NZ Logger March 2023

March 2023 | $8.00

ISSN 2703-6278

Smooth and reliable

The Kiwi Way: Coming together in a crisis

The life and times of Ricky Kuru

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contents

MARCH 2023

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FOREST TALK Cyclone Gabrielle turns the screws on forestry; The Kiwi Way: Coming together in a crisis; Risk vs benefit in genetic technology; Faster growing, better trees?; Eucalypts vie for vineyards; New commercial partner for NRC; Welcoming the whānau; Grappling with forestry slash; 19,000th forest machine for Ponsse UK; Going pink for women in industry; Opinion: Wahine in Forestry: A longstanding challenge.

SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST It’s been a good few years since we Iron Tested a Hyundai machine and it’s

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quite striking to see Flavell Logging’s HX400 at first. It makes you want to know what’s going on with that cool colour scheme and also what the R&D team have been up to at Hyundai. Our Iron Test team soon found out.

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TALL TIMBER Everybody has their ups and downs in life but in his 50 years so far, East Coast log truck and forestry operator, Ricky Kuru’s lows have been devastatingly, destructively deep. And the highs? Extraordinarily, spectacularly high. In 2019 we followed his father Jack’s life journey, now it’s Ricky’s turn.

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HARVESTING In what must be one of the longest partnerships in forestry, Gamble Forest Harvesting has now been working for City Forests for more than half a century. The companies explain the benefits of an ‘evergreen’ contract.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 50 fica 52 top spot 55 Sweeney Townsend New Iron 58 classifieds

March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 1

PHOTO: TIM BENSEMAN

from the editor

Iron Tester, Shane McGuire, running the Hyundai HX400 boasting a Woodsman Pro 850 felling head.

The aftermath

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IT’S BEEN DUBBED ‘THE STORM OF THE CENTURY’ AND WHAT THAT translates to on the ground is shock, devastation and a grim outlook for the future, as the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle on the back of record summer rainfall begin to take hold.

The Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland regions hardest hit make up close to 30% of the country’s natural forestry plantation. The implications of that statement are frightening. No doubt it will be a hard climb to get back to where we were before 2023’s biblical weather rained down on New Zealand; and with both lives and livelihoods at risk, there will inevitably be financial casualties among forestry contractors.

If an independent review of forestry was called for following January’s Cyclone Hale, Gabrielle has brought out the pitchforks, as forestry is held accountable for the bulk of the storm damage. As we go to print, Government is planning to announce the next steps in dealing with forestry slash, with a review that looks likely to include harsher penalties and prosecutions for forestry companies.

Recommendations for averting the problem in the first place would be more useful, and we can only hope Government takes a balanced approach in a country that is often held hostage by natural disasters. As an industry, a collaborative approach to find solutions, rather than top-down punitive laws, is likely overdue.

While bad experiences bring out the worst in some – the recent looting being a clear example – they are also a good excuse to showcase the best.

There is no shortage of people putting their hands up to help in this bighearted industry. Logging contractors around the country have come together to organise supply runs and salvage operations for those in need, as we move into the recovery phase. Turn to our Forest Talk pages to read more.

And if there’s anyone who knows about recovery, both on the physical and financial fronts, it’s Ricky Kuru, the subject of our Tall Timber feature this month. He has weathered the hard times and made the most of the good times to create a legacy his father, Jack, would be proud of.

Speaking of legacies, the more than 50-year partnership between Gamble Forest Harvesting and City Forests has created one of its own. From safety and security to productivity, this mutually beneficial evergreen collaboration reaps fruits on all fronts and hopefully will continue to do so for another 50 years.

Where there’s hope there’s potential. And if there’s one thing this industry does well, it’s resilience. All those people rolling up their sleeves in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle are testament to that.

Until next time, stay safe.

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forest talk

Cyclone Gabrielle turns the screws on forestry THE HORRIFIC PICTURES AND FOOTAGE WE’VE ALL SEEN DON’T do the true devastation in the Tairãwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland regions justice, as forestry contractors face immense pressure and compounding challenges post-Cyclone Gabrielle.

While the full extent of damage to the forestry industry is still being assessed, planted forest in these combined regions makes up close to 30% of the national forestry plantation.

Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) CEO, Prue Younger, who lives in Napier, is on the ground in one of the worst hit areas and says livelihoods are most definitely at risk.

“Some contractors will have lost their livelihoods this week.

Many are already under immense financial pressure after a few very tough years since the pandemic started. There will most certainly be some that won’t recover from this,” she says.

“Some Gisborne crews have been off since their 16 December pre-Christmas shutdown. Then Cyclone Hale hit on 10 January, followed by no access for trucks across broken roads, meaning lost income for two straight months.

“Now with Gabrielle, who knows what lies ahead. There is no certainty when roads will re-open, with questionable land stability of forestry sites and expensive gear inaccessible, lost revenue and port access and operation all compounding the issue. In Hawkes Bay the Pan Pac mill is non-operational and the outlook isn’t good. That will have a massive impact,” says Ms Younger.

“With all these growing challenges, our primary concern is for the people in the industry. Not only are there hundreds of employees affected, but the figure gets into the thousands when you consider the wider supply chain and service providers.”

While the issue of slash in the Tairawhiti region has been dominating the forestry narrative in cyclone coverage so far, she says it’s a much more complex issue than what is being reported.

“While it is most definitely an issue, this is also an unprecedented ‘once in a century’ storm compounded by record rainfall for the entire summer. There is an assumption that all woody debris has been caused by commercial forestry, but this is not the case,” she says.

“Forestry slash, harvesting practices, land use and pine plantations are generally misunderstood by the public and we look forward to the enquiry instigated by the Tairawhiti region post the January heavy rain event. That will give us all a better education and guidelines to an Industry that is still the third biggest contributor to our economy.

“This is an important issue that must be addressed and resolved. Industry needs to work together with Government and local authorities to find collective solutions, as effective management needs to become part of a social licence to operate while maintaining an internationally competitive industry.”

More importantly, at present FICA is working as an industry contractor representative to relocate and reposition the workforce to other regions and to other jobs, to support crisis-stricken areas, as it will be some time before many crews to get back to any significant production.

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Supply chain hard hit With cell phone and internet coverage down and road networks cut off, the supply chain is clearly going to be heavily impacted. This is on top of existing issues after the heavy rains, with short supply of some goods and more general COVID pressures, says CEO of Transporting New Zealand, Nick Leggett.

“Time and again, however, the most resilient piece of the supply chain continues to be trucking. Despite road closures and complete shutdown of rail and ports in some areas of the country, trucks will be on the road taking critical food and supplies and keeping the economy moving. If trucks can run, they will do so,” he says.

“Longer term, as a country we need to focus on how to make New Zealand’s infrastructure as resilient as possible. Cyclone Gabrielle was not an isolated event and we can expect more frequent severe weather events to strike. New Zealand’s topography is notoriously challenging – as the earliest road and rail builders discovered. Nevertheless, this latest event has demonstrated that roads and infrastructure must be designed and built better.

“Unfortunately, our roads have suffered from decades of underinvestment in maintenance – and build scale, specifications and quality. More extreme weather tells us we must urgently change course on the quality of our build, both to mitigate against events but also to improve safety, lower emissions and increase efficiency and reliability for our sector and all Kiwis.”

For businesses coping with the aftermath of the disaster, MBIE has some useful advice at: ttps://www.employment.govt.nz/leaveand-holidays/other-types-of-leave/employment-during-and-afterdisasters/ NZL

forest talk

Logging contractors readying supplies for those in need.

The Kiwi Way: Coming together in a crisis LOGGERS HAVE A WAY OF MAKING THINGS HAPPEN AND LOGGING contractors around the country have taken the initiative to perform miracles, helping those worst affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Forestry companies and contractors are out in the communities helping where they can, doing supply runs, and using their machinery and paying staff to assist with the clean-up of extensive mud and erosion.

The G White Logging crews based in Tokoroa and Rotorua managed to escape much of the damage that Cyclone Gabrielle brought to New Zealand and “when she had left, we were devastated to hear of the damage in other regions” says Owner, Gareth White.

He knew he had the resources in trucks, contacts in the industry and the team at G White Logging that wanted to help.

With not much of a plan set out, but knowing what he could provide, a brief message was put on Facebook.

The amount of people who saw and shared the post was heartwarming, word spread, and within hours Gareth was inundated by people wanting to support and help in many ways. Jonny and Ben from Shaw’s Wire Ropes, Satco, Manulife Forest Management, EMS Rotorua, The Warehouse Tokoroa, C&R Developments, Gilmours

Transport, Sheldrake Haulage, LOADCO, Sean Clarke Contracting, and many more donations and resources came on board to do whatever they could to get supplies to Gisborne and Napier while the roads were closed and communities cut off, he says.

“A lot of people wanted to help but didn’t have the capacity to transport or just didn’t know where to take supplies. Having a central base at Tokoroa worked well,” he adds, saying the G White staff were available to pack and load safely and efficiently. G White Logging alone has provided 4650 litres of water in 15 litre bottles and over $3,000 worth of food.

Now that the roads are opening up and more supplies are getting to the cities, the company is concentrating on putting resources to use in salvage and clean-up operations.

As for the future of the affected regions within forestry? “It’s going to be a long journey ahead. A lot of the forest is currently unworkable. But forestry has many skilled people and operators. Loggers ‘make things happen’. There’s plenty of scope for people to readjust and realign their careers to work in the salvage of their forest for the time being.

And as many times before, forestry has faced crisis. Gabrielle won’t be the last. But with assistance and support from the forestry industry,

forest talk

things will eventually get back to logging again.”

Shaw’s Wire Ropes agrees, saying It may be several months or even years before some logging sites can be accessed.

“Repairing the Hawkes Bay isn’t going to be an easy feat and there’s going to be years to come of rebuilding both communities and infrastructure. Some of the region may well never be rebuilt,” says Managing Director/Owner, Jonny Schick.

G White Logging and Shaw’s Wire Ropes make a top team.

“In times of tragedy such as this, it is amazing to see individuals and communities pull together working This may take some time as local aerial resources are required for tirelessly to get basic services up and running. Hats off to a lot of logging contractors who were the ones rolling up their sleeves, clearing civil emergency operations and the loss of key roads and bridges is restricting travel. Supply runs are also in process. roads and giving farmers and others access to their properties.”

The Southern North Island (SNI) Wood Council’s Erica Kinder says Shaw’s Wire Ropes has been playing its part too. “Delivering fuel for generators was one of the most helpful items we could get to people, in the Wairarapa and Tararua region while many areas are still along with gas bottles, cookers, and basic supplies such as food, water inaccessible, there is minimal forest damage.

“Many roads and bridges are damaged and assessments of and sanitary items. Regardless of general opinions on Elon Musk, his Starlink network is genius, being able to supply Starlink to clients so woody debris on coastlines are being done but can’t be reached yet. they could touch base with their loved ones, co-ordinate supplies and Unforested farmland is the hardest hit here, and forestry companies clean-up efforts as well as being able to pay wages, which was all truly are working with their neighbours to help out where they can. We have invaluable. The long-term effects of getting supplies to people who are reached out to Mayors and local councils to offer help and coordinate totally cut off is going to be a real challenge and there’s a long road local efforts along with other primary sector groups.”

Eastland Wood Council’s Philip Hope adds: “Our thoughts, first and ahead for both regions.”

Another of those mucking in to help is DG Glenn Logging. Says the foremost, are with the people of Tairāwhiti who have been impacted. company’s Robert Scurr: “The guys have all put their hands up to be We are lucky to call this region home too, and we are devastated to see repurposed to do different jobs, from clearing roads to clearing drains so many of our neighbours impacted by a catastrophic weather event once again. and using more specialised equipment to clear debris off bridges.

“We are beginning to survey the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle where it “We’re generally helping wherever we can, getting everything from generators to supplies to remote areas. It’s terrible, really bad. Even is safe to do so. We know that there have been significant movements knowing what to expect, it’s shocking to see the reality. It’s human of trees, woody debris, silt, and in some cases hillsides have slipped nature to help and from a business point of view, it’s a way to keep away. It will take some time for the whole picture to emerge – but it’s already clear the description of the cyclone being the ‘worst storm of paying our guys.”

And the future for the logging industry? “We’ll have to be very the century’ is justified.

“The scale of this clean-up will take some time; we are committed careful. We don’t know what the government is doing. If they don’t help or companies don’t find enough work, there will be redundancies. It’s to doing what it takes to help solve this problem for our community.

Our people have the tools and skills to mobilise in the wake of severe touch and go.” weather events, such as Cyclone Gabrielle. We will keep working hard to mobilise as quickly and safely as we can.

In the thick of it “No matter the source of the woody debris, this impacts our On a wider scale, Aratu Forests, one of the largest forestry estates in the Gisborne District, has been in the thick of it with beach clean-up community, and we want to play our part to fix it.” NZL Tairāwhiti, working together with the forestry industry machinery and manpower to clean up properties, support neighbours and clear woody debris.

Aratu Forests has 54 people working across the region, with the majority at Tolaga Bay. On top of this, over a dozen excavators and other machinery have been dedicated to the clean-up around Tairāwhiti.

Aratu Forests Chief Executive, Neil Woods, says crews are working as quickly and as safely as they can to remove the woody debris.

“We are devastated that Cyclone Gabrielle has had such a major impact on the community that we call home. Our thoughts are with our neighbours and our region as the response continues.

“It is gutting to have had a severe weather event so soon after another when we were still working to clean up the first. But we are committed to getting the job done, and our people have the tools and the skills to do it,” Mr Woods says.

Forest Manager, PF Olsen, says in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, Here, the Shaw’s Wire Ropes team drops off pet food, personal the company will be conducting ground inspections and helicopter hygiene items, animal drench, fuel and liquid refreshments for the hardworking volunteers at Patoka School. The company surveillance flights in Gisborne to assess the physical state of its helicopter has also been hard at work. forests.

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forest talk

Risk vs benefit in genetic technology NEW ZEALAND NEEDS TO CONCENTRATE ON THE SAFETY OF genetic technology on a case-by-case basis rather than persisting with blanket bans says the Forest Owners Organisation (FOA).

The FOA wants approval to introduce Douglas fir trees which can’t reproduce and so remove the risk of them giving rise to wilding trees.

It says the current New Zealand legislation blanket-ban on genetic technology is outmoded, inconsistent and out of step with much of the rest of the world.

“New Zealand urgently needs to update its legislation to bring our management of the risks surrounding genetic technology, and the opportunities it provides, into the modern era,” says FOA President, Grant Dodson.

He adds that the release of the Te Puna Whakaaronui Report last month is a reminder of the lost opportunities blocked by the 1996 Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. “HSNO is nearly two decades old, and in the meantime how to guarantee the safety of genetic technology has become well known.

“Our researchers can now target gene rearrangements with technology such as CRISPR-Cas9. Years of worldwide experience

has shown genetic technology is as safe as conventional breeding.”

He points to examples in the Te Puna Whakaaronui Report as indicating the advantages of using genetic technology.

“An insect resistant eggplant in Bangladesh lets the farmers there avoid using dangerous pesticides. It’s better for the environment and for the farmers’ health.

“Here, Scion’s development of a sterile Douglas fir has been stalled in the lab for years. If we could turn off the reproduction mechanism, we could get trees which can’t seed and so no wilding trees would spread.

“At the moment wilding conifers are a severe 1.8 million hectare problem in this country and getting worse,” he adds.

Mr Dodson says a Curia survey earlier this month showed that more people supported using genetic technology to create sterile Douglas fir, than were against it.

“We’ve done previous research and it signals that while most people couldn’t care less, the number in support of using genetic technology in forestry, or to combat climate change, outnumbers the members of the population who oppose it.

“It’s not the bogeyman in the public mind that some campaigners make it out to be.” NZL

Faster growing, better trees?

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essentially making it financially viable.

“We are beginning work this year to genotype 10,000 radiata pine needle samples per annum,” Mr O’Brien says.

“This means our strategy of reducing the RPBC radiata pine tree breeding cycle from 18+ years to nine years is becoming reality.

“The result will be that RPBC shareholders and the wider radiata pine forestry sector benefit in both the shortand long-terms from faster creation of improved germplasm and deployment of better-quality seed stock.”

From a low emissions future perspective, faster deployment of improved trees to the production forest can translate to a larger percent of logs at harvesting, achieving higher grades, he adds.

Higher-grade logs can be used in areas such as construction and furniture which locks up more carbon for longer periods.

Scion geneticists have conservatively estimated that the genetic gain in radiata pine by way of tree breeding has added $8.5 Billion in income to the New Zealand national forest estate. NZL

Pine seedlings in trays.

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A PARTNERSHIP BET WEEN NEW Zealand’s specialist Radiata Pine Breeding Company (RPBC), and Scion has seen Genomic Selection (GS) successfully applied operationally at large scale in radiata pine breeding.

The successful use of GS technology late last year to accelerate conventional tree breeding for radiata pine seedlings was the result of years of research and development investment by RPBC’s shareholders and an MBIE-funded scientific collaboration with Scion which began in 2014.

“Our challenge as an industry is to select the best trees with improved traits for growth rate, wood quality, and enhanced disease-resistant qualities – all of which are vitally important contributors to the progress of radiata forestry,” says RPBC General Manager, Darrell O’Brien.

He adds that the work RPBC undertakes is strategically positioned to contribute to the delivery of the government’s strategy of creating a high value and resilient forestry and wood processing sector.

The first step in implementing GS for radiata breeding was the development of the world’s first radiata pine SNP chip – a tool which allows fast and efficient identification of specific genes – to significantly reduce the cost of genotyping,

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forest talk

Eucalypts vie for vineyards “MARLBOROUGH LANDOWNERS HAVE HAD A TOUGH TIME IN THE past year, with the two extremes of droughts and floods hitting the region. Planting eucalypt forests on less productive land could provide an alternative land-use option and help the resilience of local landowners. It would also diversify New Zealand’s wood supply for future generations,” says Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director of Investment Programmes, Steve Penno.

This is in reference to a new Marlborough-based study backed by MPI to evaluate how hardwood forests could boost sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region’s wine industry.

Mr Penno says hardwood eucalypt forests could provide an important alternative land-use in the region, as well as natural carbon storage options.

“The study, led by NZ Dryland Forests Initiative (NZDFI) and based at the Marlborough Research Centre (MRC), will evaluate the potential for new eucalypt forests to sustainably supply naturally durable posts, timber and biomass for bioenergy for Marlborough’s wine industry and other local industries,” says Mr Penno.

Project Manager, Paul Millen, notes that certain eucalypt species are fast growing, drought tolerant, and produce strong, dense and naturally durable hardwood, which can be used outdoors without chemical treatment.

“Untreated eucalypt timber posts in vineyards can last more than 20 years in the ground without contaminating the soil.

“The eucalypt posts can be reused or recycled afterwards, unlike

the treated radiata pine ones used currently, which represents a huge opportunity to enhance environmental outcomes in Marlborough, and is aligned with the objectives of the NZ Wine Centre, also based at the MRC.” NZDFI will receive $262,300 towards the research through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change fund. Marlborough Research Centre Trust will contribute $10,000 and the University of Canterbury’s School of Forestry and four local landowners will provide $115,500 in-kind.

The project will develop models to show biomass accumulation and carbon storage for two key eucalypt species. It will assess these trees, including using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) drone technology to measure their biomass and carbon storage capabilities.

It will also develop a business case to demonstrate how a 5,000-hectare durable eucalypt forest resource in Marlborough could offset emissions.

“Marlborough vineyards alone span more than 30,000 hectares, containing more than 18 million posts predominately made from treated radiata pine,” says Mr Millen.

“Planting eucalypts could boost sequestration, and provide a sustainable regional supply of naturally durable posts and other timber, as well as biomass to supply solid biofuel to the wine sector.

“The project will provide a market and science-based pathway for eucalypt trees that gives confidence to develop this new forestry system in Marlborough.

“It also has potential to generate new investment and jobs in the regional forestry supply chain.” NZL

New commercial partner for NRC

NRC CEO, Justin Tighe-Umbers.

A NEW COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP with Spartan Finance reflects National Road Carriers (NRC) refreshed business strategy launched in 2022, prioritising commercial partnerships.

Insights from the member survey challenged NRC to have wider strategic thinking on delivering business solutions, with 50% of respondents identifying asset finance partners as an area for future focus.

Justin Tighe-Umbers, CEO, NRC says, “Spartan Finance is a great fit for NRC as the two organisations share several synergies. First and foremost, we both work actively for trucking firms to be successful. The road transport 10 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

sector employs over 108,000 people, is responsible for 4% of the country’s workforce and 5% of New Zealand’s GDP. Not only do thousands of people rely on the sector for their livelihood nationwide – New Zealand’s entire economy is connected to the transport industry’s ongoing sustainability and success.”

For most NRC members the financial outlay for large assets such as a truck require lending support.

“Spartan Finance not only helps members identify the best financial solution, they also provide guidance tailored to the specific needs of business,” says Mr Tighe-Umbers. “Spartan has a strong focus on making sure operators are not overextended and looks to assist operators with making the right capital decision for the phase of their business.”

Spartan Finance is a financial services broker, providing lending for trucks and assets, specialising in the transport sector – setting up finance for both outright purchase and lease.

“Part of what we do is help demystify finance,” says Mark Williams, Managing Partner, Spartan Finance. “Transport operators generally have a good understanding of their

Spartan Finance Managing Partner, Mark Williams. business and what they believe will add value for future growth, but identifying the right finance solution is not always clear. There isn’t a one size fits all lending solution available to the transport sector. Because we understand transport, we can compare multiple lender rates and terms to find the best-in-market solution to meet the business’ current needs.”

As a Board Director for NZ Trucking Association (NTA), NRC’s partner organisation in the South Island, Mr Williams is closely connected to the challenges the industry faces and the Spartan Finance team is uniquely placed to support transport businesses to succeed. NZL

forest talk

Welcoming the whānau Story: Joe Akari, CEO Safetree

WHAT DO MY FAMILY DO AT WORK? That was the question Te Waa Logging set out to answer when it held its latest Whānau Day on-site.

“We wanted to bring whānau together to celebrate the good mahi our crew does in the forest, says Justine Pereka-Owens, joint owner of the Tūrangi-based crew with Te Waa Owens.

The day, attended by 74 people late last year, was a chance for families to come on-site and watch the mechanised crew in action, in a safe, controlled environment.

Many people don’t understand just what a skilled job forestry is, she says: “What the guys do is highly professional. They need qualifications, experience and a good work ethic to operate safely.

“Sometimes whānau don’t realise just how skilled the crew are until they watch them in action. Seeing the guys at work helps their whānau understand the professional aspect of their work, and that is mana-enhancing for the crew.”

Families know that their loved one is working in a high-risk industry, she adds: “So, this day is a way to show whānau what we do to make sure everyone returns home each day.”

Forest Manager, NZ Forest Managers, and Poukura Marae residents supported the event and sent along representatives.

Family members who attended included grandparents, partners, children, parents and siblings.

The Whānau Day started with a safety briefing and whakatau/ whakamoemiti (welcome/blessing) by Les Owens, Te Waa’s father, before everyone was brought on site in vehicles. An area was cordoned off where family could sit and safely watch the action taking place in a controlled setting.

Then the crew got to work harvesting and processing trees.

For many whānau members it was the first time they’d had the 12 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

opportunity to see how logging works.

Te Waa talked them through what was happening, including pointing out the highly skilled activities the crew was undertaking.

When the display was finished, everyone came together for some kai and kōrero.

A highlight of the day was when the crew was presented with its Safetree Certified Contractor certificate. Te Waa Logging first achieved certification several years ago, and this was actually the second time they’d been recertified.

Ms Pereka-Owens says being Safetree Certified is important to the business because it provides an official recognition of the effort the crew puts into operating in a safe and healthy manner: “I’m a nurse by background, and both Te Waa and I believe that a successful business is one that operates in a way that’s good for its people.”

The event was the second Whānau Day for the crew. The first took place in early 2020. Feedback from family who attended the latest event was hugely positive.

“Some people were saying that they wished they had Whānau Days at their workplace. One young boy said he was going to come out and work here someday. I think we’ve encouraged some future loggers,” she says.

“Another child said it was nice to see where his dad worked, because now he could picture where his dad was and feel closer to him.

“We would recommend holding a Whānau Day to other forestry crews. It helps build a better crew culture. Everyone gets to meet each other’s families, and sit together and talk. It’s a great way to celebrate your people, and get recognition for the professional mahi they do,” says Ms Pereka-Owens. NZL

forest talk

Facing page: Justine Pereka-Owens and Te Waa Owens receive their Safetree Contractor re-Certification certificate from Safetree CEO, Joe Akari.

Above: Families watch forestry work taking place, often for the first time.

Left: Les Owens (in the background on left) welcomes everyone to the whānau day, with grandson Tama Pereka-Owens and son Te Waa Owens beside him.

Grooved Drums and Sleeves

DIAGNOSE • DESIGN • DELIVER

forest talk

Above: A fully loaded Falcon Slash Grapple Rake on a New Zealand Logging skid site.

Left: Utilising the dual-use Falcon Slash Grapple Rake to rake up larger particles of slash, leaving fines and soil behind.

Grappling with forestry slash IN LIGHT OF THE DESTRUCTION FROM THE RECENT FLOODS AND THE wrath of Cyclone Gabrielle, a new take on an old method to deal with forestry slash is set to help New Zealand logging crews more effectively manage skid sites and landings… with the potential to increase productivity.

The locally developed Falcon Slash Grapple Rake brings fresh thinking to slash control in a typical Kiwi approach.

The Falcon Slash Grapple Rake fits around two of the most common sizes of Ensign grapple and an independent study shows that it can reduce the laborious task by as much as one hour a day, while improving safety and environmental outcomes.

The idea for the new attachment was suggested by Moutere Logging M3 Crew Manager Steve Johnson, who was frustrated with existing methods of managing slash and debris on their sites.

“I was up on the skid for three hours one evening moving slash for management purposes and thought, ‘there’s got to be a better way’ as I continued to pick up small loads,” says Mr Johnson.

The Falcon Slash Grapple Rake consists of a one-piece spring lock system to attach to either side of a standard Ensign grapple commonly used for loading. It can effectively grab huge amounts of slash in one go, which can then be precisely placed in a designated area.

“There were three points which I determined it needed to have when it was designed. One – it must be quick to take on and off.

Two – it needs to have minimal maintenance and accessories to ensure it’s simple… No plumbing. And lastly it needed to be versatile to be able to still be used for logs such as loading or sorting if needed.”

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An industry perspective “Clearing slash from skids and landings can be a real headache,” says Darrin Barr of DC Equipment, the company behind Falcon Forestry Equipment products.

“It can slow down operations and make them unsafe if you don’t keep on top of it. But you also need to deal with slash in an environmentally responsible manner, ensuring it doesn’t end up in waterways or impede access. Simply pushing it over the edge of a slope might not be the best way to deal with it.

“Slash grapples aren’t new, but the suggestion made by Steve for an attachment that fits around an existing grapple is a great solution.

The aim was to turn that into a simple piece of engineering that works well in the forest.”

DC Equipment has designed two versions in conjunction with a local engineering company – one to fit the Ensign 1530 and a larger model to fit the Ensign 1730, weighing 1100kg and 1200kg respectively, in addition to the weight of the grapple. Fitting or removing from the host grapple takes around three minutes.

The grapple rakes are already working well with the Moutere crews and grabbed a lot of attention when displayed for the first time at the recent forestry show in Rotorua.

With seven more pencilled in on order from conversations during the prototype phase, it has highlighted the versatility of the Falcon Slash Grapple Rake, thanks to its ability to augment an existing Ensign Rotating Grapple, along with ease of use.

“If you have an alternate branded grapple there’s scope to include these during our development, with the final solution being a complete grapple product that is versatile across the skid,” says Mr Barr. NZL

forest talk

th 19,000 forest

machine for Ponsse UK THE 19,000TH PONSSE FOREST machine was handed over to Scottish longterm customer Elliot Henderson, with the Royal Burgh of Annan Pipe Band playing in the background last month. The Ponsse Scorpion Giant harvester with H8 harvester head will work at logging sites in the Scottish Borders and Scottish Lowlands.

Elliot Henderson is based in Selkirk in Scotland. The company started more than 35 years ago, planting trees with a small squad of men. Over the years, the business has grown and diversified into forestry, construction, and scaffolding. Today, Elliot Henderson comprises more than 40 forest machines which can undertake clear fell, thinning, steep ground harvesting operations, ground preparation or the construction of forest roads. Elliot Henderson also has the capability for site brash clearance, stump removal and servicing the biomass industry.

The company is also a founding member of the Forest Industry Safety Accord and is a member of the Forestry Contractors Association.

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With Elliot Henderson being a longstanding customer for well over 20 years, it’s a fitting tribute to the relationship between the customer and manufacturer that the landmark 19,000th machine is joining the fleet.

“Elliot Henderson has always been at the forefront of new machine releases over the years, which in turn keeps the harvesting fleet productive and innovating. We are

excited to be adding this Scorpion Giant to the fleet. This machine will go straight to work in the windblow resulting from Storm Arwen and we feel the extra power and H8 head will benefit us in this application.

We look forward to seeing what it can do!

We are currently running Ponsse Scorpion, Ergo, three Elephants and one Buffalo,” says Neil Purves, Director of Harvesting for Elliot Henderson Group. NZL

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forest talk

Left: Jimmy Starbuck with operator, Taylah Barton.

Above: Jimmy’s daughter – the fourth generation of Starbuck Earthmovers.

Going pink for women in industry LIKE FORESTRY ITSELF, EARTHMOVING IS NOT JUST FOR ‘BLOKES’ but to a huge extent kept in motion by the many hard-working women that have broken into this once very male-dominated industry.

Jimmy Starbuck from Starbuck Excavation – a larger-than-life personality in the earthmoving industry in Australia and specifically Melbourne – is making that point with a bright pink Kobelco SK135SR. Mr Starbuck is quick to point out that Starbuck Excavation as it is today, would not be operating or be as successful as it is without his team who are all more than happy to put in the hard yards to remain one of the highest achieving earthmoving companies in Australia.

Three generations of Starbuck family earthmovers have been at the helm of the company growing the group over decades, and this mindset of passing the company down to the next generation in years to come is part of the reason why Starbuck Excavation, with the help of Kobelco and Melbourne Tractors is trying to raise awareness.

“For me personally it’s a conversation starter to show Starbuck Group is a supportive workplace. Somewhere in ten years I’ll be proud that my daughter will walk onto a worksite and be seen for her abilities and skills rather than anything else. A pink machine and that goal being in the forefront of my mind might just make that happen,” he explains.

Even though the pink Kobelco SK135SR, which will be operated by one of Starbuck’s latest recruit Taylah, is brand new, the idea of not discounting potential staff members based on their sex is anything but new at Starbuck. For example, and to name just a few, both the 18 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

Chief Financial Officer as well as the Chief Operations Officer of the group are women who have earned their voice at the table through nothing but years of hard work and an extremely high-level skill set, as well as their love for the industry that makes them the best person for the role.

Says Aurelia Pirvu, COO at Starbuck Excavation and Plant Hire: “The reason behind purchasing this digger in pink, is to invite more women into the industry. We are lucky in Australia that women are already part of the construction industry, but for people outside of the industry, who may not know about this fact, we’d like to use it as a conversation piece to highlight that women can operate machinery, that women can have big careers in the field, that the new generation knows that there is a future in construction... it is a great industry to be a part of.”

According to Mr Starbuck, his social media accounts, with an Instagram following close to 50k, have been a hotbed for supporters and nay-sayers alike, as well as people who think it’s a waste of time and that buying a pink machine isn’t going to change anything.

“With this digger, we obviously don’t expect things to change overnight, the intention behind it is to bring awareness and have people who don’t know much about the industry who could potentially be a great fit, spot the machine in traffic or on a worksite and from there get curious, google it and hopefully be encouraged to enter the field,” Ms Pirvu comments.

With that in mind, another pink Kobelco will be joining the team later this year with the larger Kobelco SK235SR already on the water from Japan. NZL

Opinion

Students proudly wear their Wahine in Forestry shirts.

Wahine in Forestry: A longstanding challenge Story: Erica Kinder, CEO, Southern North Island Wood Council THE QUESTION OF HOW TO ADDRESS THE GENDER INEQUALITY that exists in our forest sector is not a new one. You only need to read A Path Through the Trees, the Mary Sutherland biography of the first woman forester in New Zealand to understand that change is a slow process.

Mary graduated in 1916 from the University College of North Wales, Bangor and encountered many tensions and prejudices throughout her extensive career in the Forest Service, which are documented in this book and sounded eerily familiar to me.

The first woman to graduate the School of Forestry at Canterbury was in 1974, almost 60 years after Mary Sutherland arrived in New Zealand, and many of her documented aspirations will also be recognisable to us today - how to improve perceptions of forestry in the public, getting forest education into schools and the minds of the next generation, and improving the training and education for all forest workers. Sound familiar?

When I graduated from the School of Forestry in 1996 it was difficult to find work, and having finally found a job, I have the added feature of being sacked, not once, but twice for literally just being ‘a chick’. Some workplaces (and employers) were put out by having to accommodate female workers and it was easier for them to maintain ‘male only’ environments.

This could all sound depressing, but when you have a daughter in fourth year at the School of Forestry and a son about to enroll, it tends to motivate a person to provide positive role models and experiences for this next rotation, so here we are.

Wahine in Forestry is a women’s group formed by the Wood Councils that seeks to address the lack of a female perspective in our sector.

Today we claim only 18% females in our forestry workforce, and you can count on one hand the number of women at any leadership levels in our organisations. We want to increase professional participation for women to expand the opportunities and think about our forests in new ways. There is great value in ensuring women are exposed to, and have access to, all avenues of the forest sector and in the future, this should lead to a more sustainable forestry community.

We are starting this process by exposing the female students at the School of Forestry to as many of our amazing women working in

forestry as possible. Our first gathering in Christchurch last year saw four wonderful women speakers address 30 female students about their journey into forestry and what their careers mean to them.

Angela Mackenzie and Kristie Paki Paki from Marlborough, Holly Chapman from Christchurch and Sarah de Gouw from Southland provided hilarious stories and inspiration. We plan to keep this group engaged this year by providing evenings and weekends for networking and to showcase women at all levels and positions in the forest sector, and provide role models, mentors and solutions to the unique challenges that face women by bringing us together and supporting each other. We also might just have some fun along the way.

We aim to introduce more women to forestry, open their eyes to the opportunities that exist and retain this critical portion of our workforce.

Networks are vital to provide a sense of belonging, and that’s what Wahine in Forestry strives for - a mycorrhizal fungal network for others along with safe and welcoming workplaces fostering connection and connectivity.

The challenges facing our forests and workforces are diverse and there is a need for more diverse perspectives to help ensure the health and future of our sector. We cannot solve all our problems, but wouldn’t it be great if we could participate in designing the solutions?

How many forestry companies are run by women in New Zealand?

How many lead our governance boards, associations and institutes?

Together we can create that room for creative problem-solving.

What has been pleasing to see is the support and reflection from the young men currently in the School of Forestry and our forestry men for this initiative. These students will be our friends and coworkers in the future. It is satisfying that they are becoming aware of their own, and others’ attitudes and noticing what they can do to encourage and advocate for inclusion and diversity in our places of work.

Our group with the support of PF Olsen, Forest360, Summit Forests and the Wood Councils is looking forward to our first weekend get together at Hanmer Springs later this month. Registrations can be lodged on our website. Want to hang out with us, or represent your workplace? Then visit www.wahineinforestry.co.nz for more information on this group or email wahine@wahineinforestry.co.nz to receive newsletters or information about events. NZL March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 19

Iron Test

man

: Tim Bense

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The Hyundai HX400 and the Madill 124B are a winning team at Wharerata.

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IT’S BEEN A GOOD FEW YEARS SINCE WE IRON TESTED A Hyundai machine and it’s quite striking to see this one at first. It makes you want to know what is going on here with that cool colour scheme and also what the R&D team have been up to at Hyundai.

When running Hyundai 210’s in forestry land prep in recent years I found them noteworthy for their increased control speed and their striking fuel economy, so it will be interesting to see if those qualities show up in this bigger HX400 machine running a Woodsman Pro 850.

Our Iron Tester, Shane McGuire, has joined us from one of his own crews further south of Gisborne and reports that the Flavell Logging crew is a tight unit known for working hard.

“They have always been a high production crew. We see them here today in Wharerata… I mean who the hell has three loaders out in the cutover? Shovelling, bunching, feeding the hauler...

These guys are getting after it, that’s for sure.”

Flavell’s Foreman, Kayle Beckett, is leading the charge out there today on his own Cat leveller felling machine and a couple of the loaders and a Falcon tether have his name on them as well. Kayle has been with Ray Flavell for almost 10 years and Ray is looking at passing the reins of the company over this year as he has grandkids to look after these days.

So how many loads a day are these guys pumping out?

“About 20,” says Kayle. “It goes up around the 800-tonne a day mark when we have some ground based to do as well but when we are in hauler ground production sits around the 550to 600-tonne mark.”

So, the Hyundai processor is obviously humming along,

Above: Processing another big Gisborne stem.

Below: Putting in water controls ahead of the next rain event.

SERIOUS POWER FOR BIG TIME LOGGERS

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NO LIMITS. NO BOUNDARIES. 2023

Above left: The Hyundai reaches for another stem.

Above right: Processing under the ropes.

Below: A steady flow of 20 log trucks per day keeps Flavell Logging ticking.

doing 20 loads on a normal day and stretching up to 26-ish when in ground based. What engine have they got in it? Porter Equipment’s Scott Turner says the HX400 runs the QSL9 manufactured at the UK-based Cummins Darlington plant.

“This is the same engine that has been fitted to Hyundai HL770 loaders and R380 excavators for the past 12 years,” says Scott. “It’s an incredibly reliable engine known to last – likely due to being under stressed in the application.”

Some history of Wharerata All I had heard about the Wharerata Range south of Gisborne was that some of it had been logged with a Chinook twin bladed helicopter with a 13-tonne lift – the flying bus type with a rotor at each end.

I had been running pest control operations in my own forest further north of here and was on a ridge top when that Chinook (run by Columbia Helicopters out of Aurora, Oregon) flew right over me on the way to that Wharerata job and later that day I spoke to Winton McAra of PF Olsen fame, who was running night security on the Chinook and advised that he could easily park a couple of his Toyota 4WD’s inside it and still have room to move.

From that side note I gathered from the outset that this Iron Test was going to be in hauler country and probably some hard hauler country at that.

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The road in to Flavell Logging’s operation was a test in itself at pothole avoidance but wasn’t the worst on the East Cape, that’s for sure. At least the diffs weren’t touching the middle anywhere.

It was surprising to see a 50-metre concrete bridge in the middle of this forest too, probably put in during the first harvest at considerable cost. Back in the 1880’s the highway through Wharerata was so wet and muddy that the farmers on this range had to get enough provisions in stock in March to survive until November when the highway became usable again.

After about 15 minutes of driving from the highway we crested a rise and saw the new HX400 grabbing a typical big Gisborne pruned stem and slewing it away from the Madill 124B hauler.

In a tilt to the “Black is the new Black” theme, the artwork on this machine looks surprisingly cool and when Iron Tester, Shane, was finished testing it, we found it was cool in more ways than one.

When Ray Flavell first discussed the HX 400 Iron Test he mentioned that they had purchased this 40-tonne machine because their previous Hyundai, an HX 480, had been too big and wide for the roads and was prone to breaking up the edges.

The hope was that by going down a size they could go a little easier on the roads while keeping most of the advantages of a heavy processor. At 38.4 tonnes bare plus guarding and a 5-tonne head this unit is still around 45 tonnes.

Some big units That Madill though. Shane observes that it runs very quietly: “Ray bought that in new a few years ago. It has the new Volvo engine in it and seems to be going very well. They are logging some steep ground here though. The grapple rope is crossing over their main due to the steep drop directly below the hauler.

Very hard on the ropes when it does that, but you can see the operator is trying to uncross it now. Man, they have got a lot of machines out in the cutover… I count four including the T bar.”

About 500 metres across the valley Kayle is on the Cat 552 leveller bunching stems, plus there’s two Hyundai high and wide 3230 grapple machines, (one of which is the first Series 2 in the country) – one is shovelling and feeding the Madill’s grapple while the other is putting in water controls in preparation for the coming rain. Plus, there’s the T bar excavator-based tail hold and hidden away behind some trees is a Falcon winch machine.

And a man on a chainsaw cross cutting an area that is too broken up for the Cat. Back on the landing another Hyundai 3230 is loading a steady stream of trucks with some very nice-looking pruned butts and the other grades are looking quite chubby as well, probably due to the high rainfall and the fertiliser applied when this area was a sheep and cattle station.

Regular HX400 operator, Ray Hohepa, says the piece size

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here is around the two-tonne mark. Ray started out logging in Tokoroa cutting dots before being thrown over the side breaking out for a hauler. He spent more than 10 years as a loader operator and then moved into processors about five years ago.

“This is a nice machine,” Ray says. “Not as powerful as the 480, but it is faster. You don’t have that massive base weight to hold your tail down when clearing really big stems, but that’s fine, you just need to use a bit more technique. This machine is smoother with its power and seems to work well with the new Woodsman Pro 850 processor. Prior to this we used to have a Waratah processor on the 480.

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“I guess any new machine is going to be nice.” Ray continues.

“One thing I do like about this one is the cameras which give a surround view and activate whenever you touch the pedals.

That is really handy when the stacks get a bit big, and room is restricted on the landing. I just need to give the pedals a little touch and it shows you how close you are to the stacks or the other machines before you start to move.”

Hyundai says this is their AAVM or Advanced Around View Monitoring video camera system which secures the field of vision for operators in all directions, thereby preventing accidents by providing nine views including a 3D bird’s eye view and 2D/4CH view.

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1: Air cleaner bay.

2: Radiator bay.

3: Ample storage and easy to reach fire extinguisher.

4: Centralised fluid filters for quick and easy servicing.

5: Storage and voltage reducer.

6: The cameras are well-protected from damage and glare.

Main: An overview of the Flavell Logging operation as the crew prepares for heavy rain.

SERIOUS POWER FOR BIG TIME LOGGERS

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1: Operator, Ray Hohepa, is happy with the company colours.

2: The 9.525-metre reach makes for a quick transition from yarder to log stacks.

3: A busy day under the tail hold.

Below: Several 6-wheeler bin trucks cart bin wood back to Gisborne for chipping.

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SERIOUS POWER BIG TIME LOGGERS

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 28 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

Above left: The view from the operator’s seat.

Above centre: The switches and dials are robust and within easy reach.

Above right: Flavell Logging’s cross cutter fells another tree on broken ground.

In the aircon department some of this is Hyundai’s latest aircon gear coupled with some additional Red DOT USA product added by Active VMA to match the cab size.

In the undercarriage department the track motors are the latest version of the well proven R380.

Technology reduces fuel costs

It was interesting to see a purpose-built Scania P360 6-wheeler bin truck coming and going from a recently abandoned hauler pad about 80 metres away. In between log truck loads Flavell’s loader operator walks his machine up there and stacks offcuts into the truck bin for a quick 40-minute trip back to a chipper in Gisborne at the old Optilog yard. These chips are then trucked to the Port of Tauranga and shipped offshore. Kayle says this has been going on for a couple of years in the region in an effort to reduce the volume of forestry waste that ends up on beaches in heavy rain events.

The eight-man crew has been in the Wharerata Range about two-and-a-half years with around six months to go. After that they move into the back of the Waimata Forest which is also handy to Gisborne at around 45 minutes’ drive.

Porter Equipment’s Hyundai Territory Manager for Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and Taupo, Colin Duley says that over the past 79 days of use the HX400 has shown an impressive fuel burn of just 25.6 litres per hour.

Doesn’t seem that long ago that 20 tonners were using fuel on that scale. Hyundai’s Intelligent Power Control (IPC) and Electric Pump Independent Control (EPIC) technology feature offers a 10-12% reduction in fuel consumption without compromising productivity versus its previous model, as well as improving cooling.

IPC mode optimises pump flow by analysing the operator’s joystick control pattern. On the practical side they have put in bigger pumps with more flow and higher pressures to achieve more productivity.

Making offcuts pay

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iron tester: Shane McGuire

CLIMBING INTO THE HX400 I FOUND it a lot more ergonomic and comfortable than the previous Hyundai I was in. I’m not really a fan of purpose-built cabs these days as there have been a few teething problems with the larger cabs not being matched to the air conditioning capabilities. For a bit there they were terrible, you could end up getting cooked inside there. But this one is good. I think cab manufacturers have started to listen to operators and have raised the number of vents and the power of the aircon pumps.

The Eltecs have the opposite issue where you could end up freezing inside there unless you turn it down a bit, which is a great problem to have in this heat. I think Eltec has set the standard lately with something like 11 vents which is great, and big pumps to feed them.

Now it looks like Hyundai and Active have stepped up to meet that Eltec standard.

It’s a nice guarding package that Active VMA have done on this machine. It doesn’t look like a plain Hyundai anymore, that’s for sure. I have had a few Hyundai’s myself and I like this colour scheme a lot better than standard.

I was pleasantly surprised at how

well this was set up, as well as how well it operated. Very smooth controls, quick and responsive without being too sensitive.

The Woodsman on it is really good too. I actually rate Woodsman quite highly. I own five of them myself – two felling heads and three processors. They have excellent backup in this region with a shop in Gisborne and I find them very responsive, so I think it’s a good choice by this crew.

The Woodsman’s have been steadily improving too, which is a good theme to have going on in a crew.

Mostly I am operating my own Eltecs or my Cat excavator-based machines with a growing number of Volvos because TDX are also very responsive from their Gisborne base.

The RT in this HX400 works okay. It should be hands-free though. It’s amazing how many handsets you go through as well as the time spent not doing the task at hand without hands-free.

Reach-wise this boom works fine. Right out

Iron Tester, Shane McGuire. at the end you can feel it bounce just a little bit, but you generally shouldn’t have to run it way out there very often anyway with that much weight.

You’ve got a five-and-a-quarter-tonne head and probably a two-or three-tonne stem so if you put that out at the end of the reach and jolt it, you are just loading up all your pins, slew and the like. The gear will last a lot longer if it’s run in a bit closer where everything is in balance.

The HX400 processing at Wharerata.

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IFICATION

SPEC S HYUNDAI HX400 – SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Hyundai/Cummins HE8.9 litre 6-cylinder, turbocharged electronically controlled diesel.

209kW (280hp) @ 2,000rpm Peak power HYDRAULICS Main pumps – Variable displacement piston type.

Pilot Circuit – Gear type Swing speed

2 x 315 LPM up to 9.6rpm

UNDERCARRIAGE Hyundai X Leg reinforced.

Model BOOM/ARM Model Max reach

Hyundai/Woodsman Pro 9,525 to the end of the dipper arm.

PROCESSOR/HARVESTER Model Rotation

Interacting with the hauler there was a good amount of speed to clear the chute and get out of the way for the next drag coming in.

I didn’t bother much with the cameras as there’s plenty of room on this skid, but the images look sharp on screen.

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I think Hyundai has definitely come a long way in the last five years or so. This machine is up there with the gear I’ve got, and I wouldn’t mind at all running one of these all day. NZL

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Tall Timber

Story: Wayne Munro Photos: Gerald Shacklock

E

VERYBODY HAS THEIR UPS AND DOWNS in life. You know – the usual highs and lows. But in his 50 years so far, East Coast log truck and forestry operator, Ricky Kuru’s lows have been devastatingly, destructively deep. And the highs? Extraordinarily, spectacularly high.

The trend started early: The kid who doted on Dad Jack (Tall Timber, NZ Logger, July 2019) and lived for the hours they spent together in truck and machinery cabs, turned into a teenager who fell out with his family over his rebellious ways…

Which saw him kicked out of school and fathering a child before he was 15, ending up behind bars… and sleeping on the streets.

Then the rebound: He found his partner 34 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

for life (wife Leanne), got back close to his Dad… and then became Jack’s partner in a small business building forestry roads… that became a hugely-successful log harvesting and forestry roading operation.

After a decade or so of booming growth, Jack and Ricky’s Kuru Contracting Limited (KCL) boasted seven log harvesting crews, equipped with about $30million worth of machinery…

Only to have to sell off gear and shrink the business by a devastating 85%, when a 2011 log trade slump smashed the demand for Kiwi pine logs. Ricky and Jack worked for nothing for three years – just to keep the business alive.

Then, starting in 2017, KCL – with Ricky now the sole owner, having bought Jack

out (albeit with the elder Kuru still working alongside his boy every day) – again grew into a major East Coast forestry force. To the point where it’s now back up to five harvesting crews… again with probably $30m or more worth of machinery.

Plus there’s a fleet of eight log trucks, a heavy-haulage transporter, a crane truck and two bulk tippers – the latter doing forestry roading and civil construction work.

And a Tolaga Bay base that includes a service station, shop and café, as well as the company’s workshop and offices. KCL now employs “around 97” people.

Ricky also has other projects on the go: Modular houses built in China; five quarries and metal crushers in a partnership with KCL General Manager, Ma Parata; a residential

Far left: The late Jack Kuru with his son, Ricky. Left: Ricky Kuru is now the sole owner of KCL. Above: KCL has pursued a philosophy of offering a complete package to forest owners – building forest roads and skid-sites (using metal it supplies), harvesting logs… and carting them out. Here one of its loggers picks up a load from a KCL harvesting crew in the Waiau Forest.

subdivision and a handful of houses (so far) in Tolaga Bay – built to attract staff… and plans for a state-of-the-art sawmill in town too.

It all looks and sounds sweet… another huge high in the Ricky Kuru life story. And it is…

Or, at least, it was: But there have been shadows over the Kuru/KCL world for two or three years now: Sadly, Ricky’s beloved Dad (and mentor) died in mid-2020 – having bravely carried on driving his bulldozer every day, as he battled cancer.

Extraordinarily, in the Ricky Kuru story, the extreme highs and lows apply to his physical state just as much as they do his business status: After Jack’s death, Ricky discovered that he has the same gene suspected of

causing his Dad’s terminal cancer.

Pro-actively, in true Ricky Kuru/takethings-head-on style, he’s now had surgery to remove almost all of his stomach in a bid to avoid stomach cancer himself. In less than half a year, physically he’s become just half the man he used to be – his weight falling radically… from 158 kilograms, to just 79.

As for KCL, once again the business empire that Jack and Ricky built… then rebuilt, is under threat – and Ricky is again in a fight to protect it as the log trade slows and shrinks alarmingly, ‘specially on the East Coast.

Humble beginnings Where this up-then-down, like-father-likeson story began is 70-odd years ago in

Porangahau, Hawke’s Bay – where Jack grew up… learning to drive trucks and machinery on the family farm and its working quarry.

As “a kid” he polished his truck driving skills by regularly joining an uncle in his livestock truck – taking the wheel “while uncle had a sleep!”

He moved to Palmerston North as a teenager, starting work driving trucks and machinery – eventually landing with JB Ware & Sons, where he’d drive “off and on” for three decades.

Jack’s self-taught skills extended beyond driving trucks and machines, to doing engineering work – building trailers and tankers for Wares – as well as painting their trucks.

During one break from the company, he March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 35

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Above: Jack at work on one of his bulldozers, building a forestry road.

Left: Ricky and his family.

Below: Early days for Kuru Contracting. The first harvesting crew (minus Jack who took the picture).

and his wife Susan went to live in Papua New Guinea as missionary workers. Ricky was born there in 1972, early on in their four-year stay.

Jack taught locals how to drive trucks and machinery. He was, as Ricky says, “a true Christian: He gave all his wealth away.

His whole life, he was involved with the Pentecostal Church.”

When Ricky was eight, the family moved to Turangi for three or four years – Jack managing a fleet of 14 bulldozers doing gravity rolling around the central North Island.

Each bulldozer worked with a large, studded steel roller, Ricky explains: “You’d lower it down a hill and smash all the scrub over. Then they’d burn it and plant it with pine trees.”

Ricky – one of five kids (three boys, two girls) remembers a childhood in which he spent all his spare time with his Dad – “school holidays, weekends, wagged school – driving rollers, little diggers. My Dad was my best mate…”

But his teenage years were far from idyllic.

School, for instance, wasn’t for Ricky: “I was expelled in the third form… umm I just wanted to be my Dad.” Ricky summarises what happened next: “Yeah well I was a dad at 14, with a 21-yearold. And that didn’t go down too well in the family – so I rebelled against all of that…

36 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

and ended up in jail.

“Went over to Aussie…ended up in jail there as well. I lived on the streets of Melbourne for a year eh. Under a bridge.

Yeah, just had a chip on my shoulder.”

Things took an upward turn when he returned to Palmy and “met my wife in the pub… That was it.” They’ve been together ever since.

Ricky did get to do a job he loved when, way before he was 18, he regularly drove (unlicensed) an R Model Mack to Auckland and back.

And later on, he got his heavy transport

pilot’s qualifications – and piloted for his Dad. He also operated machines for Wares.

In 1992, he joined Jack on the East Coast, where his Dad got a job doing gravity rolling in the bush for a contractor mate.

In truth, Ricky reckons: “I actually came to the East Coast to get away from gangs and (from) being an idiot. I didn’t know anyone here. I was 20, just married, one kid on the way. Big move.”

The father and son team worked on that job for about eight months – Jack on a bulldozer, Ricky on a digger. Then they shifted to road-lining – building forestry

Above: KCL’s flagship, a Kenworth T610 SAR transporter, poses at home in Tolaga Bay. The mythical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow has sometimes reflected KCL’s fortunes… sometimes not.

roads and logging along the route – for the same contractor.

In time Ricky reckons he became disillusioned with making “a lot of money” for Jack’s friend, while promises to help them get started in their own business “never ever happened”.

Finally, in 1997 – after years of Jack staying loyal to his friend – father and son went road-lining on their own account: “Me and Dad got together – didn’t know what we were doing business-wise. I got $14,000 off my mortgage, Dad got $18,000 off his and we went 50/50 and started Kuru Contracting.”

A friend of Jack’s helped them buy an old digger/loader, a D8 bulldozer, a ute and a near-new skidder whose owner had gone bust. In a helluva deal, they got the skidder simply by signing-up to carry on the repayments: “That was the break he gave us. He was a big part of us getting started.”

While Jack drove the bulldozer building the roads, Ricky’s machine alternated between a grapple and a bucket loader: “In the early days it was a struggle, because I had to do both – build the roads for the crew, as well as the skids, as well as do all the logging… with one machine. Mmm – so that same job now gets done by four. But that’s what made us.

“After the first year in business the accountant said ‘we need a meeting. I’ve got some news for you’. I didn’t even know

Above: KCL bought two log trucks in 2018 – and has added two a year since.

Below: A move to diversify has seen KCL build a small fleet of tippers – servicing civil contracting jobs as well as its forestry roading work. The Kenworth is one of two K200 bulk units.

March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 37

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what an accountant did really…

“On the way there from the forest Dad said to me ‘ah, she’s all over boy. We’ve made no money – we’re going under.’

“So we get to the accountant and we’re sweating and the accountant says: ‘I’ve got good news and bad news’.”

A worried, impatient Ricky demanded: “ ‘So tell us!’ The accountant says: ‘Well, the good news is your profit is $1.3 million’.

“I’m like ‘whattt! Yeah well, what’s the bad news?’ He says: ‘Well, you’re gonna have to spend it because you’re gonna have a huge tax bill.’

“So we splashed out and bought all brand-new gear, bought a brand-new ute each and vehicles for the boys.

“What happened the second year? We made $3 million! And it just started growing from there.”

Their success was driven in part by “the fear of failure: Everyone was telling us, ‘you’re not gonna make it… you can’t do it this way… blah, blah blah.’ ” Ricky explains how KCL’s father/son dynamic worked: “I was a young go-getter… and Dad would pull me back every now and then. And that’s why it worked so well.

“He was a go-getter too, but he was a lot wiser… ‘Nah, not yet boy.’ And I was ‘nah, let’s do it!’ But he was right.

“What he taught all of us kids, was just to work hard eh… and you’ll always do well.

And he was right.

“Oh I guess you have got some sort of clue (about what you need to be doing).

But I guess the word is winging it: You just do the best that you know with what you’ve been brought up on…”

One contract they won was a beauty: “We stayed with that company (Hikurangi Forest Farms) for 20 years.”

For the first three and a half years “we didn’t make any money – we survived. But the carrot was to get the shit forest out of the way… and then the rest of your future is just mean. And it was.”

The initial work was in the Mangatu Forest, in the Coast’s back-blocks. They worked “stupid” hours – living on-site in a caravan or shearers’ quarters much of the time… “so we’d get more done”.

Then again, they also had fun – hunting expeditions at night, for instance…

Tragically though, they also lost a key member of their tight-knit crew in a fatal work accident in their first year.

Diversifying Around 2003, Kuru Contracting started to diversify away from purely doing road-lining 38 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

Top left: Ricky and wife Leanne have reluctantly moved to Hawke’s Bay from their adopted hometown, Tolaga Bay – so Ricky can be close to KCL’s new work.

Top right and above: Just as Ricky spent lots of time with his Dad in machinery or trucks as a kid, Leanne and Ricky’s daughter Jasmine/Jazz with her son Ricky Junior started going to work with Ricky when she was a baby! Now 27, she’s worked in the forest for years… and already owns (and operates) a $1 million harvesting machine. logging, into a full range of log harvesting.

One problem they’d been working around was an inefficiency in getting bulk trucks to service their road-lining operation when they needed them.

The company was, says Ricky, “ticked-up quite a bit – we had quite a few crews then (seven, in fact) and we couldn’t afford to buy trucks…”

So he and Leanne re-mortgaged their home, started L&R Kuru and bought an International T-Line tipper that had done only tarseal running in Auckland, so “was like brand-new”. They also bought a grader and a roller to work with it.

Sadly, around then, things took a serious

turn for the worse: “My Dad got sick… had some brain aneurisms. So I went to Mum and Dad and said ‘oh look, it’s time for me to buy you out (it was always the plan) – so you can enjoy your money while you’re still alive’.

“So I went in and got a big, massive loan on the company and paid them out. And away we went.”

By that he means, he and his Dad continued on exactly as they had been: “Jack never stopped working. Nah, nah – so no-one knew, not even the family.

“Well, I didn’t want anybody to know, because I didn’t want anything to change for him. So he still just came to work – every single day.”

Nothing changed in the way KCL operated either, simply because, Ricky explains, “my mission was Dad’s mission – to do well and enjoy what you’re doing. That was really about it.”

And that, he says is exactly what they did – albeit not without having the occasional disagreement: “Oh of course we did… All gone five minutes later.” Jack was a quiet man, says Ricky, but he also “kicked my arse… He spoke when he had to speak.

Yep, yep”.

Jack did eventually take about a year off from working for KCL… but only so he could help Ricky’s brother Arana get established in his log-harvesting business.

L&R Kuru was absorbed into KCL, now wholly owned by Ricky and Leanne – and they added a couple more bulk tippers (Fusos) to the operation.

When the log export industry crashed in 2011, the forestry company KCL was working for “went under. We were owed $950,000…”

The next three years were all about survival: “So we worked… for free… and paid everything – you know, all our bills.

We shrunk – back to more or less how we’d

The late Jack Kuru with his much-loved Komatsu 375A bulldozer. He learnt to drive trucks and operate earthmoving machinery as a kid… and never stopped, earning a reputation as a forestry “legend”. started: One crew… from seven.”

It’s the sort of stuff that breaks people – and businesses. So how did Ricky survive?

“Ah, just a battler. ‘Nah, nah – no-one’s beating me!’

“When you’re poked in a corner…it’s your upbringing I guess: ‘We’re gonna win this.’

And you just keep going.”

In summary: “So what happened – it crashed… and we crashed with it. But we survived. And then, obviously, it started ramping up again.”

As it did, KCL just kind of ticked over…. until, in 2017, Ricky was chatting to Ma,

Tall Timber

A good day’s work at KCL.

who’d quickly advanced from truck driver to his 2IC: “I said ‘look, I want to have one more crack at this going big again. Are you with me?’ And he says ‘yeah, nah nah – let’s f*ckin’ do it.’

“Because it got boring – and that’s the truth. That’s why I did it: You’ve just got one crew – 10-15 guys. Just printing money. Nah – not enough challenge.

“So the last four or five years I’ve spent or borrowed over 30 million bucks and just grown it.” One harvesting crew increased again to four… and, just lately, to five.”

Diversification and offering forest owners or managers a complete package were top priorities during that time – the first as a buffer against the next logging boom/ bust cycle, the second designed to drive efficiencies in the operation.

In 2018, Ricky and Ma duly secured a five-year contract to provide a forest owner with all of its log cartage, harvesting and road-building needs.

That prompted a substantial renewal of KCL’s machinery… and a big upscaling of its modest trucking operation, which until then comprised just a handful of tippers.

Now it began adding Kenworth K200 8x4 loggers – at the rate of two a year, each with Patchell five-axle trailers… until there were eight of ‘em. Another two K200s – both 6x4 tippers – were also added, along with a Kenworth T610 SAR heavy haulage tractor unit and a Modern Transport Engineers transporter… and a second-hand 700 Series 40 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

Hino 8x4 crane truck.

Ricky reckons that the key to the log-truck operation’s success was getting the right guy to run it for him, from the outset: “I got one top man (Jesse Ngerengere) and I said to him ‘just run it… get your own men: I don’t wanna interview nobody.’ Trust the man that’s gonna be running it for you and it’ll fly.”

The rationale for KCL establishing its own log-truck fleet was simple: “I just wanted them when I needed them – carting my wood. They were a necessity.”

The transporter unit, the crane truck and the new Kenworth tippers were also about meeting both the desire to diversify and for KCL to offer a complete package, without having to rely on sub-contractors.

The tippers have formed the basis for a new push into civil construction work – roading, in particular.

Ricky and Ma’s diversification into quarrying was similarly triggered by KCL’s road-lining operation being frustrated by delays getting metal when they needed it.

As Ma told the forest owner in a pitch to take over the operation of its quarry, as well as the road-lining and log-harvesting it was already doing: “We can build roads, but we can’t metal them – so we can’t truck wood out.”

Initially the operation ran a leased mobile crusher, a new front-end loader, repurposed forestry machine. Ricky reckons that, as usual, there was an

element of “winging it”.

But Ma points out that Ricky has his ways of de-risking things: “One thing this fulla’s good at is ensuring that people are committed and determined.”

They could easily have leased a wheel loader, says Ma: Instead, “old big-balls over there sits down and says ‘nah, f*ck off – we’re gonna buy this wheel-loader’.

Why? So that he knows then I have to make it work…”

And he has: Their PK Crushing partnership now owns five quarries and three mobile crushers….

A matter of survival Around this time, Jack’s health worsened… grimly: “He knew he was crook eh, but he never went to the doctor: ‘Oh my puku’s sore… Go to the doctor man!... Nah, bugger that’. I don’t remember him once going to the doctor… until it was too late.”

Eventually he was diagnosed with cancer: “They gave him 12 bouts of chemo – they did one and he said ‘nuh, that’s not a quality of life. F*ck it! I’m not gonna do any more’.

“He hung in… the main reason, I believe – and he would say this – is because of the Lord. He believed in Christ.

“Well, they gave him three months to live and he lasted three years. And I’m telling you now it was just purely the brain saying ‘I ain’t going now – I’m working’, you know.

But if he didn’t go to work he would’ve died.

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Above: Ma Parata who started at KCL as a truck driver, is now Ricky’s trusted 2IC… and they’re partners in an allied quarrying business (which supplies rock and gravel for KCL’s road building work).

Below: Ricky in Kuru Contracting’s first excavator.

42 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

“The hardest thing for me with Dad was when he was going through the cancer. You know, you’re building a landing and the dozer’s stopped. ‘Oh what are you doing – and you walk around there and he’s sitting on the side crying… with his hair falling out, you know.’ And yeah, that just blew me away.”

After Jack’s death, an Eastland Wood Council tribute referred to him as a “roadbuilding legend” – who pioneered using a 70-tonne excavator rather than a bulldozer to cut roads in the East Coast’s steep papa rock terrain. It became standard practice.

Around the time Jack died, KCL’s work began its current slowdown. Unhappily, just two years into its five-year contract, its client company had been sold… And within a year the new owners shut the forest down.

Since then, Ricky and Ma say, factors including the Gisborne port’s enforced COVID lockdown (which left over a dozen log ships waiting to load – incurring hefty daily charges), fuel price hikes, weakening Chinese demand and the East Coast’s horrendously bad roads, have combined to leave the region’s logging industry “right at the bottom at the moment. Or it’s flat-lined anyway…”

The past year has seen three of KCL’s four log harvesting crews move out of the Coast – down to Hawke’s Bay. It was a matter of survival, says Ricky: “They’ve had to go there. Just to look for work.” Because, on the Coast, “the log prices had just tanked”.

Ricky reckons KCL was actually fortunate to have even one crew still in work in its home region during 2022: “We know of 25-odd crews that have gone…” That, says Ma, is out of about 50 that were in business at the end of 2021.

He says too that contractors like KCL ended up footing the bill for the costs of the August 2021 log ship backlog – with lower at-wharf-gate prices being paid for each tonne of logs.

Throw in high repair and maintenance costs for the truck fleet and the distance from forest to market, and Ma reckons “the cost of doing business here, I would argue, is the highest of anywhere in New Zealand”.

One of KCL’s current jobs, for instance – at Waitohaia, deep in the East Coast hinterland – involves 100kms of offhighway running… on a 280km, 8-hour 15 minutes round trip.

The infrastructure “doesn’t support efficient trucking”, says Ma. And since the

trucks are running on “some of the shittiest, harshest roads”, maintenance costs are high – even with relatively new trucks.

“We’re averaging in maintenance costs… somewhere around $80,000 a month… We had one (truck) that failed a CoF in its first four months because of chassis cracks.”

Ricky reckons in fact that East Coast logging is, “The most brutal industry you could be in! And the costs! So, for each one of those (harvesting) crews it’s around $16,500 a day you’ve gotta generate, which is big money.

“You’ve only gotta go a week or two with bad weather, coast road closed and – unless you’re the size that we are now – you’d never sustain it, you know. You’d never sustain it.”

It gets him riled-up just thinking about how bad the roads are, considering how much the industry is paying in road user charges: “Our roads should be gold-plated, with what we spend on them!”

Stubborn determination Happily, the enforced move south – where KCL harvesting crews are working in forests near Porangahau and the Esk Valley – is proving a success… to the extent that the company has had to put on a fifth crew.

It has also needed to divert some of its trucks down to the Bay for up to a month to meet specific needs.

It gives Ma confidence that he’s going to find work for two new Kenworth T659 loggers, ordered before the severity of the downturn was obvious.

Also paying off is KCL’s diversification into civil contracting work and quarrying. Says Ma: “We’ve been growing the civil part of our business for the past three-and-a-half years.

We’ve obviously always had roading, but that was inside the forest gates. Now we’ve moved outside of the gates…

“We’ve had to be in that to survive… it’s what’s carried this business this year.”

So does his level of investment give Ricky sleepless nights worrying about another logging industry meltdown?

He shrugs off any potential disaster: “If you owe the bank a million dollars, what’s the difference in owing them 100 million? To me there’s no difference – you still owe. So I guess the motto there is, if you go under tomorrow, you go under – and you deal with it then.”

Ricky sees a likely tough year ahead, but points out that “in the last two years we’ve already been in a recession eh.”

Sooner or later, of course, that means demand builds again: “And once they let the

floodgates open, the prices will go up again and everybody will run around like mad things trying to gear up again.

“Our focus is going to be ‘let’s batten down the hatches, let’s get there and make money when the time is good’ – but not go around just trying to sell $5m worth of logging gear…”

Ma’s confident: “Ricky’s had 20 years of experience of dealing with and understanding the cyclic nature of our business.

“We’ve weathered a lot more, we understand a lot more – the management here are far more experienced in how to deal with a downturn. That makes a huge difference.”

He feels that “everybody’s waiting for us (KCL) to go through that same cycle…” And that makes him even more determined to avoid it suffering another bust.

Ricky says he and Ma share a stubborn determination: “No-one likes losing. We’re very much the same nature there: ‘Nah we ain’t giving up.’ ” Ricky clearly loves a challenge – even better, that he has the means of being able to take on new challenges – “not all of them successful. Oh yeah, risks pay off… and sometimes don’t pay off! Just in the last two years I’ve probably lost a million dollars… f*cking around (with) different things. Well

you see a glimmer in somebody that’s got passion…”

For the future So, long term, what’s in the future for KCL? Ricky: “Succession. Definitely.” With him stepping aside from the lead role.

Okay – who’s in the pipeline to take over? “That one over there (gesturing towards 32-year-old Ma), my daughter Jazz (Jasmine), and there’s probably a couple of others in the team.”

Jazz, now 27, not only runs one of the harvesting crews operating in Hawke’s Bay, she’s also bought a million-dollar logging machine, which she operates.

He’s happy that he and Leanne have given their kids “a bloody good upbringing.

The only thing they didn’t have was me being there really – I was always at work”.

But Jasmine – “she wanted part of me, so she used to come to work as a baby”. Just like Ricky did with Jack.

Proud as he is of her, he says: “I don’t really want for her to have what I’ve got now… Nah – not this big.” It is, he says, too much pressure.

Whereas Ma: “He’s definitely up to the task. We’ve come close to punching each other in the face. To me, that’s a good relationship. He’s very ambitious, got a huge ego, he’s young… Sometimes I wish

Above: Jesse Ngerengere is Ricky’s “top man” in running the log truck operations for KCL. Below: Operating on the remote East Coast can be brutal with rugged forest roads and many of the region’s main roads in such a bad state.

March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 43

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I had what he’s got when I was that age: ‘Nah – go get ‘em’.”

Realistically, says Ricky: “No-one’s just gonna come along and give us 30, 40 million bucks and buy this off us. Until someone like a Ma buys the whole place out… So that’s a progression thing…”

But actually, he adds: “It’s never been about wealth for me. I mean, how much do you need – or want?”

Sure, he concedes, if he could sell the business he’d be rich: “F*ckin’ oath! I’d walk away with 20 (million dollars) easy.

“If the market was booming and the industry was flying, you could shut it down and sell the gear off. But I don’t wanna ever do that – I don’t want to get rid of something we’ve created and made a good thing of… that feeds a lot of families.”

Ricky reckons this attitude harks back to the time he spent living under a bridge in Melbourne: “Yeah well, when you start from nothing… come from nothing, well you wish someone had done that for you!”

So, is he proud of what he’s achieved: “Nah, not really. Done it to survive…and do well. Dad brought us up to not be indecisive – like just: Bang! Make the call…. Or else you just lose sleep and don’t do anything. Sometimes it’s wrong.

But at least you made the call.”

Ricky’s heart – along with the company’s base and his and Leanne’s family home – is in Tolaga Bay, even though they’ve now got a place in Bayview, near Napier (so Ricky can be close to where the bulk of KCL’s logging work is currently).

“When you build something for 25 years and all of a sudden you’re plucked away from it… it hurts! All your toys are here – my weekend work playing around on the subdivision, helping someone in the community. I haven’t got a community down there because I don’t know anyone.”

His community is Tolaga Bay – where he’s helped the surf lifesaving club with a four-wheeler and a life raft and – because “the missus felt sorry for the community…” where he re-opened the closed-down gas station and shop that he bought as KCL’s HQ 15 years ago.

Where he gave a house “to a lady down the road who didn’t have anywhere to live” and created a 14-section housing subdivision that started out being “all about houses for the Coast”.

Even after a few hours exploring Ricky’s extraordinary life (so far), you just know there’s heaps more we haven’t even touched on.

Like when we talk about his succession plan – and what he’ll do when that comes to pass.

He has, for instance, got a passion project – bringing new life to the closeddown sawmill he bought in Tolaga Bay. There’s also the subdivision to complete.

And, he casually adds: “Oh well, this New Guinea thing – I’m well-invested in it now, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be flying out there in January…”

Say what! What is “this New Guinea thing?” He hasn’t mentioned it till now.

Ricky: “Well I didn’t really want to talk about it… But anyway… Yeah, so I’ve got an uncle who’s been there 25-plus years. And he’s into sawmilling and logging over there…”

And, “He keeps ringing me, ringing me, ringing me. He’s currently got 600,000 hectares of rainforest signed up with the locals: We’re gonna put that into carbon credits, but 30% of it’s allowed to be logged. So he’s got quite a big export of hardwoods into the US. “He’s 74 or something and I guess I’ve always wanted to go back to where I was born and have a look. So I’m only going over for a week just to see what it is. I’ve invested a couple of hundred grand in it, umm… see what comes of it.”

Like he says: “I don’t know – New Guinea might not even come off.”

It’s a matter of “trying to set us up for the future… while making sure that this (KCL) doesn’t fail. Mmm.” NZL

Jack and Ricky Kuru worked side by side at KCL for almost three decades – building East Coast forest roads and skid-sites with excavators and bulldozers, and harvesting logs.

44 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

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Harvesting

Evergreen, ever good In what must be one of the longest partnerships in forestry, Gamble Forest Harvesting has now been working for City Forests for more than half a century. Safetree Toroawhi, Richard Stringfellow, spoke to the companies about the benefits of an ‘evergreen’ contract.

T

ONY GAMBLE’S COMPANY, GAMBLE Forest Harvesting, has been working for Dunedin-based City Forests since 1971. The original contract was between Tony’s father, Bill, and the Dunedin City Council Forestry Department, as it was known back then.

Tony started working for his dad straight out of school in the early ’80s before taking over the business in the mid-1990s.

He currently employs 10 guys in a mechanised cable operation that runs a Madill swing yarder and also does the ground-based work in the blocks.

What’s unusual about Tony’s contract with City Forests is that it’s an evergreen one – it has no fixed termination date and keeps rolling over, however each party can give 12 months’ notice if they want to terminate.

46 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

Tony says the main benefit of the longterm partnership is that it gives him the confidence, and the ability, to invest in his equipment and his people.

“That contract, and our history mean I’m not working on a knife edge, a short cycle, not knowing what’s coming next.”

As a result, he can offer his people a stable workplace and can invest in training them.

“I can offer my guys good continuity of workflow. They are all employees. For them that stability of income means they can invest in their own lives – buy or rent a house, things like that.”

That stability also means his guys stick around.

“We’ve benefitted from very low staff turnover. I’ve got two guys who’ve been with me for more than 30 years. The newbie in the

crew has been here longer than two years.”

The evergreen contract also means he has been able to invest in new equipment.

“We work in a collaborative way, me and City Forests. When I bought my swing yarder, for example, I didn’t just run off and buy it. City Forests and I agreed on what we were purchasing, the production requirements, how long I’d need to pay it off, and so on.

“That took a lot of the worry out of making a big investment like that. It’s allowed me to grow the business and the production.”

Tony says City Forests gives him a lot of scope in how he plans and harvests the blocks.

“They’ll give me a parcel and volume requirements, and we do everything from putting the skid sites in, to running the

blocks the way we see fit, to keep the production flow up. Doing that means we can smooth out the bumps.”

The long history between the companies also helps when issues arise, as they inevitably will.

“Because we have a good relationship, we’re able to have very open discussions and talk things through. We approach any problems as a team, rather than individuals battling each other.”

Tony says the stability of the long-term contract also supports better health and safety.

“It means we’ve got trained, experienced people working with good equipment who aren’t under short-term production pressures. They work in an environment that’s safe and productive, and I think our injury stats, or lack of injuries, reflect that.

We’ve had a long run without even a Lost Time Injury (LTI).”

Security and stability City Forests CEO, Grant Dodson, says his company has evergreen contracts with all its forestry contractors.

“These long-term contracts give our

Never grapple with slash again

From left: Gamble Forest Harvesting’s Tony Gamble with City Forests CEO, Grant Dodson.

Slash Grapple Rake

Available for various grapple models Enquire for more information

Contact Darrin Barr today Email: darrin.b@dce.co.nz | Phone: 027 626 2633

Harvesting

Above: Having a secure contract enables Tony to invest in his business.

Below: A lot of trust has built up between the companies over the years.

contractors the security they need to invest in their people, and in good, safe plant and equipment. It means they can build stable, successful businesses – which is good for them and for us.”

The key benefits to City Forests have been better health and safety, and improved productivity.

“Health & Safety is the biggest concern in harvesting. And that’s where we think we’ve had some really good gains from these longterm partnerships with our contractors.

“Tony’s got an excellent safety record and that’s key for meeting everybody’s needs – both his and ours. He’s also a very productive logger. And that’s because having that secure contract has enabled him to invest in his business.”

A lot of trust has built up between the companies over the years.

“We recognise that Tony holds all the expertise in harvesting, so we make use of that when we’re doing our planning.

Our harvesting guys will talk to Tony when they’re planning roading, or skid sites or harvesting plans, to make sure what’s proposed suits him. In many cases now Tony actually puts in his own landings.”

In return for offering long-term stability, City Forests expects high standards from its contractors, including that they become

48 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

3qtr_bc_

Righ: Tony often puts in his own landings.

Below right: Tony and Grant say evergreen contracts support better health and safety.

Safetree Certified.

“City Forests is a keen supporter of Safetree Certification because it gives us a uniform standard across all our operations.

It gives us a degree of comfort that all the standards, including in Certification, are actually being met in our operations, which we see as a precursor to being able to operate safely.”

Overall, Grant says the evergreen contracts have been a very successful formula for City Forests and he’d encourage other forest managers with long-term assets to consider their benefits.

“It gives you confidence the job is being done safely and properly, and also gives you a very competitive harvesting position.

No one’s in it for a quick buck on either side. It’s all about building wealth together in a long term sustainable way.” NZL

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FICA.ORG.NZ

your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002

Training still a priority after end of TTAF A MESSAGE FROM PRUE YOUNGER, CEO, FICA

The Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF) that supported learners to undertake vocational education and training without fees ended on 31 December 2022.

Now, any fees relating to training are covered by the learner and/or their employer.

by their forest manager. This can be through a training allowance built into their rate and through providing training opportunities delivered by the forest manager on relevant topics.

“Really the ultimate responsibility is with the employer, but in a good working relationship they can be supported by their forest management.”

The decision to end Fees Free has huge ramifications for industry. While the so called ‘glory days’ of funding are over, it’s nothing we haven’t done before, as prior to TTAF, training was simply a cost of doing business.

Future-proofing

Ultimately, we need to ensure training remains a priority. We cannot let it drop off the radar, just because it’s no longer paid for.

Te Pukenga National Manager of Forestry, Christine Ewart, says we need to shift our thinking and focus more on futureproofing for the people in the industry.

A shared responsibility

“We need to train our people and set them up to build their futures in the forestry industry. That, in turn, future-proofs the industry itself, as we build and retain a robust and sustainable workforce,” she says.

Training is a shared responsibility. There is work to be done between contractors and forest managers to ensure we don’t just let it fall by the wayside. We’re encouraging our contractors to talk to their principals about what can be done together to relieve the financial burden that this will, of course, generate.

In the background, FICA continues to keep working with the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) and Te Pukenga to determine what training will look like in the future.

This reform gives us the opportunity to work smarter and work to maximise the funding that is on offer through TEC. In collaboration with the Food and Fibre sector, there are many similar challenges in training so, as a sector important to the nation, we should be able to share and complement each other’s work in this area. For instance, the base tasks of leadership management, general work skills and there are so many more when you sit and have time to reflect.

Commercially beneficial to train Fraser Field, Quality Manager, Rayonier Matariki says there are different training models he has seen work.

“Some contractors have a real commitment to the industry and employ their own embedded trainers, while others outsource training depending on their size and requirements. But at the end of the day, all employers have a duty to ensure staff are trained adequately,” he says.

“There is a raft of evidence showing the commercial benefit in training people to be more competent and efficient at their jobs. That’s both to the employer as well as the forest manager indirectly. We all benefit from a highly-trained workforce.”

“With that in mind, while it’s the core responsibility of the employer to pay for training, they may also be assisted 50 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

“For some employers that requires a shift in focus, thinking more about training for the future and not just compliance.

It comes down to the learner and the industry having a shared responsibility to make sure there are still people in the industry down the line.”

Is there any other funding available?

1. Apprenticeship Funding While TTAF has ended, a Fees Free scheme for apprenticeships in the forestry sector has been reinstated.

The scheme supports first-time learners with funding up to $12,000 for two years’ training. The scheme only applies to apprenticeships in the Forestry sector, and not traineeships.

Specific eligibility criteria must be met by ākonga (learners) — you can check and confirm funding eligibility by using the NSN checker. Visit: www.feesfree.govt.nz 2.Silviculture Funding The development of an New Zealand Apprenticeship in Forest Silviculture Operations (Level 4) by Te Pūkenga Work Based Learning Limited is now possible. Muka Tangata WDC has completed revision work on the associated standards and L4 qualification. Te Pūkenga may now proceed with submission of the NZA to NZQA and Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). For more information, contact Te Pūkenga. Visit: www.tepkenga.ac.nz

Prue Younger CEO, FOREST INDUSTRY CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

PR NZ TH

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

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

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TO JOIN, CALL 0800 342 269 OR SIGNUP ONLINE AT FICA.ORG.NZ

March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 51

Safety/performance/quality

Top Achievers from 2022 WE ARE MINDFUL OF THE IMPACT CYCLONE Gabrielle has had on large parts of the North Island.

Because of this, some participants have not had the opportunity to be presented with prizes representing their achievements in 2022. We will recognise these folk as the opportunities arise.

This issue, we include photographs of some of our top achievers for 2022, with more to follow.

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.

52 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

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

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

We understand the commitment it takes from them to be part of Top Spot and value their ongoing support and feedback.

Our ongoing thanks to: Rayonier/Matariki Forests, Wenita Forest Products, 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 Perrett on 0274 781 908 at primefm@xtra.co.nz NZL

Safety/performance/quality

Charles Marshall, A And R Dempsey Logging 8.

The crew at Mangoihe Logging, runners up in the Yarder competition 2022.

March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 53

Safety/performance/quality

From left Jesse Tamatia, Chris Winter and William Stevenson from Kaha Logging.

Period 2 Thin to Waste First Equal – Karl Puklowski and Julian Jenner with Mike Buschl (left) from Nelson-based 141 Forests New Zealand.

54 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

Daniel Cumming – 1st = Period 2 and 3rd place full year, Thin to Waste.

Top Crew for Thin to Waste 2022, Wayne Cumming Contracting, with Sam Insley from Ernslaw One (far right).

NEW SUMITOMO FOR THOMASSEN LOGGING When Thomassen Logging was looking to upgrade a utility machine that had to do a reasonable amount of shovelling, the Sumitomo SH300LF-6 stood out for power and economy. Seen here from left on delivery are foreman for Thomassen Logging, Brad Archer, AB Equipment’s Garth Topless, and Sumitomo Product Manager, Rob Fuller. Guarding and cab supplied by Woodsy Engineering (Brad Wood) of Tokoroa.

FOURTH SATCO FOR TE WAA LOGGING Te Waa Logging has taken delivery of a new 3L2T harvester.

Manawa is operating the 3L2T, cutting stems to length ready for the fleeting machine to stack away. Te Waa is now running four Satco harvesters in the Taupo Lakes area.

FIRST KOMATSU 895.2SS IN THE COUNTRY Jordon, Christine and Mark of Grimmer Contracting from Whangarei recently took delivery of a new Komatsu 895.2SS. The Komatsu 895.2SS is the latest model from Komatsu Forest and this is the first one in New Zealand. Jason commented to John Kosar of Komatsu Forest New Zealand that he is very impressed with his new Komatsu… “Heaps of Power and I like the soft shift”.

Pictured from left: Pete Earl (Komatsu Forest NZ), Jason Sime (operator) and John Kosar. Photographer: Mark Grimmer.

NEW HYUNDAI FOR ONWARD LOGGING

JOHN DEERE FOR MARLBOROUGH LOGGING

B J Sidney from Onward Logging recently took delivery of a new Hyundai FX3230LL forestry machine. This machine will be kept busy working inland from Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast.

Delivered by Colin Duley, Porter Equipment Territory Manager.

Shane Mackel from Marlborough Logging recently took delivery of a new John Deere 544L wheel loader. This mighty machine was sold by Mark Blakemore and supported by the team at Drummond & Etheridge.

March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 55

FIRST NEXT GENERATION CAT 568LL IN NEW ZEALAND

NEW SANY FOR PJ & MJ OLSEN This is the first SANY SY330H factory H&W and full Ensign guarding package and 1730C grapple for Scooter and the team at PJ & MJ Olsen Tokoroa. Operator, Phil, says he was immediately impressed by its power, speed and visibility. Sold and serviced

by Shaw’s.

Gisborne-based Speirs Logging has taken delivery of the first Next Generation Cat 568LL forest machine in New Zealand, which was put straight to work in its East Coast operations. Blake and Caree Speirs, and the Speirs team are pictured with their new Cat 568LL, which features an 850 Woodsman Pro head. The operators say they are really happy with the Cat unit, saying it has a massive amount of hydraulic power and awesome machine stability. They’re also impressed with the new rear-entry cab feature and all-around operator comfort. Heath Stewart from Terra Cat sold the machine.

NEW KOMATSU FOR MK LOGGING Brody, Tyla, Haize and Demi of Opotiki’s MK Logging recently took delivery of a new Komatsu PC 300LC-8. The Komatsu PC 300LC–8 has a full Active Heavy Duty forestry guarding package and is fitted with a Woodsman Pro FH 1350 felling head. Brody commented to John Kosar of Komatsu Forest New Zealand that he is very impressed with his new Komatsu… “Heaps of lift and track power”.

Pictured from left: Tyla and Haize, Brody and Demi and John Kosar.

Photographer: Mike Lepper (Active Engineering).

JOHN DEERE FOR TAYLORS CONTRACTING NEW MACHINE FOR DAIKEN SOUTHLAND Daiken Southland recently took delivery of this new ZW140-5B wheel loader. The new machine will be used for moving by-products and for general yard duties around their MDF plant in Mataura.

Sold by Andrew Gowers, Sales Specialist.

56 NZ LOGGER | March 2023

Taylors Contracting recently took delivery of a new John Deere 850L crawler dozer with factory forestry guarding and six-way blade.

This beast has already been put to work in Pigeon Valley, Tasman prepping new skid sites. Muscle meets performance in the John Deere 850L which delivers more horsepower and torque than its predecessor for increased productivity. Sold by Mark Blakemore and supported by the team at Drummond & Etheridge, Nelson.

NEW MACHINERY FOR ATS LOGGING ATS Logging’s Toby and Amy Satherley recently took delivery of a Southstar QS630 running the new Log Mate 510 control system. The machine is working out of the Napier region. Sold by Southstar Equipment New Zealand.

TIGERCAT FOR DAVIES LOGGING Davies Logging has taken delivery of a new Tigercat 625H which has replaced its Tigercat 630D. Operator, Simon, says he loves the visibility, larger cab and the ability of the 6-wheel skidder to deliver wood to the skid. Delivered by Hayden from AB Equipment Christchurch.

NEW KOMATSU FOR BRC LOGGING Brent Cudby of Gisborne’s BRC Logging has taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 400LC-8. The PC 400LC-8 has been set up as an EMS Harvestline by Jono and the team at EMS. Operator, Tyson, commented to John Kosar of Komatsu Forest New Zealand that it is, “A pleasure to operate”.

Pictured from left: Tyson Davies (operator), Brent Cudby and John Kosar. Photographer: QC Skid Dude.

CAT DOZER FOR WHISTLER ROADING This Cat D8T dozer is a new arrival for Whistler Roading. Wayne and Ange McEwan have put the machine to work in their GisborneEast Coast operations. They say the power and performance of the big Cat means material is moved at a lower cost per tonne and they like the fully automatic four-speed transmission and cab. Machine sold by Territory Account Manager, Heath Stewart.

SANY/WOODSMAN COMBO FOR STOKES LOGGING Rick and the team at Stokes Logging have taken delivery of a new SANY SY415H with full Ensign guarding package and Woodsman Pro 850 performing the processing duties in his Northland operation.

Sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 57

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March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 61

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March 2023 | NZ LOGGER 63

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ISSN 1176-0397

Smooth and reliable

The Kiwi Way: Coming together in a crisis

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The life and times of Ricky Kuru

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