes

THE HAWKE’S BAY FORESTRY GROUP recently celebrated its second forestry awards ceremony since the inaugural event in 2019, at the Napier War Memorial Conference Centre. MC, Jeremy Corbett, managed a night of celebration and accolades for the local heroes of the industry, welcoming 360 guests at the Awards Dinner sponsored by Pan Pac Forest Products.

Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash, and Deputy Mayor, Annette Brosnan, acknowledged the winners. Minister Nash commented on the work by Future Foresters in promoting forestry. He also highlighted the important role the workforce sector would play in being part of the Industry Transformation Plan (ITP).

Minister Nash ended the night with the presentation of the overall Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year to Terence (Pnut) Ross who also took out the Roading category sponsored by ATS Logging. It was a great salutation to a forest “go to” and respected person in the industry as he looks to retire later in the year.

ATS Logging did extremely well on the night and their other employees, Tane Lee took out the Harvesting Excellence category while Hayden Mullins was awarded the Outstanding Health & Safety Management Trophy. To top that off, Director of ATS Logging, Amy Satherley, was runner-up in Woman in Forestry which was awarded to Chrystal Edmonds co-owner of Stirling Logging, having recently relocated to Hawke’s Bay from Gisborne.

Other outstanding recipients included D G Glenn Logging, stalwarts of the industry who took out the top award for Training Company/ Contractor of the Year and Torben Hunt (Turbo) also won the Tree Faller Excellence category. This role has been increasingly under pressure from continuity of work as the role is replaced across the country with technology and mechanised fallers.

Chair of the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group, Damon Wise, commented that the “The Hawke’s Bay Forestry industry is in excellent health, proven by the calibre of nominations and quality of the Awards recipients. It’s important we don’t underestimate the commitment every individual makes every day to get the trees established, tendered, harvested, transported, and processed here

The Winners

Hawke’s Bay Forestry Skilled Professional of the Year: Terence (Pnut) Ross, Gair Contracting

Training Certificates

NZ Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Competenz: Te Pukenga Jovan Hanley, Tresidder Punanga

Trainee of the Year – sponsored by Rayonier Matariki: Hannah Allen, Chipmunk Logging

Training Company/Contractor of the Year – sponsored by M W Lissette: D G Glenn Logging

Skilled Professional Certificates

Forestry Excellence – sponsored by Forest Management (NI): Peni Navuluwai Naulago, Mid-Pine Contractor

Roading Excellence – sponsored by ATS Logging: Terence (Pnut) Ross, Gair Contracting

Harvesting Excellence – sponsored by Gair Contracting: Tane Lee, ATS Logging

Wood Processing Excellence – sponsored by Lew Prince Logging: William McGlade, Pan Pac Forest Products

Distribution Excellence – sponsored by Napier Port: Tony Groome, John Turkington

Tree Faller Excellence – sponsored by Z Energy: Torben Hunt (Turbo), D G Glenn Logging

Woman in Forestry Excellence – sponsored by McFall Fuel: Chrystal Edmonds, Stirling Logging – Runner-up: Amy Satherley, ATS Logging

Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year and Roading Excellence winner, Terence (Pnut) Ross of Gair Contracting.

He added, “The critical path to our future success is training and development and it’s pleasing to see this year’s judges have recognised the significant investment several businesses are making in this space.

“He aha te mea nui o te ao. What is the most important thing in the world? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is the people, it is the people, it is the people!”

A special award at the discretion of the judges each year, awarded a standout recipient that had done mahi above the expectations of their day-to-day work. This award went to GPFS and Ground UP Forestry company owners, Kevin and Belinda Humphreys. NZL

Log Truck Driver Excellence – Sponsored by Patchell Group: Rex Sime, SSS Trucking

Industry Development Trophies

Crew of the Year – sponsored by FICA: Dan Mouatt, Bay Forest Harvesting – Runner-up: Cox Forestry Services

Outstanding H & S Management Award – sponsored by C3: Hayden Mullins, ATS Logging

Outstanding Environmental Management Award – sponsored by H/Bay Regional Council: Charlotte Holdsworth, John Turkington

Outstanding Regional Service Performance Award – sponsored by ISO Limited: P & L Lister

Special Award – Growing Talent – sponsored by D G Glenn Logging: Kevin & Belinda Humphreys – GPFS & Ground Up Forestry Sponsors

GOLD Sponsors: Forest Industry Contractors Association, Hawkes Bay Regional Council, C3, Pan Pac Forest Products, NZME, Finance New Zealand, ISO Limited, DG Glenn Logging

SILVER Sponsors: Competenz : Te Pukenga, Rayonier Matariki Forests, M.W. Lissette, Forest Management (North Island)., Napier Port, Z Energy, Lew Prince Logging, Gair Contracting, McFall Fuel, ATS Logging, Patchell Group, UDC, The WIDE Trust, Te Uru Rakau BRONZE Sponsors: FMNZ, Shaws, Trimble, NZ Forest Managers, Hawkes Bay Heavy Haul, NZ Safety Blackwoods, Weighing & Measuring Solutions, Deals on Wheels

AT 9.5 METRES LONG AND 285 HORSEPOWER, THE TIGERCAT 635H is one big mother of a skidder. And big is what Tainui Logging owner, Phil Hemopo, was looking for when he planned this new machine purchase a bit over a year ago.

“You know you are on to a good thing when a machine is out of stock and you need to order it a year in advance,” says Phil.

“Here in central Kaingaroa the Douglas fir blocks we harvest have a smaller and lighter piece size than radiata at 30 years old, so we need to handle almost three times the number of stems to get the same weight of wood compared to radiata. That’s about 800 stems a day which is in the region of 500 tonnes a day, which is our current target.

“So, if a bigger skidder can go out and get two loads in one go compared to a smaller skidder then we are going to reach target a lot sooner with less wear and tear on the machine, the operator and the environment.”

As the NZ Logger Iron Test team signs into the log site on an iPad at the container we notice an enormous lifting lug on the container roof. Very heavy engineering. “We have to reinforce all that now,” says Phil. “It’s to stop the corner-mounted chains from folding up the roof when the transporter operators load and unload them. Some of those guys must be quite strong as the containers have been getting a bit bent out of shape and holes have been put in the roof.”

Iron Tester, Shaun Field, agrees saying that he is sure transporter operators just flip the containers onto their roofs for transport judging by the state of the gear inside when it arrives at a new block. This new lifting rig will stop that from happening as the container won’t sit on its roof with the lug on.

Phil had one of the first 855’s in the country and recognised early on what a specialised forestry machine could do over and above modified excavator bases.

The reliability he saw in those first Tigercats has led him to try their skidders and after a good run of over 7000 hours on a 635G model 6-wheeler it made sense to replace it with the latest model, the upgraded 635H.

Weighing in at 25 tonnes with a grapple capacity of 2.32m2, there aren’t many machines around that will challenge it in the forest either.

Tigercat has gone all out on the mods with this latest H series, it’s actually quite breath-taking to see the list of improvements.

Extra grease nipples and seals have been added to the blade arms and arch. The hydraulic oil tank size has increased by 20% and rubber mounts have been added to the tank to prevent frame stress transferring into the tank.

Improved sensors give the operator feedback to warn when slope limits are being approached, and a low hydraulic oil alarm has been added.

For increased serviceability all the service plates under the machine now have pivot bolts so they can be swung out of the way instead of having to dump them on the ground and wrestle them back on later.

A smaller door has been added and pipes have been put in to allow service personnel to drain the coolant, engine oil and hydraulic oil all from one place which makes a lot of sense for speeding up those fluid changes.

In the cab the controls have been upgraded to make handling easier on the operator which is a trend we are seeing across the board these days. The aircon system has improved efficiency, 50% more vents (at your feet and for defrosting the windows) and the old 4-speed fan system has been changed out with a 0-100% adjustability dial.

The dashboard has had a complete redesign with improvements in performance monitoring, faster access to the fuse box, telematics and diagnostic plugs. Control settings can be pre-programmed for up to four different operators and one owner. Pressures for all the tyres are also displayed which could make life a lot easier if you can get out of the cutover and onto the road edge to repair a puncture before it gets too flat.

One of the cup holders has the aircon routed to it so you can keep your drinks cool on those hot summer days. To top it all off there is a built-in phone holder with USB charger port below it, along with an additional 12-volt charging port.

Iron Tester, Shaun, notes Tainui Logging adjusted better than most to cut to length (CTL) recently after being sub-contracted to Tutaki Logging for many years as a stems crew in Kaingaroa.

“Tainui is known for its innovative and high-performance crew. I hear they are using this skidder to fleet with as well. Look at the size of the grapple on it!,” Shaun says. We have to check with AB Equipment’s Phil McKenzie that the m2 is actually 2.3 in grapple area as it looks a heck of a lot bigger than that.

The Tainui crew has just moved into this 60-hectare block and should be here until about the start of April. “And we won’t do it all,” says Phil. “There are a couple of big steep gullies here that will be done by another operator using a Harvestline.

“There is a bit of a perception these days that when you have a leveller and a 6-wheeler, you can go everywhere, but we take safety very seriously and while there are still operators in these machines we have to stick to using the right machine for the right terrain. We have to talk to our operators now and then, tell them to back off, that area is a Harvestline’s terrain.”

The wood in here is going to export this week due to a softer local market but depending on how that market is looking, most of the wood can be sent to Red Stag sawmill in Rotorua.

Whanau-centric crew

Tainui Logging is a whanau-centric company with Phil having four of his sons working with him, plus his brother and a couple of other relatives.

“My sons are mostly all trained up now. I had the oldest two out here sitting on a stump observing me mech harvesting when they were four years old and in the seat of the felling machine with me learning the controls. Then when I got a bit busier with the management side of things it fell to the older boys to train their younger brothers up,” says Phil.

His youngest son is 21 and has been in the industry three years now, while Phil’s oldest son is felling here on the leveller dropping 500-tonne a day, which in this small sub one tonne piece size is a huge number compared to radiata, due to the 25% higher density in the radiata. So, you do need some pretty ‘on to it’ operators in order to keep up.

“We try to get that skidder to drag 12 to 14 pieces when we are able to so we can utilise that big skidder. Our regular operator, David Tahau, did about 5500 hours on our previous 6-wheeler and is on his way to the first 1000 hours with this new one. He loves it. A lot more comfort, a lot more vision, a lot more things are accessible through the engine bay. But his big thing is comfort. The seat is way better to work with as well as the bigger cab,” Phil adds.

“We find the product support for maintenance is top notch from AB’s as well. When we have a service due we ring up and they say, ‘When do you want him? he will be there’.

“It’s probably 13 years now since we moved out of modified Hitachi excavators and went into purpose built with a Tigercat leveller. Haven’t looked back since. They are a good product, proven and have been around a long time. A good example of agent support is, if they have any modifications, they’ll just call us up and tell us they want to change out a pump with a new modified pump, and they’ll just come and do that on their costs.

4: While not in use at Tainui, the rigging for tethered skidding is tied safely away for future use.

5: Storage and the pump for the tilted cab.

6: The cab is 20% bigger than the previous model and the aircon has increased in capacity too.

7: Tether holes in the blade are now standard from the factory.

“Quite interesting that Tigercat make about 45 machines a week and they are still selling out everywhere and that’s because they are right up there in quality. They invited us over to Canada to tour their factories and that was really good, they listened to us saying we needed bigger cabs and stronger seats. And at the same time, we got to compare notes with other loggers over in Canada who have different experiences and different perspectives,” he says.

The cost of training

Phil has an interesting view on training today versus how it was done in the past.

He started logging officially at 15 but was out in the forest with his dad from eight years old, every school holidays. He was trained up on the wheel loader first, then chainsaw maintenance and other tasks. Then at 15 there was three weeks of timber company training. “When that was canned, that’s when things started going backwards,” he says.

“It was one on one training back then. You would be innocently working away thinking you were getting the hang of things when Whack! on the hand with a stick. And that got your attention – stopped you bending bars or breaking hoses, or rolling machines over.

“The forest managers back then when I was trained would send out a multi-skilled trainer, usually 60 or 70 odd years old… blokes who have seen it and done it for decades, and those trainers would spend three weeks training a new recruit from QC through skiddie tasks, cross cutting, breaking out and machine operation.”

I guess that explains why we have had a decent number of allrounders over the years, although the number of those guys seems to be on the decline of late.

“That training in correct methods led to lower costs for the crew owner but we don’t seem to have that as much now. A lot of contractors keep the costs of repairs and maintenance a secret from their employees, but I say go and tell them what it’s actually costing. Then they will think twice about the consequences – either they could lose their job or the contractor could go broke from too many repair bills. If they know the value of stuff, then pretty soon they figure out how to operate without unnecessary cost,” adds Phil.

AB Equipment’s Taupo-based Tigercat salesman, Phil McKenzie, arrives as this conversation is in progress and agrees that the price points of damaged items need to be shared with workers. “A lot of workers don’t realise the cost of things and once they do, it seems to make them back off a bit on the damage.”

Far left: The enormous grapple on the 635H.

Left: The band tracks cost $25,000 a set.

Below: The Tigercat 635H climbs out of the Kaingaroa cutover with another payload.

Phil Hemopo uses band tracks as an example of rather surprising cost. “They are $25,000 a set and they last a season, but that’s only if you adjust them regularly. Small point. Big difference. They are awesome, but also of note is that the bogie wheels under the band tracks can’t be run by themselves without the tracks as that upsets the diffs. At the end of the wet season we change the whole lot out and put different tyres on and then we have to store the tracks and their tyres away – another cost that has to be factored in. All these modern specialist forestry machines do cost a surprising amount but are so much better than the old school machines.”

Phil spent quite a few years logging for Fletchers in Tauhara Forest which is now Landcorp Farming/PAMU before moving on to thinnings and clearfell.

Supply chain issues

Due to rampant fuel thieving and vandalism, particularly in northern Kaingaroa, Tainui Logging has taken measures to protect its equipment. The crew travel with their own heavy duty forestry gates which they install at their entrances and exits, and have also employed their own security guard who watches their equipment at night.

1: The seat has been strengthened with parts common to the grapple snubber so is rated for extreme duty.

2: The sound system and RT are well out of the way.

3: The view forward from the operator’s seat.

4: The inclinometer now alerts operators when slope limits are being approached.

Below: The lower ground pressure and higher horsepower of the 635H allows it to keep hauling with ease in tough conditions.

“The northern end we call the Red Zone; there is a lot of thieving and you have got to have some sort of security. We had one block where we thought we wouldn’t need a security guard and the very next day we had a break in costing over $8000. There’s basically two kinds of crims in here – the thieves and the wreckers. The thieves are mostly stealing fuel to order. We have heard of orders of 10,000 litres of diesel being made –that’s over $20,000 worth at today’s prices. Other thieves are just after whatever they can lay their hands on and generally don’t damage the gear apart from breaking locks. And the wreckers have been known to tip water or sand down the engine if an operator hasn’t locked the engine bay, just little young cheeky vandals, smashing windows and tagging.”

With service stations around the country periodically running out of petrol or diesel or both and rumours flying of a diesel shortage in the US, Phil says he hasn’t had any fuel supply issues from his Minitankers delivery supplier but is having problems sourcing service oils for machine maintenance.

“The skidder diffs take 200 litres each of a special kind of gear oil as an example. Can’t get the stuff until maybe the end of January. Other oils will be in short supply until maybe the end of March. Of course, we are trying to hold stock, and so is probably every other logger at the moment.

“Another thing is chain bar oils. The best stuff that minimises wear and tear is now hard to come by. We are given dates by our suppliers and that bleeds out to three weeks later and they are saying they can’t determine accurate dates because of the ports. We may end up having to talk to the forest company about it to see if they can help importing it as we can’t run the gear without it being serviced.”

Sounds like some loggers need to invest in an oil refinery, as most of New Zealand’s oil is high quality and exported to specialist refiners.

Operator, David, is very happy with his new machine after moving out of the previous Tigercat 635G model. “It was a pretty seamless changeover really, being the same brand. This one has a lot more room inside and seems to be a bit more powerful. The other thing I noticed was bigger windows. Makes quite a big difference to the job when you can see around 20% more from the seat.”

David started out in logging on the ground, manual processing, then falling before he started moving into machines. He has a bit of the quiet

LOGGERS

4

1

Left: maestro operator look about him and actually makes the massive skidder look light on its feet.

Right: The controls now have an ergonomic upgrade.

“I’ll use the grapple to shift some of these root balls out of the way later and then blade it all out so it’s flat so we can put another deck of stems behind this one,” says David.

Tether-ready

The 635H now comes factory-fitted with two rope holes in the blade and two heavy duty shackles mounted to the sides below the cab for tethered skidding as two-stage winches become more common.

“We are open to getting a two-stage winch machine,” says Phil. “But with limited use in this ground it doesn’t pencil out at the moment. There is some extra ground we could pick up but not all, so it is better to leave all the Harvestline terrain for the Harvestline instead of pushing the issue and getting over-extended.”

We watch Shaun head down the skidder trail backwards. It’s strange to me because the only skidder I’ve driven is a Timberjack. No windows, no spinning seat. The trail is getting quite greasy from all the rain. Shaun starts out with a smaller load and brings it into the skid without too much sliding around but when a lot more weight is on later he is almost stopped by the deep ruts. He advises us that, “It’s f*cken slippery as f*ck”, but the band tracks eventually plough down and start chunking up in the pumice just behind the skid and he gets traction and pulls away again. Luckily there are only a few more drags to come out of that sector and David will then be working closer country on a new trail after lunch.

Phil says his crew was looking forward to four weeks off over Christmas and New Year. “They work hard and deserve a decent break. A week-anda-half doesn’t cut it anymore, though forestry workers in general do need to be mindful of their budgets as they won’t be paid for up to five weeks while on holiday. The recent interest rate hike will also be weighing on the minds of many. I find it quite interesting that the banks report billions of dollars of profits each year and they still want more?”

I COULD QUITE HAPPILY SIT IN THIS machine all day. Heaps more room than the previous model and cruisy ground to run it on here too.

People have said in the past they don’t like bogies because they are so long and the turning circle is just too big, but this thing is wickedly nimble and quick and easy to turn. The response of the controls is amazingly fast now too. I would say it is more like a digger in sped which is really saying something. Some previous skidders I’ve run seemed to take heaps of revving to turn the grapple and open and close it, whereas with this thing it’s an instant response and rapid about it. The downside of that would be the speed surprises an operator and they could grab a tyre, but once a safe procedure is set in place this thing is very high production.

Despite the wet and muddy conditions, I only needed to engage the diff lock once on the drags. I did and that got the machine moving again nicely.