NZ Logger September 2023 by nzlogger

t c a p m i Low g n i logg

ISSN 2703-6251

d, n u o r g Niche achine niche m

Looking Back: A day in the bush

Machine Maintenance: Plan and prepare

September 2023 | 9.50

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contents

SEPTEMBER 2023

4 4

FOREST TALK “Put ETS review on hold”; Supply chain strategy welcomed; Let farmers choose, says FOA; National’s transport policy promising; Restoring faith of Māori landowners; Community-led focus key; Don’t just “pick winners”; Building domestic wood processing; Proactive land management urged for fire control; Better controls for ‘ships of shame’; NZ technician takes top honours; Record nominations recognise top talent; Conference coverage: Fibre opportunities; ForestTECH 2023 around the corner.

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SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST Given the amount of rain and the sticky mud underfoot, it’s just as well Mangoihe Logging, north of Hunterville, has a new Harvestline to yard most of its wood. Our Iron Test team went to investigate.

LOOKING BACK Taumarunui historian and engineer, Ron Cooke, has put together his recollections of a visit to the bush workings of Valley Logging Co. back in 1972.

52 48

SPECIAL FEATURE: MACHINE MAINTENANCE With one in six serious harvesting accidents occurring during repair and maintenance work, a timely reminder of safe practice is always a good idea.

BIOMASS It’s out with the coal and in with the biofuel for Steam Tram No. 100, which operated on bark briquettes at MOTAT’s recent Live Day.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 56 fica 60 top spot 65 Greenlight New Iron 67 classifieds September 2023 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor pact Low-im logging

September 2023 | 9.50

ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: TIM BENSEMAN

ound, Niche grachine niche m

Machine Maintenance: Plan and prepare

Looking Back: A day in the bush

Mangoihe Logging’s Harvestline yarder working near Hunterville.

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All in a day’s work SEPTEMBER TRADITIONALLY MARKS SPRING IN THE SOUTHERN Hemisphere, though we all know New Zealand takes its time saying goodbye to winter… not unlike the logging industry at the moment. It’s been a tough year and an even tougher few months, but log prices are finally stabilising, with demand keeping steady. There is a note of anticipation in the air as we head towards elections. With promises galore from all sides, it’s the long game that counts, not only in politics, but logging too. Turning back the clock puts it all in perspective. In our Looking Back feature, historian and engineer, Ron Cooke takes us on a journey to the days of native sawmilling, when logging was still all-hands-on. What was ‘all in a day’s work’ at Valley Logging Co in 1972 has become an engaging pictorial of times gone by. One wonders how today’s photos will be viewed, with new developments in action, in 50 years’ time… Things certainly look a little different already, with mechanisation having significantly increased safety in our forests. However, it comes with its own risks, not least of which are those related to repair and maintenance work. Even one fatality is one too many and, this month, in memory of a fellow logger, those in the know give some practical advice on how to tame our mechanical beasts. Over the page, history meets modernity as our trees find themselves put to use at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). While we have had our share of theoretical articles on biomass and the use of biofuels as alternative applications for forestry slash (along with being a much-needed potential extra source of income for foresters), it’s great to see that talk in action. Albeit on a relatively small scale, Scion’s new bark briquettes did a top job fuelling MOTAT’s Steam Tram No. 100. While the concept of continuous briquetting has been around for decades, “the magic is in the method” says Scion’s Dr Bing Song. Spring may not quite have sprung yet but there is plenty to look forward to as we head into the last quarter of the year, hopeful that the worst is behind us. Until next time, stay safe.

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forest talk

“Put ETS review on hold” THE EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME (ETS) reform options announced by Government have “collapsed the confidence” of potential forest investors says the Forest Owners Association (FOA). The FOA wants Government to put an immediate hold on a reform of the ETS in order to restore stability to the carbon market and certainty for forest planning. FOA President, Grant Dodson, says the subsequent announcement of an improved carbon auction floor price has not helped to restore confidence. “This is because options 3 and 4 in the ETS consultation document directly threaten the value of forestry NZ Units through government manipulation, bordering on nationalisation of private property. “Foresters have invested in the ETS in good faith and the NZUs have been vested to foresters who can sell them on a free market to offset emissions. “They all knew they were taking a market risk on prices, which is absolutely fair. But what is not fair is a government pulling the rug out from under the free market, which is what two of these ETS reform options are about,” Mr Dodson says. “This mistake has cost Iwi, New Zealand forest investors, farmers and mum and dad Kiwis about $3 billion in lost value. “This is unacceptable. The government should realise this has crossed the line and 4 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

withdraw that consultation. “For many reasons the timing of this reform is bad. It was announced in the middle of the planting period, and is now only a few weeks from forest nurseries sowing pines for the following season. There will be a planting gap for at least three years. “That causes a downstream uncertainty for timber processors who make their plant investment plans on a security of timber supply well into the future. Scale of future log supply is critical and the Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan is in jeopardy,” Mr Dodson adds. He says before reforming the ETS to make forestry less attractive, Government should establish that there is actually a real ‘overcooking’ of planting rates in response to the price of carbon units. “We know there have been recent significant plantings, but forestry has yet to establish even a fraction of the Climate Change Commission’s recommended new forest area. “The modelling used to make these decisions does not represent the latest data and includes many flawed assumptions. We know this from the consultation discussions we’ve had with officials. “It’s been only recently that the planting rates have increased. We hardly even know if the increase is short term or not, and with the options presented in the

ETS consultation document, investor confidence has been smashed. “There’s also too much uncertainty about actual climate targets for the area the government wants to see established in trees. “Various estimates and figures are provided by different authorities. The Productivity Commission wanted up to 2.8 million hectares planted in forests to get to zero carbon by 2050. “The Climate Change Commission more recently estimated that it would take 380,000 hectares of pine plantations to get there. Now it’s changed its mind, and we don’t know what areas and what planting timetable is the minimum required to get to the targets. And then the government ignores the advice of the Commission anyhow. “Plantation forests are proven to work to get net emissions down. They are the only part of the climate change action plan that is working and currently absorb more than 21 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – more than half the national total emissions. “It is true that we can’t totally rely on planting our way to successfully get to our emissions targets. But it is equally true that without more planting we won’t get anywhere near those targets in the next seven years to 2030 and 27 years to 2050 either.” NZL

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forest talk

Supply chain strategy welcomed “THE FREIGHT AND SUPPLY CHAIN SYSTEM underpins New Zealand’s economy. The system moves goods from producers to those who need them, at home and abroad. New Zealand’s economic goal is to be a high-wage, low-emissions economy that is competitive and economically secure. To do this our freight and supply chain system needs to work well. “The COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events at the start of 2023 showed us how vulnerable our system could be. Freight connections to communities and markets were impaired and, in some cases, cut off, which had serious economic and social costs. Previously considered once in a generation, these events are becoming more frequent and severe. Because of this, we need to make sure our freight and supply chain system performs well and can withstand and recover from disruptions quickly.” So says the Ministry of Transport’s Freight and Supply Chain Strategy released last month. According to freight industry bodies,

National Road Carriers Association (NRC) and the NZ Trucking Association (NTA), the Strategy is “a pragmatic document” and “where we need to go”. The Strategy sets out nine strategic goals for the next 10 years. Strategic goals under the heading Infrastructure and Government Systems include decarbonising freight routes and infrastructure, evidence-based decision making for freight, and reliable and adaptive long-term plans for the freight system. Under the heading Enabling the Sector, there are strategic goals for the sector to lead change with government support, and for the value and function of the freight system to be understood across the government and by the public. International Connection strategic goals include resilient and efficient international shipping and airfreight services and for the Government and the sector to be ready to respond to global supply chain threats and opportunities. The document also sets out four desired

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supply chain system outcomes: zero emissions, resilience, productivity and efficiency, and safety and sustainability. NRC GM Policy & Advocacy, James Smith, says the freight and supply system has been lacking the aspirational targets this document brings and the time horizons in the document are helpful. “The collaborative focus of the strategy is what is necessary to face the challenges the strategy outlines. There has been a lack of government leadership in this area and this document is filling that vacuum,“ he says. NTA CEO, David Boyce, says the strategy recognises the importance of the freight and supply chain sectors’ contribution to New Zealand’s economic wellbeing. The strategy document sets out a 30-year direction to prepare New Zealand for the future. Accompanying the strategy document is a plan of immediate actions focusing on the most urgent, important, or achievable work in the short term that sets the country up for longer-term initiatives. NZL

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forest talk

Let farmers choose, says FOA

THE FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION (FOA) SAYS AN EXPANSION OF new forest planting in 2021, highlighted in a new report, is positive news for carbon capture ambitions. Beef + Lamb NZ released the commissioned report by Orme & Associates. Beef + Lamb says that it is ‘alarming’ that the report shows wholefarm sales to ‘forestry interests’ amounted to 63,000 hectares in the winter of 2021. But FOA President, Grant Dodson, says the Orme Report reveals a long-delayed and significantly more modest expansion of plantation forestry within that total, which is well overdue, and vital, if New Zealand is to reach its carbon reduction targets. Mr Dodson says it’s important to realise the national plantation forestry estate is still 70,000 hectares smaller than it was 20 years ago. “Land use is always changing. We lost a lot of land to dairy expansion in the first decade of this century. Dairy took over a lot of sheep and beef properties as well. “So, I can’t understand why Beef + Lamb is so ‘dog in a manger’ about trees. It has just claimed forestry displaced 400,000 sheep in 2021-2022. “Yet the average yearly fall in sheep flock numbers in the four decades since the early 1980s, has been nearly three times that, including during periods when forestry was shrinking. “And presently beef exports are at record volumes. So, the beef exporters are hardly being strangled by forest expansion either. Mr Dodson says the demands made by Beef + Lamb to the government to restrict forest expansion are also a violation of the right of farmers to make their own land use choices. “Orme is stating hill country farmers are squeezed between market pressure and dangerously high costs. Its report points to the price of fertiliser in particular, as well as other powerful disincentives. “Orme cites ‘low farm profitability’ and ‘lack of labour in some areas’ as reasons for farmers to get at least some of their property out of livestock and into forestry. I believe it should be their choice to do that.” 6 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

The Orme Report states farmers are “beginning to question the business case behind staying in a traditional farming operation”. Orme also finds that increasing numbers of these farmers are apparently entering into arrangements, such as forest leases, or carrying out in-farm conversions, rather than selling their whole farm for forestry. Mr Dodson says the Report shows that uncertainty and the regulatory obstacles to forest planting, are more against hill country farmer interests than more restrictions on forest planting. “Orme’s concerns include the government ignoring the advice of the Climate Change Commission, and proposals to decouple the ETS from forestry. “These add up to what Orme considers a lot of carbon market uncertainty and a questioning of ‘the government’s level of commitment to climate change and meeting of New Zealand’s international obligations’.” Mr Dodson says he is sure knowledgeable hill country farmers are well aware of these climate change issues working against them. “They’ll know at some stage they will have to pay for their farm livestock emissions, or will want the option to continue to be able to offset with trees. “Many of these farmers will have a fair idea that forestry export returns are nearly a thousand dollars a hectare more than the average of all pastoral farming. “And some will know that a government analysis during COVID concluded that the increase in the value of forest exports by 2030 was going to be more than double that which was going to be achieved by dairy and meat exporters, combined, in the same time frame. “The Orme Report should be carefully considered by government, other political parties and farmers. “As a country we should welcome more trees to fight climate change and to diversify and increase farm revenues. It’s critical farmers are free to choose a sustainable land use option that makes the most of their properties.” NZL

forest talk

National’s transport policy promising FREIGHT INDUSTRY BODY, NATIONAL ROAD Carriers Association (NRC), agrees with the National Party’s focus on the essentials of building and maintaining the roading network and road resilience in its new transport policy. The National Party’s transport policy is focused on bringing back roads of national significance, resilience projects and better public transport. The policy promises extending fourlane highways in the northern Golden Triangle, and to Wellington Airport and the Christchurch northern motorway; a nationwide road upgrade programme, and resilience projects in weather-damaged areas including the Brynderwyns, Hawke’s Bay, SH12 from Napier to Gisborne and SH5 from Tauranga to Napier. NRC CEO, Justin Tighe-Umbers, agrees with the National Party’s approach of “stopping wasteful spending on nonessential nice-to-haves such as traffic slowing judder bars and projects that don’t focus enough on productivity such as Let’s get Wellington moving and light rail to Auckland Airport”.

“We need to get roading back to a place where the freight industry can efficiently and effectively deliver goods and services for the benefit of citizens and our export economy. Efficient roading contributes to emissions reduction because there is less congestion. If we build once and build right, it will enable the economy to transition to low emissions and deliver all the goods and services we need,” he says, Mr Tighe-Umbers says NRC members already pay a massive contribution to roading through road user charges, but they are not against road tolls and congestion charges if

they deliver results. This means guaranteeing roads are brought up to a high standard and well-maintained without potholes so they are safe and effective transport routes for both the trucking industry and private road users. “Right now, we are losing millions of dollars in productivity each day due to poor roading. We want to free the National Land Transport Fund to focus on roading.” He says the National Party’s proposed spending on a four-lane highway between Tauranga, Auckland and Whangarei makes sense because the region represents nearly half of the country’s GDP. NZL

Restoring faith of Māori landowners “NATIONAL’S REITERATION OF THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF forestry, while recognising that offsetting emissions was a key element in New Zealand reaching its emissions targets, will restore the faith of Māori landowners and foresters that some of our representatives in Wellington are prepared to hear our concerns and support our vision for the future,” says Māori economic collective Te Taumata Chair, Chris Karamea Insley. National’s guarantee to maintain the ETS and provide certainty for continued investment in forestry is an important commitment to the future of Māori, he adds. Mr Insley, says while the proposed ETS reforms have already cost Māori millions, there’s growing political awareness that the system is working as it should and what the market needs is certainty to invest in Aotearoa’s climate action. “We were heartened to see the National Party come out and say they would not be making any major changes to the ETS as it stands,” says Chris Insley. “National Party climate change spokesperson, Simon Watts, was quite right in observing that markets need certainty and not volatility – particularly for people considering long-term investments in planting trees.” Te Pati Māori has also been questioning the Government on whether its actions were appropriate under Te Tiriti, aa well as on its lack of engagement with Māori during the ETS consultation. Mr Insley says the ETS review is one of the most significant issues for Māori in this election. “Forestry is a vital economic asset for Māori, creating jobs, 8 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

investment and the opportunity to support the economic futures of generations. It’s also been made abundantly clear what is at stake in their ETS review: a $16 billion economic opportunity for Māori through participation in the carbon economy. “With the collapse of the ETS market, brought about by the Government’s ETS proposal announcement, the value of Māori assets was slashed, as well as our land values and investment opportunities. This misguided approach has taken millions and potentially billions of dollars from the balance sheets of Iwi and the worth of our Treaty Settlements,” Mr Insely says. Mr Insley says it is heartening to see more political leaders take note of the vital role of forestry in Aotearoa’s climate change efforts as the Election approaches. “It is good to see representatives from across the political spectrum taking a serious look at the wide-ranging potential impacts – both in terms of cost and lost opportunities – of the radical ETS agenda Labour and the Greens have proposed. “This issue is of enormous significance to Māori. Participation in the carbon economy is potentially transformative for future generations, for regional economic growth, and for the ability of Aotearoa New Zealand to deliver on its climate commitments through affordable domestic action. “The Government has created enormous anger through its actions, the likes of which has not been seen since the Foreshore and Seabed issue. So we are very pleased to see other political parties take a stand and provide certainty for the investments we plan to make into our futures.” NZL

forest talk

Community-led focus key “WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT communities know the solutions. They have the knowledge, insights, relationships, and experience that should be determining what development and recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle looks like,” says Te Amokapua Chief Human Rights Commissioner, Paul Hunt. The comments come following a recent visit by the Chief Commissioner, Rongomau Taketake Claire Charters and Commission staff to Wairoa, Gisborne, Uawa/Tolaga Bay and Te Araroa. The Commission heard that despite the aspirations of communities, many felt a sense of powerlessness and spoke of being wedged between the impacts of forestry and farming on the land and the waterways around them, the threat of more frequent and intense weather events due to climate change, and the centralisation of resources and power away from them which was aggravated by colonisation. Mr Hunt says, “There’s a different vision that needs to be embraced here, one where local communities are in the driving seat, supported by councils and government. “There is a concern that this isn’t happening and things are too centrally-driven.” Mr Hunt says that while the Commission was able to meet with some community leaders during their visit, there are many others whose views need to inform the ongoing recovery. Rongomau Taketake Claire Charters, is an Indigenous Rights Governance Partner at the Commission says local leadership is crucial in the recovery, and to realise the tino rangatiratanga of iwi, hapū, and whānau Māori in the region. “We heard from tangata whenua along the trip of their struggle to retain Ahi Kaa (continuous occupation) because of these challenges. These are communities who have lived on their whenua for 25 generations. “The government and councils have a duty to demonstrate how they are meeting the provisions for tino rangatiratanga and self-determination as outlined in both te Tiriti o Waitangi and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. “That means a shift in approach from government control to a more equal balancing of power, where communities can practice self-determination, participate in decision-making processes that affect their rights and well-being and have

their free, prior and informed consent sought on legislative or administrative measures that affect them. “Such an approach should influence any new legislation and policy that deals with emergency management, responses to Cyclones Gabrielle and Hale, and for local development more broadly.” The Commission says it will continue to kōrero with the local communities it met with to help advance their rights and te Tiriti o Waitangi. NZL

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forest talk

Don’t just “pick winners” “WE ALL KNOW NEW ZEALAND WILL NEED to offset a portion of its carbon emissions with forests. The ACT Party strongly supports a cap-and-trade Emissions Trading Scheme as the vehicle to achieve New Zealand’s carbon emissions goals by 2050, and notes how interference from the current Government has created significant uncertainty and the collapse of the carbon price,” says Mark Cameron, ACT forestry spokesperson, adding, “The ACT Party opposes the Government interfering in the operation of the ETS and that includes interfering in individual property rights.” While ACT believes New Zealand forestry has a bright future ahead of it – with ongoing demand from overseas and within New Zealand for timber, including biofuels – he says the Party has consistently opposed

the Government “picking winners” in the economy and “running subsidy schemes for whatever business is in the favour of the Minister”. “This has included Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures, Billion Trees and the Provincial Growth Fund, which have cost the taxpayer billions with relatively little to show for it,” says Mr Cameron. He adds that ACT: • Supports greater overseas investment, and has a Bill that will remove all barriers to OECD investment in New Zealand (except those affecting national security). • Supports greater infrastructure investment, especially in roading, and has a plan to fund it. • Believes that the best future for the forestry/logging industry and

Government’s role in it is for Government to support through strong, evenlyapplied regulatory systems that respect property rights, and provision of public infrastructure. NZL

Mark Cameron, ACT forestry spokesperson.

Building domestic wood processing “IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT AS A COUNTRY WE hasten the development of our domestic wood processing and manufacturing sector. This will be progressed through creating and selling our wood product story, plus working closely with government and the wider industry to encourage greater support, innovation, and investment,” says the new Chief Executive of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association (WPMA) of New Zealand, Mark Ross. The WPMA represents over 65 companies involved in the wider wood products industry, with a vision of wood processing and manufacturing being core to New Zealand’s economic growth, regional development, and environmental protection. “With my experience working across the primary industries I am well versed in the forestry and wood processing sectors and have an understanding of the machinery of government and advocacy and policy development. Specifically, in my earlier

career at the Ministry of Forestry (prior to becoming MPI), I worked in forestry import and export quarantine, forest health and biosecurity incursions, such as the aerial operation to successfully eradicate the white-spotted tussock moth from Auckland,” says Mr Ross, who was employed as Chief Executive of Animal and Plant Health NZ (formerly Agcarm) for eight years. “The recent announcement by the government of the $57 million wood processing growth fund and the launch of the Forestry and Wood Processing Transformation Plan makes it an exciting time for me to join the WPMA,” he adds. The WPMA has a leading role to play in a number of areas, including: • improving government and WPMA industry collaboration and policy alignment; • encouraging investment to increase manufacturing and research into advanced wood-based products for building, biotech and fuels;

• advocating for the ‘delayed emissions’ benefit of long-lived harvested wood products through development of a scheme to bring harvested wood products into the ETS to the benefit of wood processors; and • providing leadership and support to its members through fronting industry advocacy and issues. NZL

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forest talk

Proactive land management urged for fire control “IF IMMEDIATE STEPS ARE NOT TAKEN TO consider land management measures, such as fuel load reduction and firebreaks (including green firebreaks); and the intensification of a fire training programme, we risk leaving a detrimental legacy for the generations of land managers and foresters who follow,” says New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF ) President, James Treadwell. The upsurgence of global wildfire events is an early warning for potential large-scale fires in New Zealand forests and rural landscapes this upcoming summer season, he explains. The NZIF is calling for better coordination and management of these fire risks, saying there is an urgent need to prioritise at-risk land management issues over deployment of firefighting aircrafts and building of more fire trucks. Fire risks specific to New Zealand are the vast areas covered by self-sown exotics or retired hill and high-country tussock grasslands, which were historically burned every seven to ten years by lease-holding farmers. “The ceasing of these practices has resulted in an accumulation of fuel across the hill and high-country landscape throughout the country,” Mr Treadwell says. Previously, much of this landscape had lower fuel loadings, enabling swift containment of unwanted fires. This is no longer the case.

Wildfires destroyed 5,043 hectares of selfsown exotics and tussock at Lake Ohau and 2,230 hectares at Pukaki Downs in 2020; and consumed 5,088 hectares of tussock grassland at Deep Stream in 2019. The shift from a La Niña to an El Niño weather pattern across New Zealand this summer is anticipated to significantly elevate fire danger levels, particularly in the East Coast, and could compound the wildfire risk. “Landscapes and rural communities in the South are at particular risk of fire due to the incoming El Niño weather patterns, unless appropriate mitigation activities are undertaken,” Mr Treadwell adds. The NZIF strongly urges Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to collaborate more closely with landowners and forestry professionals to promote and ensure better management and support in reducing fuel loadings in the hill and high-country environment, to raise fire prevention awareness and preparedness and to develop tighter protocols for prevention and avoidance of fires in the rural environment including power line maintenance and automatic cutouts, and restrictions on high fire risk activities during times of high fire danger. “Specifically, the NZIF would like to see focus directed towards reducing fuel loadings on areas covered in self-sown exotics and

controlled fuel reduction burning on Public Crown lands. “A comprehensive training programme, to ensure there is a sufficient resource of rural forest firefighters who can safely operate in tall timber, hill and high-country environments, is also sorely needed,” says Mr Treadwell. “Such a programme would reduce reliance on urban community-based volunteer firefighters and the excessive deployment of aircraft to contain landscape fires.” A centralised fire service entity for urban fire protection and fire management in the forest and rural landscape was established in 2017. However, Mr Treadwell says the fire responsedriven culture within FENZ isn’t what’s needed to address the present risks, rather a proactive approach towards land management and preventative practices, is what’s needed. Failure to take corrective action to protect New Zealand’s forest and rural landscapes may lead to repeated forest losses as witnessed from past wildfires – akin to the wildfires we are currently observing in Greece, he says. • “The NZIF wants to stress the importance of learning from history to avoid devastating consequences to our whenua. Collectively, we need to front-foot these fire risks through collaboration, education and proactive management.” NZL

12 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

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Better controls for ‘ships of shame’ BUILDING UP A HIGH-QUALITY NEW Zealand coastal fleet is an important priority for ensuring safer shipping, as well as more rigorous inspections of international Flag of Convenience vessels before there is another disaster, says the Maritime Union The Panamanian flagged log ship Achilles Bulker is anchored off Mount Maunganui after its rudder fell off. The ship was leaving Tauranga under pilotage when the incident occurred. The rudder has since been recovered by divers and brought to shore. The ship has been detained by industry regulator, Maritime New Zealand, pending investigation and will need to be towed to a

dry dock for repairs. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary, Craig Harrison, says it is an unusual and “extremely concerning” event. Mr Harrison says the sudden loss of control on a fully laden vessel of this size could have catastrophic results. “This situation could have ended very badly if it had occurred in bad weather conditions.” He says the quality of Flag of Convenience ‘ships of shame’ coming onto the New Zealand coast has been an ongoing problem for decades. A Flag of Convenience (FOC) ship is one that flies the flag of a country other

The Achilles Bulker.

than the country of ownership. Many FOC vessels are notorious for the issues around seaworthiness, substandard safety, and poor conditions for international crews. Mr Harrison says Maritime New Zealand acted quickly and appropriately in their response, but questions have to be asked about how an incident like this was even possible. Previous major incidents have occurred with Flag of Convenience ships sailing to or from New Zealand ports in recent years. These include the Rena grounding on the Astrolabe Reef in 2011 and the sinking of the livestock carrier Gulf Livestock 1 in 2020 en route from the Port of Napier to China. The Achilles Bulker was built in 2003 and is beneficially owned in Taiwan by Sesoda Corp, and managed by Sincere Industrial Corp, also out of Taiwan. There is no record of previous mechanical issues on the Achilles Bulker, but the vessel was brought to the attention of the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) New Zealand inspectorate in February 2023, when the Master refused shore leave to crew due to concerns about COVID. The situation was resolved. NZL

NZ technician takes top honours CABLEPRICE’S LUKAS BLAZEY CAME OUT on top at the Oceania round of the 2023 Hitachi Top Technician Competition last month, competing against three Australians at the Hitachi Construction Machinery Brisbane branch. The competition has been running since 2009 and Lukas will be the tenth technician to represent the Asia Pacific/ Oceania region at the World Final. This competition sees Hitachi trained technicians from around the globe competing to be named the best Hitachi Technician in the world. The competition tests various skill levels including finding and diagnosing faults on an excavator within a set time frame, written theory tests and reporting in front of a judge’s panel about various findings regarding the machine in question. Earlier this year, after having already competed against 10 New Zealand competitors, Lukas took out the title of Hitachi Top Technician for the South 14 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Island, with 15 competitors narrowed down to three finalists. Next came the Oceania round at Hitachi Construction Australia’s Branch in Brisbane. This Oceania final competition consisted of the three Australians and Lukas Blazey from Christchurch. Darren O’Connor, CablePrice Technical Trainer for Mining and Construction, says, “Lukas’ preparation for the event proved to be the difference between himself and other competitors. He was able to diagnose and repair all practical faults in the machine with 10 minutes to spare. Something that has not been achieved in an Oceania Competition before – a fantastic effort.” Lukas was announced the winner at an awards dinner on the Wednesday night. He will now go on to represent the Oceania region at the Hitachi Top Tech world finals on the 18th and 19th of October at the Technical Training Centre in Kasumigaura, Japan. NZL

Lukas Blazey in action on the practical section of the Oceania Final.

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forest talk

Record nominations recognise top talent FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THE INAUGURAL AWARDS LAST year, the Central North Island forestry industry stepped up to bring in a record number of nominations for the second year, with 77 contenders up to take the stage among a 500-strong audience at the Energy Centre Rotorua last month. MC, Pio Terei, introduced her Worship Mayor Tania Tapsell of Rotorua who said that while forestry is well known in the region and respected for the trade and skills it brings, as an industry it is important to take time to reflect this and celebrate the people that work so hard. Mayor Tapsell confirmed that Rotorua is the epicentre of forestry, contributing $314.7 million in 2022 to the local GDP across forestry, logging and processing. “Forestry is part of our DNA, and we have an exciting future ahead of us despite the current challenges,” she said. “Our most important assets are our land and our people.” Mayor Tapsell praised Rotorua as being the first city to adopt the wood first policy, demonstrated in many new constructions around the region. Tourism is also using forestry with its drawcard of mountain biking which also contributes significantly each year to the GDP, she said. A new award was introduced this year, the Good Deed Award sponsored by Safetree. It recognised a person within the forest industry for paying it forward, helping others or for supporting a charity or initiative or action. The audience on the night chose their winner, votes counted, and Gareth White from G White Logging took out this award acknowledging the fantastic work he undertook during Cyclone Gabrielle, delivering goods and resources to Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti. Gareth also took out the

Hero of the Year award while his company overall, G White Logging went on to take out a strong hold on the night of awards also taking home Female in Forestry, Harvesting Excellence, Log Processing and Trainee of the Year. From a strong nomination list of women, two winners were awarded as Female in Forestry – OFM’s Rona Wheeldon with many years of experience in harvesting operations, and equal winner, Rachelle Dunn (affectionately known as “Aunty”) from G White Logging, described as a vital cog in the machine. The Generation Programme was also recognised again, after three years of managing this programme, Damita Mita, CEO of the Central North Island Wood Council and manager of the programme, said, “The Generation Programme remains strategically important to our industry regionally. To date we have run five programmes with 38 successful graduates. Of those graduating students, 39% moved into employment and 34% continued their studies. While we know the programme has transformed the lives of many of the individuals that have completed the course, it also has a proven positive impact for whanau and plays an important part in maintaining the community backing for the forestry industry – ‘our social licence’. With the changes signalled by Muka Tangata across forestry qualifications we are also looking at how we can do better and how this can be supported on a long-term basis.” David Dysart of Apple Tree Farms was awarded Best Farm Forester of the Year, standing out as far sighted and strategically astute in his land use planning. His current goal is to adapt to the environmental, economic, and political conditions that impact the farming business, with the hope of passing on healthy,

From left: Winners of the Female in Forestry Trophy, G White Logging’s Rachelle Dunn and OFM Logging’s Rona Wheeldon with Timberlands sponsor, Colin Maunder.

From left: Excellence award recipient Zshawnee Uatuku, Damita Mita – CEO CNIWC, Generation Programme Graduate of the Year (sponsored by South Waikato District Council), Corban Coxon (Tombleson Logging), Excellence award recipient Kadafi ToeToe and Mayor Gary Petley of South Waikato District Council.

16 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

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forest talk

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ents, for the diameter. This heavy

Above left: Winner of the Hero of the Year Trophy, G White Logging’s Gareth White (left) with First Security sponsor, Tim Covic. Above right: The G White Logging team.

aesthetically pleasing land to future generations. Central North Island Wood Council presented a special accolade, the National Forest Industry Collaboration Award, for outstanding collaboration in promoting the forestry sector to the New Zealand public at National Fieldays, 2023. This was an exemplar of working together for the greater good of our industry social licence. Thanks went to Te Uru Rakau, NZ Forest Growers Levy Trust, NZ

Farm Forestry, Scion, and Red Stag and the Fieldays Forestry Hub Advisory Group. The Central North Island Wood Council has proven itself to be a significant organisation continuing to advocate for the region, ensuring its members are supported and has a healthy strategic direction going forward while the industry as a whole is being challenged with market downturn and weather events. NZL

at set it apart from

The Winners Generation Programme Graduate of the Year (sponsored by South Waikato District Council): Corban Coxon (Tombleson Logging). Excellence awards: Zshawnee Uatuku and Kadafi ToeToe Trainee of the Year (sponsored by Competenz: Te Pukenga): Norton Craig (G White Logging). Runner-up: Mana Petero (PR Forestry) Silvicultural Excellence (sponsored South Waikato Investment Fund Trust): Dean Anderson (D Anderson Contractors). Runners-up: Kyle Patterson (Ace of Spades) and Mana Petero (PR Forestry) Forest Protection and Services Excellence (sponsored by Scion): Steve Gatenby (Timberlands) Harvesting Excellence (sponsored by Manulife Investment Management): Clint Maxwell (G White Logging) Distribution Excellence (sponsored by RFH): Haeata te Whaiti (Trimble Forestry) Log Processing Excellence (sponsored by Tigercat): Rob Davy (G White Logging). Runner-up: Kelly Smith (FPNZ)

Wood Processing Excellence (sponsored by Oji Paper Company): Kaylib Winiata (Donnelly Sawmillers) Outstanding Environmental Management (sponsored by Tiaki Plantations Company/Manulife): Razorsharp Harvesting Outstanding Health and Safety Management (sponsored by Taumata Plantations /Manulife): Crew 54 (Fast Harvesting) Outstanding Regional Service Award (sponsored by PF Olsen): Insitu Heritage Runner-up: Debbie Stewart and Team (Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust) Female in Forestry Award (sponsored by Timberlands): Rona Wheeldon (OFM) and Rachelle Dunn (G White Logging) Best Farm Forester Award (sponsored by The WIDE Trust): David Dysart (Apple Tree Farms) Best Native Forest Enterprise Award (sponsored by Wildlands): Wiremu Ruru (Ruru SFL) Hero of the Year Award (sponsored by First Security): Gareth White (G White Logging)

Log Truck Driver Excellence (sponsored by Patchell): Royce Te Huia (Chris Angus Transport CAT) Forest Engineering Excellence (sponsored by Ontario Teachers/ Manulife): JB (John Boy) Butler (Gaddum Construction)

Good Deed Award (sponsored by Safetree): Gareth White (G White Logging) SPECIAL AWARD: National Forest Industry Collaboration Award (sponsored by the CNI Wood Council): Fieldays Forestry Hub Advisory Group

Sponsors: GOLD:

P F Olsen, Taumata Plantations, Tiaki Plantations Company, Toi Ohomai – Te Pukenga, Timberlands, First Security, The WIDE Trust, Wildlands

SILVER:

SCION, Ontario Teachers Pensioner Plan, Manulife Investment Management, RFH, Oji Fibre Solutions, Patchell, SWIFT, Tigercat, Competenz – Te Pukenga, South Waikato District Council, NZME, Safetree, Te Uru Rakau, Nz Safety Blackwoods

BRONZE:

C3, EMS, Komatsu, FICA, Finance NZ, Trimble Forestry, UDC, NZ Safety Blackwoods, Deals on Wheels, Rotorua NZ, Green Transport

ents, for the 18 NZ LOGGER | September 2023 diameter. This heavy at set it apart from

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Residues2Revenues 2023

Fibre opportunities

“LET’S NOT TALK ABOUT SLASH, LET’S TALK ABOUT ‘FIBRE opportunities’,” was one suggestion at Residues2Revenues 2023. Those looking to better utilise forest residues, slash, bin wood, offcuts left on landings, short length or malformed logs not meeting MDF, pulp-mill or chip export log specifications, along with the almost weekly announcements by Government encouraging business and consumers to switch from fossil fuels to renewables, helped fuel the 250-strong turnout at the conference. Delegates included forest owners and managers, harvesting and log cartage contractors, those looking at utilising surplus residues from wood processing and manufacturing operations and aggregators, who were extracting, transporting, processing, drying and selling ever-increasing volumes of woody biofuels that are being sought by larger industrial heat and energy users. And it wasn’t only New Zealand companies. A good contingent of international delegates attended or joined remotely. To reflect the speed of change, in just the three months leading up to Residues2Revenues 2023, the NZ Government announced: • A ban on new coal boilers and phasing out of all existing coal boilers by 2037. • A NZ$10 million investment to replace all remaining coal boilers

in New Zealand schools with renewable woody biomass or electric heating sources by 2025. • An investment of NZ$10.4 million into woody biomass research including maximising the management of woody debris and slash as well as support given to develop a pilot bioenergy plant to turn woody debris into a mix of biodiesel and electricity. • Co-investing more than NZ$2 million with Air New into two studies to consider the feasibility of producing sustainable aviation fuel. • Fonterra announced that it would continue to progress its decarbonisation work with the coal boilers at its Hautapu site being converted to wood pellets. Other projects underway at the time included the Waitoa and Stirling sites which were both in the process of installing wood biomass boilers to transition out of coal. The conference showcased new innovations and smart operating practices being used, locally and internationally, to harvest and process wood residues and explore further, through a series of case studies and a raft of options being used to successfully aggregate regional fuel supplies to ensure consistency of product quality, quantity and supply. NZL

ForestTECH 2023 around the corner

20 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

ForestTECH 2023 will run on the 14-15 November in Rotorua, and on 21-22 November in Melbourne, Australia the following week. Like recent ForestTECH events, two key themes are being covered: • Tree crop management, automated silviculture, including mechanised planting, thinning and pruning, forest establishment, and

• Remote sensing, forest data capture and forest inventory management. This year’s series will be detailing lessons from mechanised or automated commercial operations being used for planting and silviculture. Mechanised planting is already successfully being used across Scandinavia, Brazil, the USA, Canada and more recently, New Zealand and Australia. Operational trials have successfully LG33598

THE 2023 FORESTTECH PROGRAMME, consisting of pre-and-post conference workshops and meetings along with trade exhibitions has been designed together with Australasian forestry companies. Last year, well over 500 delegates from 15 different countries were involved in the online event run for the industry in February and the in-person end-of-year series that ran in both New Zealand and Australia in November 2022.

ForestTECH 2023

been undertaken in Australasia and now commercial planting is being undertaken in both the central North Island, New Zealand and in Victoria, Australia. Key presentations at ForestTECH 2023 will include: • Lessons from two planting seasons in Victoria using a fully mechanised planting operation – results, lessons and payback from a forest owner’s and contractor’s perspective. • A new concept in mechanised planting. Results from the first Australasian trials by Pan Pac Forest Products using the Swedish designed and produced PlantMax mechanised planter. • Results from operational trials using remote controlled mechanised tree pruning. • Using smart phone and drone collected data to improve the quality and productivity of Chilean mechanised thinning operations. For the first time in Australasia, a unique system of raising tree seedlings will also be unveiled to the local forestry industry. Using the concept of vertical farming systems (growing crops in vertically

stacked layers), Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), which is looking to plant tens of millions of new trees in the coming years, has trialled a new nursery system to enable them to meet their ambitious planting targets. Both conifers and broadleaved species using this vertical “growing machine” have shown this system can produce seedlings six times faster than open grown stock.

Both FLS and Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), the Edinburgh-based firm that designed the system, will be presenting at ForestTECH 2023. For the full conference programme, information on pre-and post-conference workshops, as well as information on a Remote Sensing Cluster Group meeting being held the day before the Rotorua event, visit: www.foresttech.events. NZL

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Iron Test

Low-impact logging Story & photos: Tim Benseman

One of three load-out skids at Mangoihe Logging’s Hunterville operation.

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EST EST 1909 1909

THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER TO NEW TO NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY

September 2023 | NZ LOGGER 23

Above (from left): Iron Tester, John Reid, and Mangoihe Logging’s Bryan McCarthy with the Harvestline. Far left: The fire extinguisher bay on the Sany-based Harvestline. Left: The Harvestline’s cab is warm and quiet. THE FIRST THING WE NOTICE ABOUT MANGOIHE LOGGING’S operation is lots of big new gear moving around good stockpiles of logs. The second thing is the minimal impact on the environment, with a notable lack of soil disturbance and soil exposure in the cutover. The scene is one of efficiency and organisation, where state-of-the-art machinery seamlessly navigates through neatly arranged log stockpiles. It’s a good advertisement for the industry, challenging traditional perceptions of forestry, particularly being right beside State Highway 1 north of Hunterville, with thousands of travellers passing through potholes on this highway every day. The block has ponds and power lines running through it too, so it has a stack of challenges. Given the amount of rain and the sticky mud underfoot, it’s just as well they have a new Harvestline to yard most of their wood. “The skidder would really struggle out there,” says Mangoihe owner, Bryan McCarthy, as we make our way up to the machine. A T-Bar mobile tailhold is off to our right tucked in just in front of the

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powerlines. Also, to our right is a tethered Tigercat felling machine and another skid, one of three that the processor is working on. Two skids are downhill-logged with a six-wheel Tigercat 635H skidder while the skid we have parked at is two-staged, going from the Harvestline and then maybe a 130-metre drag down and around the ridge top with the skidder to a place where things widen out to allow processing, fleeting, sorting, stacking and loading out. Throwing open all the doors on this Harvestline it’s good to see an auxiliary oil cooler with electric fans has been added to keep the hydraulic oil temperature below 70°C, and as this is on a Sany base which we are seeing a lot of lately, we are seeing the same large volume of room in all of the bays for storage and air circulation as well as servicing filters and the like. It sounds pretty grunty and is run by a 344 horsepower Isuzu engine with a decent 800LPM of hydraulic flow from the pumps. Iron Tester, John Reid, discusses with Bryan some local crew quotas of 60% and full shutdowns of others, and the response from Bryan is very interesting...

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 24 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Securing stability and success “We are fortunate enough to have signed a long-term contract with the forest owner,” says Bryan. The commitment of a long-term contract has brought a renewed sense of security to Bryan, his wife Livvy, and their logging business. This contractual agreement guarantees a steady harvesting volume per year, providing stability for not only their dedicated staff but also their families for the foreseeable future. “We spent about eight years’ operating within the woodlot structure before transitioning to a corporate contract. Times have certainly changed, and the landscape demands a different approach now. The contract means a guaranteed volume, otherwise there’s no way you’d put this amount of gear into it, you’d be mad.” It’s plain to see he is quite a happy and relaxed bloke as he laughs a lot throughout the morning. At the end of the day, isn’t that how it should be? On the back of Bryan’s Hilux is a pair of chainsaws, a wedge belt, hammer and fuel and oil cans. “I do the majority of the manual tree felling in this block which is quite a lot due to the powerlines that run through here. I find it good for keeping me reasonably fit,” he says. “We also get a contract-cutter in for our nearby hauler crew. He does about three days a week for us.” The other crew is running a Log Champ Swing Yarder which Bryan says is going well. Bryan’s journey in logging began as a breaker out at the young age of 16. He worked in various forests around Whanganui and Forest Hill Road in Palmerston North, honing his skills during an era of manual processing. The business, managed by his father, Mark during Bryan’s secondary school years, seamlessly became a natural progression for him. “It was fairly easy to pick up logging as a career, or rather, as a welcome escape from school, once I achieved my NCEA Level One,” Bryan recalls. It turns out our Iron Tester has met the Harvestline operator, Sean O’Donnell, before so he is ushered into the cab for a briefing and then gets to work. We notice that after a couple of drags John is speeding up and gets steadily quicker as the test progresses. It

seems to be a far quicker learning curve than the last new yarder he assessed. It will be interesting to see what he thought caused that. Something else I am curious about is the strange foot device on the end of the Harvestline’s dipper in place of a bucket. There are no running waterways in this block but there are a few ponds, remnants of a former swamp drainage project from the land’s agricultural past. Those powerlines are a major hazard too. Fortunately, it’s a big enough forest that the extra cost of felling around them can be covered with ease. “The trees above the lines were heavily leaning into the lines and they were oversized edge trees on a steep slope, so I’ve been manually felling and machine assisting them too. We get a Close Approach Consent from PowerCo to cut near the lines but that only lasts a week, so it’s a big push to get as much of those edge trees done safely as we can. Eventually we are going to have to do traffic control on the state highway as well. Another issue with the powerlines is it has increased the number of standing dead trees. The lines company has had to trim or top some of these trees and then they just die. Plus, some of this ground is still really wet

The grip strength is impressive with the EMS Hawkeye grapple.

SERIOUS POWER FOR BIG TIME LOGGERS

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ALWAYS SWING A BIG STICK

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 26 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

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1: The Hawkeye grapple carriage with its 18HP Kohler twin cylinder diesel engine. 2 From left: Regular operator, Sean O’Donnell, Bryan McCarthy and John Reid discuss the merits of the Hawkeye. 3 From left: Bryan McCarthy, John Reid and Sean O’Donnell discussing the Hawkeye. 4: The dipper foot makes the Harvestline a more robust unit.

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despite the drainage and ponding efforts so that impacts the trees health, possibly with root rot,” says Bryan. Selecting a base machine So how was the base machine selection made? “Our pursuit for the ideal base machine and a slot at EMS for the Harvestline conversion led us to explore multiple options. After thorough exploration, it became evident that Shaw’s stood out as the frontrunner. Plus, the power and reliability of the Sany brand, and valued business relationships with Chris Hancock from EMS and Jonny Schick from Shaw’s contributed to solidifying our decision. It was the combination of affordability and performance that made Shaw’s and Sany the perfect partners,” says Bryan. We catch up briefly with Jonny Edwards from Shaw’s, the Sany dealers in New Zealand to see how the relatively new brand is going. “Sany has been a powerful addition to the range of equipment Shaw’s provides to New Zealand heavy industry,” says Jonny. “They are smooth and powerful with great fuel economy as well as quality steel and componentry. That

all makes them simple, reliable, and cost-effective to operate. Everyone that purchases a Sany from Shaw’s has been impressed with their performance and backup service. Good news spreads fast, quickly turning Sany into a major player in New Zealand Forestry.” The Harvestline rig will fit on to any 30-tonne and up excavator, but its winch system requires a minimum hydraulic flow rate of 500LPM. The Sany 415H provides this and then some, with its 800LPM flow rate. Running back and forth on the cable is a red grapple carriage named Hawkeye that I haven’t seen before. Turns out the Harvestline makers, EMS, produce that in Rotorua as well. Bryan describes the Hawkeye grapple holding power as

Main: The Harvestline lands another log near Hunterville. Insets: The Cat loader grabs another log from the Hawkeye grapple.

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28 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

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“pretty amazing” as John brings in two stems. The second stem down seems like it’s hanging on by the skin of its teeth, but Hawkeye brings it all the way into the landing just fine. A global business So how are things going for EMS as far as production goes? We give Brad Griffiths a call at the Rotorua headquarters to find out. “We have produced 55 of the two drum Harvestline winches now, each having a Hawkeye with them to complete the Harvestline package. The units are spread all over New Zealand and in various parts of Australia, Chile, North America, and Canada. Predominantly these machines are harvesting radiata, but we also have been known to pull Douglas fir, Redwood, Hoop Pine, and Eucalyptus and all the species of timber grown and harvested in North America and Canada. “Additionally, we have built many more ‘standalone’ Hawkeyes,” Brad says. “These have been used on larger haulers, as replacements for older Harvestline units or as spare units to swap out when repairs are required. The Hawkeyes come with two grapple options, one specifically for the Harvestline and a bigger one for regular haulers. With multiple rope connection points these grapple carriages are now compatible with any yarding system and multiple rigging configurations. How is that first Sany based Harvestline going that was built in 2021? “Very well,” says Brad. “That one is still owned by Speirs Logging in Gisborne. They were pulling good numbers from the first few days of receiving their Harvestline and are continuing to do so.” What is the thinking behind the dipper foot in place of the bucket? “We’ve found that a lot of Harvestline operators don’t actually dig,” Brad says. “They clear a flat pad to sit the bucket on. The downside of a bucket in the Harvestline application is that the bucket cylinder and hoses are vulnerable to being hit and damaged from the butt of incoming wood. This is exactly what happened to Bryan

while hiring another excavator-based yarder prior to receiving his new Harvestline. When he saw our foot option in the workshop, he knew it was a great idea and requested it be included in his package. Additionally, the weight of the bucket cylinder, dog bone and linkages is eliminated which makes for a more stable machine if swinging to land wood on the deck.” Mangoihe Logging is known locally as a well-resourced crew. A few years ago, a logger working in a block next to a Mangoihe crew commented that, “If their hauler crew notices one afternoon that they need say a bulldozer or a 6-wheel skidder to clear out an area faster, those machines show up on a transporter the next morning.” Regular Harvestline operator, Sean, started out in logging at 18 years old running chainsaws. He spent three years with two different logging contractors then left to run a crew doing directional drilling. Two years later he started with Mangoihe and has been with them for almost 10 years. He started out breaking out for a bullie, cutting dots and log-making, then breaking out under the ACME carriage. He came to work for Bryan at Waitohu

The Harvestline’s winch drums.

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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 30 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

1: The rear entry cab has plenty of room for storage and training. 2: The hydraulic steps feel sturdy to climb and access to the hydraulic pipework is very easy. 3: Iron Tester John Reid and regular Harvestline operator, Sean O’Donnell, are both impressed with the machine. 4: The hydraulic pump bay and a super-convenient filter bay for quick servicing. 5: The extra oil cooler with electric fans.

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DIAGNOSE • DESIGN • DELIVER

Both photos: Mangoihe Logging’s Harvestline working near Hunterville

doing a bit of everything, breaking out, falling then slowly started getting into the machines. What does Sean think of the Harvestline? “It’s a very cosy and quiet machine and it’s stable, it doesn’t beat you up in the cab. Before this machine showed up, I was getting my tickets in the processor and driving the logging truck two-staging wood just in the bush… bounced around a fair bit, shovelling, on the skidder, or moving the T-Bar – a bit of everything. “It’s nice to cover all the bases on the ground before you come up through the ranks, so if new staff turn up, you’re competent to teach them how to do things because you’ve done it before.

“I started driving the Madill124 in my lunch break a few years back and then the Log Champ – just a few drags here and there but it obviously wasn’t my time back then. I like running haulers in general. This is the first Harvestline I’ve run. I’d spent a lot of time in the cabs with the other hauler drivers and spent a lot of time down the hill learning how things work. When this machine arrived, Jonno from EMS came down and showed me the ropes for maybe 20 minutes and then let me go. I’d seen similar screens in the other machines, so I had a fair idea and picked it up quickly. It’s a cruisy number, easy work compared to other roles I’ve done.” SERIOUS FORget BIG LOGGERS A classic case ofPOWER “do the mahi, theTIME treats”.

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Iron Tester: John Reid

Niche ground, niche machine I WAS IN TWO MINDS ABOUT THE usefulness of this machine at first but as soon as I saw how Mangoihe was using it, as a niche machine in niche ground, I started to change my mind big time. The piles of logs lying around and a steady stream of trucks are a pretty good indicator things are going well. And the regular operator, Sean, is happy. He’s a good young fella, I trained him up as a tree faller a few years ago and he is very particular about everything he does. Very fussy about things, which is what makes good fallers. A huge thing in this machine’s favour is its simplicity and ease of use. It’s so easy to operate. It’s all at your feet really. There are a few buttons. Some of these modern haulers are like stepping onto the bridge of the Enterprise whereas this is pared right back and super quick to get used to. Sean was saying you can get the software package for terrain following and other conveniences for this machine, but as a niche machine doing short haul like this you just don’t need it and this is the work these machines are designed for. I was already noticing in the first half hour of running this that I was getting a lot quicker than I was on the first drag. By

this time tomorrow I would be burying the place in wood just like these blokes, which for a hauler is a very quick learning curve. This one isn’t as grunty as the last one we tested but it is 20 tonnes lighter and about 600K less cost. It comes down to what you’re going to use a tool for I suppose and in this case it suits hardto-reach areas where it’s too steep or too wet to ground base, which is exactly what Bryan bought it for. This machine makes this crew super capable in any weather without the huge cost of a big hauler, which they have in their other crew anyway. The lighter weight makes this a little bit more versatile too. You’re going to get a 50-tonne machine into a few more places than a 70-tonne machine and it’s going to cost a bit less to run with lighter ropes. It really is horses for courses and I think Mangoihe has made a very wise choice getting this as their ancillary production machine. It’s comfortable and quiet to sit in too and very nicely done overall. Sean has the heater turned up so it’s nice and toasty. I’ve never been in a Sany before but it seems like a very good machine base. Harvestline’s have come a long way. I

Iron Tester, John Reid. ran what was probably one of their first machines with the drums mounted on the side. The boom was bent to account for that. You had a switch that turned it from an excavator to a Harvestline. Controls were all at your feet. In that respect this new one is similar. You have the extra switches for changing modes and activating the grapple functions. I was pretty happy to see it’s a Hawkeye. That’s also really easy to run. The combination with the Hawkeye is superior. I was picking up logs quickly right off the bat. The track where the tail hold is would have been better higher up but the powerlines just won’t allow that, so it’s a little bit tricky. The wood is coming out of that back face nicely though. It’s

Above left: Some of the Mangoihe Logging crew with Iron Tester, John Reid, and the Harvestline at Hunterville. Above right: The brains and heart of the Hawkeye grapple carriage.

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SA O IN

IFICATION

SPEC S HARVESTLINE – SPECIFICATIONS MAST Height Attachment

Battery Weight

12.5 metres Dipper foot

SANY BASE MACHINE REFILL CAPACITIES (LITRES)

MAIN DRUM Drum Capacity 500 metres (lagged) HAULBACK DRUM 19mm 6 x 31 swage rope

DIMENSIONS (MM)

STRAWLINE WINCH Drum Capacity 1,000 metres

Shipping height Shipping width Ground clearance Tail swing radius Track length Track shoe width Operating weight as a Harvestline

10mm Dynamica, 10,900kg breaking load, 4.6 kg per 100m

HAWKEYE MK 3 GRAPPLE CARRIAGE Engine Grapple Rotation Cameras

Kohler twin-cylinder diesel 14kw/18HP EMS 1700mm opening 360-degrees (electric over hydraulic) x3 (facing front, rear & down)

very easy to control the log speed down that face - sometimes there is the risk of breaking wood if you bring them down the back too fast but no problem with this machine. Just go gently on the tail peddle, slack the pressure off as you come down… it’s actually quite fine control. Yeah, good. It’s quite interesting that Bryan only wanted to use it in winter. When you think about it this answers the age old problem of Manawatu winters for ground-based crews where it’s so wet that you reach down to grab a log and instead of it coming up to you the machine slides down the hill to the log and basically stays there until it fines up and dries out. This machine means if it rains it is business as usual, and then as soon as its dry enough for a skidder the extraction machines are switched out. The radio works great. I would want

a head set if I was running it to smooth things out but Sean may not need to use it very often so a handheld probably suits him better if it’s just out of the way and not in his ear. Visibility is good, you’ve only really got that camera display monitor and machine computer in your way. We used the rear carriage camera to look at the mobile tailhold as we were going out. We switched it to grapple view to select the next drag then watch the winches, and then to forward view when bringing the logs up the gully to see what’s in front of you as the log comes up. There are the usual issues with sunstrike where we had a few problems seeing the logs with the angle of the sun, but the camera proved effective. What I do find with camera grappling in

“

general is, while it is fun and kind of like a video game, there is a bit more fatigue generated for the operator versus the older system of chokers where you sent your rigging out and had a rest for five minutes while the boys hooked everything up and then you were back into it. So after about six hours you do start to get a bit of fatigue, so that’s something to watch. Overall I am pleasantly surprised at how good this machine is and also pleased to see it is being used exactly how it was designed to be used, and that’s a big part of why these guys are doing so well in the wet. There will be some regions where the Harvestline can be a primary extraction machine of course, but in the Manawatu Mangoihe has pretty much all the bases now covered with skidders, a big hauler and the Harvestline. NZL

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A DAY IN THE BUSH Looking Back

Taumarunui engineer, Ron Cooke, accepted an invitation by Gough Gough & Hamer in 1972 to Horokino for a visit to the bush workings of Valley Logging Co. The 33-year-old fitter and turner was an enthusiastic hobby photographer who enjoyed recording events on film. He was not experienced enough in those early years to put pen to paper to describe his observations, nor to name those involved, but Ron has since put together some memories of a bygone era.

38 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Opposite page: A perfect example showing the process of felling a large totara in the early days using axes and crosscut saw. The neat and tidy stump in the foreground shows the expertise of the two bushmen with the placement and depth of the scarf before commencing with their crosscut saw from the opposite side. The saw cut is started about four or five inches above the lower edge of the scarf, then carefully cut evenly towards the scarf until the final strokes of the saw break through and, like a hinge, the tree falls in the direction demanded by the scarf. The scraggy tuft on the left above the edge of the scarf is a sign of their professionalism.

Above: When fast forwarding to 1972, the task of felling a giant totara had become a one-man operation. It still remained hard labour but much easier with a chainsaw than the crosscut saws previously managed by two bushmen. September 2023 | NZ LOGGER 39

Looking Back

DIDN’T FULLY APPRECIATE AT THE TIME how close native sawmilling was to becoming extinct in the sense that excessive logging after World War 2 was leading to concerns that resources were rapidly being depleted and policies needed changing. Someone at the top of the tree (pardon the pun) had listened, with selected logging being in place by the late 1950s and by 1977 clear felling of native forests had ceased. It’s not the object of this article to explore the history or to give detail of how this valuable resource was being managed but to provide a short visual window showing where the industry was at in November 1972. On looking back, I didn’t know at the time where the bush workings were located but I remem ber going over the Poro-o-tarao Tunnel to Benneydale, then into the Waipa Valley northwest of Horokino. Today, even with the aid of maps, I doubt very much whether I could find where these bushmen were actually felling the trees that were fast disappearing. That area would now be farmland and hard to recognise. On arriving at the workings, I was reacquainted with Brian Holster, a former Taumarunui bushman. He was the only

40 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

person I knew by name and had no problem with my camera following him around. He was the crosscutter who features in most of the photos and during the day felled a mixture of five or six large native trees including matai, rimu, kahikatea and totara.

Above and below: Working on the Totara shown on the previous page, crosscutter, Brian Holster, is pictured putting in the scarf, then it was around to the rear to seesaw the chainsaw towards the scarf. The rest is self-explanatory.

• Easy set-up and lack of guy ropes makes the Harvestline system easy to transport and allows it to be deployed in hard to access areas and tight landings. • System can be operated with winch drums interlocked or independent of one another, allowing for various carriage/rigging configurations and providing unrivalled versatility.

• Superior line speeds allow for rapid cycle times and efficient log extraction, while intelligent controls limit the potential to overload critical components. • The 7650kg winch set replaces the factory counterweight without effecting stability. • System optimised for use with the Hawkeye motorised grapple carriage, providing excellent productivity and superior performance over conventional extraction techniques when downhill yarding.

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Looking Back

Above: To get the log to the bush skids required three men: the tractor driver, the crosscutter who fells the tree then removes the limbs and head while his “breaker-out” prepares the leading end by sniping and cutting a “D” groove to connect with the tractor. This log has already been sniped, that is, bevelling off the sharp edge so that it doesn’t dig into the dirt like a bulldozer or get snagged up with other obstructions. Right: The unidentified Valley Logging tractor driver keeps a watchful eye on Brian Holster (left) and his breaker-out, also unnamed, as they carefully place the wire rope from the winch to the “D” groove to secure the link with the motive force. The position of the “D” groove suggests the breaker-out was new on the job. He warned me to keep my distance and while he was wearing a hard hat, I can’t remember if I was offered one. I probably would have mentioned that it would cramp my style but after he explained about the bushman’s biggest fear of being hit with a “widow-maker”, I was doubly conscious of the dangers. Basically, it would be too late to worry as a widow-maker would have achieved its appropriate name by causing disastrous results. Widow-makers were also known as “sailers” with either term describing 42 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

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Looking Back

Above:The stump of this large rimu makes a handy workbench to fine-tune his axe while Brian Holster is not wasting any time heading off to professionally attack his next tree. Critics may think the bushman had left an untidy stump when, in fact, it is a well-executed piece of workmanship. Below: The terrain for hauling this rimu log to the bush skids is level and clear of obstacles so the D6C will not have any unforeseen problems. The driver is freewheeling the winch rope and at a suitable distance will stop then use the winch to haul the log up to the tractor, then repeat the operation in bites until the skids are reached.

LG33802

branches or limbs that were swiped off adjacent trees or snapped off as the felled tree was on its journey to the ground. Sometimes these branches would hang up in neighbouring trees for minutes before quietly releasing themselves for further devastation upon the unwary. Make no mistake, being hit by a widowmaker meant death along with a sailer also meaning death or being badly injured. Either way, a hard hat or a safety helmet, which were unpopular when first introduced during the mid 1950s, would have given

44 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Ken Anderson wrote this caption for his book Servicing Caterpillar: “This scene, at Valley Logging Company’s skids was typical of the tractor logging era. There is much to see: an Austin Gypsy – the gang transport, Gough’s service ute, drums of oil lying about and the bulk diesel fuel tank. The truck driver is directing the loading of the log by the D6C. Luckily it is dry weather – in winter it would have been a sea of mud.” Added to this would be the observation of this native log being a kahikatea (white pine) recognised by the proportionally small diameter of heartwood.

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Looking Back

This large butt end of rimu is on its way along a nicely formed bush road to Tregoweth’s sawmill in Te Kuiti.

some protection but no guarantee of survival. Brian also made sure he had an escape route cleared if anything went wrong at the stump. It could mean the tree not falling where it was meant to go or if it had a hollow-butt. Everything relied on the crosscutter putting the scarf in correctly. It had been an essential skill since day one when bushmen were using the old two-man crosscut saw, axes and wedges. As time went on, felling was made a lot easier with the introduction of chainsaws during the mid to late 1940s, while initially being extremely heavy, needing two men to operate. This disadvantage soon developed into one-man saws with plenty of brands to choose from. The photos show Brian using a McCullock Super Pro 125 and it never occurred to me 46 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

to ask why he chose that particular saw. No doubt it was the best at that time. Brian also talked about some of the other changes since he became a bushman. He experienced the tail end of steam haulers that needed at times up to a mile of one inch or larger diameter wire rope to drag the logs to the skids before being loaded on to a logging truck, but the bulk of his experience was with tractors and bulldozers. According to Ken Anderson, author of Servicing Caterpillar, the most popular was the D6C Caterpillar. The first of that model was purchased by Valley Logging in April 1966 to work in a portion of the Horokino block near Pureora Forest. At the time I took these photos in 1972 they were also pulling logs with the larger D7F in partnership with the D6C. Remember, the amount of logs being

extracted from the central King Country had been concerning the logging contractors for a number of years as they believed the native forests were being depleted too rapidly and would be cut out in a surprisingly short time. Luckily, I found a NZ Railway statement for the year ending 31 March 1949 that disclosed the amount of timber loading at Ongarue being 13,811,700 superficial feet, at Okahukura 334,900, Taumarunui 15,449,200 and National Park 29,774,400, giving a total of 59,370,200. Further research will be needed to put those figures into context. The photos tell most of the story here, with further information being found in Ken Anderson’s books Servicing Caterpillar and Maoriland Sawmilling both available from Taumarunui & District’s Historical Society Inc, Taumarunui. NZL

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Special Feature: Machine Maintenance

Plan, prepare and know your limits Story: Safetree CEO, Joe Akari

NE IN SIX SERIOUS HARVESTING accidents happen during repair and maintenance activities – anything from puncture wounds and crushing to fractures and lacerations, says Rayonier Matariki Forests Director of Health and Safety, Wayne Dempster. “Mechanisation has significantly reduced fatalities and serious harm in forestry by reducing the amount of manual falling and breaking out, but it brings its own risks, including risks related to repairs and maintenance work.” As a Technical Product Specialist for AB Equipment, Chris King has a few stories to tell about repair and maintenance work ‘gone wrong’. Like the time a mechanic was working under a truck, and the driver forgot he was there, and went to drive off. “They’d agreed that the driver would go have a coffee while the mechanic fixed his truck,” says Chris. “But 15 minutes later the driver came back, jumped in his truck and started it, and went to drive off. He’d completely forgotten that the mechanic was still under the back end working on one of the drive shafts.” Luckily the driver stopped – saving the mechanic from being crushed between the diff and ground. This story illustrates one of the key bits of advice Chris has for people repairing and maintaining forestry machinery: “Take the keys out of the ignition and put them in your pocket”. “Because even though these guys had a plan, they’d talked about it just 15 minutes earlier, the driver still came out, completely forgot about the plan, jumped in his truck and went to bugger off. That couldn’t have happened if the mechanic had the keys in his pocket.”

Top: One in six serious harvesting accidents happen during repairs and maintenance. Right: Always put in the safety pin before starting work. 48 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

As Technical Product Specialist for the South Island, Chris knows a lot about how to make sure repairs and maintenance go smoothly. He has shared some of his expertise in a video made by Rayonier Matariki Forests as part of a guide they’ve created titled Repair and Maintenance of Mobile Plant – Safe System of Work.

The guide is available free on the Safetree website, along with Chris’ video and another video that focuses on repairs and maintenance of log processors featuring processor specialist, Brett Charlett. The videos are dedicated to Josh Masters, a 23-year-old diesel mechanic who died in 2022 after being crushed while he was

repairing a log loading machine in a North Canterbury forest managed by Rayonier Matariki Forests. Wayne says Josh’s death was a tragedy: “The videos and guide offer advice on practical steps people can take to make sure the work is done without people being harmed. Using the practices described will greatly improve the prospects of the work being completed successfully.” Planning is the key to success, he says. “The most important message is; don’t start work until you are certain it’s safe.” The ‘what ifs’ In his video, Chris encourages people to think about the ‘what ifs’. “Before you start any job, ask yourself, what if it moves? What if the head falls over? What if it rains? What if I’m actually in the wrong spot and we need to get trucks in and out?” Going through these ‘what ifs’ helps you put together a plan that you can talk about with people on site and anyone else involved. Chris says it’s important to have a good, flat piece of ground to work on: “If you’re on site, rather than in a workshop, you’re

Brett Charlett, Processor Specialist. unlikely to have a proper stand to work on. So, take time to find a good flat area, or get the other machines to make one for you. Also get some good wood to chock the wheels. “You should be in a designated area, with a buffer zone between you and other work going on, that’s ideally near the

container where your tools are. “As I’ve said, it’s a good idea to take the keys out of the ignition, and also to use a danger tag system – hang the tag on the door of the machine so people know not to use it. “When you’re working on a machine, you want to have the engine and computer off, he adds.

DIA DG I ANGONSO E S•E D•E D S IEGS N I G•N D•E D L IEVLEI V RER

Special Feature: Machine Maintenance

“You want to have the blade, the grapple, and any other attachments on the ground. If there’s anything you can’t get onto the ground sit them on a good block of wood so they can’t fall or move. “It’s important to remove any residual pressure in the hydraulic lines. “Don’t go in there with your bare hands until you are sure there’s no oil under pressure in there. “You don’t want to end up with a thing called fluid injection – it’s where highpressure oil, diesel or grease gets into your body. It could feel just like a bee sting or insect bite but if left untreated for long enough, it can cause loss of fingers or your whole arm. “Turn off the engine and wait 10 minutes before you start doing anything on the engine or on the high-pressure fuel lines. “I’d also recommend getting boxes of disposable gloves to wear whenever you’re greasing or changing hoses.” ‘Don’t fly too high’ Processor Specialist, Brett Charlett, offers similar advice in his video about maintaining processors. However, he goes into more detail about how to do specific tasks safely, like changing a mainsaw bar and chain. “A lot of it is pretty straightforward stuff but there are new people in the industry who haven’t done this sort of thing before. There are a few different ways you can change the mainsaw bar and chain, so it can help to have a recommended method. “The core recommendations are to have the delimb knives shut, the computer off, engine off, the safety pin in, and then the operator can pull the bar out. “I’ve seen guys working in there with the engine running and the delimb knives open, and there’s certainly been a couple of accidents worldwide where a guy’s been killed doing basic maintenance. Never get in the harvester head unless the engine’s off, the computer’s off, and the lock pin is in. Brett says in Nelson people are starting to use delimb knife protection covers when doing work where the knives have to be open – a useful innovation. “When doing another common task, changing a blown hose, the key is to have the head in a safe position, ideally on flat ground,” he adds. “A lot of the time you’ll let the residual pressure on the machine go so you’re not losing too much oil or making a mess. So, it’s important to have your glasses on for eye 50 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Chris King, AB Equipment’s Technical Product Specialist for the South Island. protection in case there is a bit of residual pressure in the lines. It might be unlikely to happen, but if it does, you don’t want that stuff in your eyes.” Brett’s final bit of advice is that machine maintenance is a bit like flying a helicopter: “You don’t want to fly too high till you know what you’re doing. “People need to be trained to do these tasks. In addition to the risks, they’re working on machines that are worth a lot

of money. So, they need to know what they’re doing. “An important part of that training is to be aware of your limits,” he says. “You need to know when you’ve reached the limit of your knowledge and when you need to ask for help or call in a specialist.” See the guide or watch Chris and Brett talk about safe repairs and maintenance at: https://safetree.nz/resources/repairsmaintenance-machinery/ NZL

Chris and Brett’s five top tips Plan the work and think about the ‘what ifs’ • What work needs to be done and who can do it – the crew or do you need a specialist? • Where can the work be done safely and what hazards on site need to be controlled? • Who is in charge and how will the plan be shared with those who need to know? Prepare the site • Mark off a work area and leave a buffer zone from other operations. Remove obstacles that could get in your way. • Tell others working on site where you’re working and let them know when you’re about to start. • Get the right tools and PPE to where the work will be done. Check you have a ‘zero energy’ state • Turn off the engine, the computer and the main isolating switch. Remove the keys. • Remove any residual energy out of the system (hydraulic, air, kinetic, electric). • Perform your lockout procedure. Install any lockout devices. Chock the wheels if need be. Ground or restrain anything that could move or fall • Restrain anything that could move or make the machine unstable. • Check all attachments are grounded and secure. • Fit locking pins, before maintenance starts, to prevent any hydraulic creep or movement. • Only remove guarding where this is necessary for doing the work. Check you can lift equipment safely • Make sure the work surface is solid enough to support the load and lifting equipment. • Check you have the right jacks, strops, or chains needed for the lifting, and any blocks needed to support the load. • Don’t just rely on hydraulics for support! When you’re certain it’s safe, start work.

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The little tram that could

T’S OUT WITH THE COAL AND IN WITH the biofuel for Steam Tram No. 100, which operated on a renewable energy source made from trees at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) Live Day last month. Developed by Crown Research Institute, Scion, the biofuel underwent its largest trial to date, with 250 kilograms of bark briquettes supplied to MOTAT to keep the little tram that could, running all day. Scion says the demonstration ran very successfully. The solid bioenergy team will also be reviewing feedback on the bark briquettes from the tram engineers. The briquettes are made using forest residues including bark, branches and lowquality stem wood – all woody biomass that is currently seen as a waste product in the

52 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

industry. Scion is on a mission to unlock the potential of this ‘waste’, seeing massive opportunities in the estimated four million tonnes of harvest and thinning residues that currently remain in production forests. “While there are biofuel pellets on the market internationally, the geometry of these mean they sometimes cannot meet the requirements of all existing coal users/ boilers. They are typically too small and will fall straight through the ash grate at the bottom of the boiler. Scion’s briquettes overcome this limitation and we will continue to experiment to determine the best shape,” says Scion scientist Dr Bing Song. Scion Integrated Bioenergy portfolio lead, Paul Bennett, adds, “While over two million tonnes of coal were burned in New Zealand in 2022, there has never been a

more critical time to find an alternative to fossil fuels. “Forestry may hold the solution for providing coal burners with a clean and renewable energy source.” Mr Bennett says a biofuel future is essential for New Zealand to meet its global climate change commitments. “Energy use contributes to around 90% of New Zealand’s carbon dioxide emissions. If Aotearoa is going to achieve its net zero target, it needs to address emissions from energy use. “This is currently the most achievable target for New Zealand to reduce carbon emissions. However, it’s not a target that can be achieved only by Scion. It requires connections with the industry and the public.

Opposite page: Scion Integrated Bioenergy portfolio leader, Paul Bennett, with Steam Tram No. 100, powered by bark briquettes. Above: Biofuel briquettes could one day replace coal in traditional boilers. Right: Scion Solid Biofuels Project team members Martin Cooke-Willis, Ben Davy, Bing Song, Karl Molving and Peter Hall. “To bring biofuel to the market and successfully replace coal, the technology needs to be tested at a range of scales. This partnership with MOTAT is the ideal first step to demonstrate the effectiveness of biomass briquettes at a larger scale, with a like-minded company that wants to reduce its environmental impact.” MOTAT Collection Workshops Manager, Graham Anderson, says the trial is another step towards becoming carbon neutral.

“However, we acknowledge the challenges to this objective when it comes to operating many of our heritage collection objects that require burning coal, such as the Pumphouse and Beam Engine, steam trains and steam tram. It’s a balancing act between sharing with our visitors how these magnificent examples of science and technology work, while keeping carbon emissions to a minimum.”

Then and now “Steam Tram No. 100 has a fascinating history,” says Mr Anderson. Built in the United States in 1891, it was shipped to Sydney where it operated on the New South Wales Government Tramway system until 1905 when electric trams replaced steam services. It was briefly used by the private Saywells Tramway at Rockdale and then brought to Whanganui, New Zealand in 1910 for construction

Biomass

Above left: Josh Garratt, Tramway Team Member and fireman aboard Steam Tram No. 100 at MOTAT. Above right: Josh shovels briquettes into the boiler to power the steam tram. Below: Briquettes, made from pine bark, kept the little steam tram running all day. Bottom: A bright future: Renewable energy sources such as bark briquettes, can be used to replace coal to generate heat and reduce carbon emissions. of the Gonville and Castlecliff Tramway Board’s electric tramway extensions to the Wanganui system. This work was completed in 1912 and the tram was then placed in storage. It was briefly pressed into service hauling passengers between July and October 1920 when the electric tramway power supply failed. It was restored to operational condition by MOTAT in 1971, and today runs on MOTAT’s tramway from Great North Road to Motions Road. Although MOTAT has a licence to burn coal and complies with all legislation, it is investigating options for more sustainable, clean, or cleaner, fuel alternatives. The collaboration with Scion is an opportunity to further this research. “Working with like-minded organisations, such as Scion, allows us to learn and share knowledge and brings MOTAT closer to achieving our own sustainability goals, while supporting innovation and research occurring elsewhere in Aotearoa,” he adds. Scion scientists have been developing the biofuel since the early 2000s, but recently accelerated their pace of progress with significant breakthroughs in the past 12 months. Dr Song says the success to date is a culmination of more than 20 years’ work: “The project team are experts in this field. While the machinery is not new and the concept of continuous briquetting has been around for decades, the magic is really in the method. Our deep knowledge and understanding allows us to see results 54 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

not yet recorded in scientific journals. “We have been excited to be seeing positive developments of the biofuel in the past 12 months. With further engineering innovations in the pipeline, we’re feeling confident about the future of this project.” To produce a briquette, forest residues are first dried, and their size reduced to fine particles smaller than three millimetres. These particles are then heated to approximately 100 degrees Celsius and pressed into briquettes. For a true coal replacement, forest residues must be densified and upgraded to a heating value comparable with coal. The resulting briquettes must also be durable, meaning they can hold their shape and not break or crumble during transportation and handling. Thermal coal’s average bulk density is approximately 700 to 800 kilograms per cubic meter. To date, Scion has achieved a density of around 550 kilograms per cubic meter with a durability greater than 91%, qualifying the briquettes as a coal replacement for medium/low process heat supply. Dr Song says his door is open for individuals and organisations interested in bringing the solid biofuel to market. “If it’s a question, some consultation or even a collaborative event, please reach out to Scion. I am positive and ambitious to say that we can phase out our use of coal as a country, but only by working together.” NZL

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FICA.ORG.NZ

your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002

New Yarder Tower Inspectors Certification A MESSAGE FROM PRUE YOUNGER, CEO, FICA

This article goes back to 2018 when I became CEO of the Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA). As part of my job, I was responsible for managing yarder tower inspectors. I was introduced to this group at an annual workshop in Rotorua, which brought together around 16 inspectors for a full day event. Jack Mains from Mainmech guided me through the process of reviewing inspection reports and working with the current best practice guide.

All inspectors are signed up and using the system, and they have provided positive feedback on its effectiveness. CBIP has finalised the programme, and all inspectors are aware of the activities required to obtain certification. This includes a one-off welding course, practical on-site assessments, and a 40-question exam covering the content within the Best Practice Guidelines (BPG). This certification is valid for ten years.

While the system had been working for the industry, it didn’t feel right to me. I realized that FICA could be held accountable for the inspectors’ compliance and capability, even though we weren’t in a position to qualify tower inspections. FICA didn’t have a repository for the inspection reports, as each inspector kept their own records using their own unique form. Additionally, the industry as a whole didn’t know where all the towers were located. We only knew from Rien Visser at University of Canterbury that there were about 350 towers across the country.

Each year, inspectors must renew their competence certificate, which involves submitting two inspection reports, undergoing an eye test, and providing a “declaration regarding their ongoing involvement in the industry”. The BPG guide is electronic and can be easily reviewed under the Safetree brand, which our industry associates with excellence and credibility. Lastly, the new certification programme requires inspectors to use the inspection app and standardised tower certificates provided by FICA, eliminating the variations certificates used by inspectors.

Since towers need to be inspected annually, this process needed modification. The first thing FICA did was meet with the Certification Body for Inspection Personnel (CBIP) to discuss how we could use an independent body to certify the inspectors. We wanted to create a transparent process. Over the next year, we built a new programme with CBIP and also developed the expanded scope Best Practice Guidelines for Engineering Safety Inspections of Cable Log Yarders, which hadn’t been updated since 2005. To improve record-keeping, we designed an app for inspections in collaboration with Thinksafe, a reliable Health & Safety business experienced in building apps for the oil and gas exploration industry overseas. The inspectors fully embraced this technological advancement. They willingly tested the new format and appreciated the ability to use the app offline, complete inspections on their phones, and upload the reports back at the office. They could then send a copy to their clients and file it electronically. The app also provided a summary dashboard linked to the FICA website, making all the inspection forms available for industry review. Some may argue that this level of transparency is excessive, but my stance is that there’s nothing to hide. If there are shortcomings in the inspections, they need to be addressed promptly. Fast forward two years, and the app now contains 230 inspections, which is close to the assumed total number of towers in the system. We must also take into account that some towers may not be operational and are parked due to reduced volumes caused by the challenging climate and processing conditions.

56 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Last month, the yarder tower inspectors participated in a workshop to complete their exams, finalise the Best Practice Guidelines, and endorse the new system. Inspectors are responsible for identifying risks, providing advice, and monitoring. They have the right to advise contractors to engage an engineer for final sign-off in questionable cases and for recertification if yarders have been modified. In conclusion, as the saying goes, “Good things take time”.

Prue Younger CEO, FOREST INDUSTRY CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

CERTIFICATION BOARD FOR INSPECTION PERSONNEL CBIP is New Zealand’s national certifying body for industrial inspection and Non-Destructive Testing personnel. CBIP is accredited by JAS-ANZ as a Qualification Issuing Agency (ISO/IEC 17024 2012, and ISO/IEC 9712 2021). CBIP provides internationally recognised competency based personnel certification. Categories of Certification include Coatings, Cranes, Elevating Work Platforms, Lifts, Non-Destructive Testing, Passenger Rope-ways, Pressure Equipment, and Welding. www.cbip.co.nz

Are you a Good Worker? There is a lot of pressure on Logging Contractors to look after their staff, and in the current climate employees are often looking over the fence to see whether the grass is greener. There seems to be an abundance of contractors that seem to have green pastures to offer employees, so there is a bit of movement in staff.

Work vehicles are a contentious issue. Many employees take it upon themselves to use these on the weekends without asking for permission first. They are happy to use the work vehicle but don’t feel compelled to give the vehicle a hose off during the weekend so that its ready and looking sharp for the rest of the week at work.

Employees expect to have the red carpet laid out for them, however one question that employees seem to never ask themselves is, ‘Am I a good worker? I expect my employer to look after me but am I looking out for my employer?’

During the workday, when you see where improvements could be made to make the operation flow better, do you speak up and provide ideas? Or do you just stand back and watch?

As an employee, are you turning up to work in the morning energised and ready to put in 100% effort each day? Do you keep your machine tidy, undertake pre-start checks, grease the machine regularly and report any issues before they become large issues? Do you work productively throughout the day or is your machine burning diesel for no real gain?

Ask yourself each day; ‘Did I put my best effort in today and would I be happy to pay myself the wage that I got paid today?’

Are you looking after the PPE that has been issued to you? Are you an employee that is not even aware of the cost associated with supplying PPE to you? You only need to ask the contractor the number of hard hats that need to be replaced because they have been broken from being crushed behind the seat in a machine or through some other negligent action.

Brady Clements HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSULTANT

FICA AGM 6 October 2023 Napier / Zoom Online

East Pier Conference Centre, Napier 4 – 6pm followed by drinks and nibbles Please RSVP to FICA CEO Prue Younger by 1 October 2023. Email office@fica.org.nz

September 2023 | NZ LOGGER 57

YOUR VOICE. WHAT DOES FICA DO? As the voice of contractors, FICA aims to partner with other forestry entities and work in collaboration to support the growth, capability and promotion of the forestry industry throughout New Zealand. Here are some of the latest programmes and initiatives FICA is delivering and/or contributing to.

GOVERNMENT ADVOCACY FOR CONTRACTORS AND WIDER INDUSTRY ISSUES

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING INITIATIVES INCLUDING BE A MATE IN FORESTRY NATIONAL PROGRAMME

INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION PLAN INVOLVEMENT

NATIONWIDE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN

WINCH ASSIST / YARDER TOWER INSPECTION / HAULER GUARDING BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES (BPGS)

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SAFETREE “LEARNING FROM EVERYDAY WORK” APP

DEVELOPING BUSINESS MODEL OF SILVICULTURE

REVIEW OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION (ROVE) INVOLVEMENT

SAFETREE CERTIFICATION GOVERNANCE GROUP INVOLVEMENT

join today The voice of forestry contractors in New Zealand since 2002.

58 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

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Safety/performance/quality

Professionals all d THE FOLK ON THE EAST COAST HAVE HAD a pretty rough time of it. Not of their making but having to deal with the result of mother nature doing what she does best… reminding us all that, as clever as humans think they are, mother nature will do what she does, despite all our efforts. What really hits home is what most of us will not see firsthand – these guys are professionals at what they do and, accordingly, deserve our respect. The results below reinforce this, with a mix of East Coast and Bay of Plenty participants featuring. This issue, we have included more photographs of our Period 1 participants. Period 2 photographs will be included in the next issue of NZ Logger. So, congratulations to all the folk who feature in the table below and huge respect for the

people they work with and those that provide support and encouragement to maintain their professionalism all day, every day. Ka mau te wehi! Awesome individuals, awesome teams and awesome people behind the scenes supporting them in what they do!! Sponsors – they don’t have to do this but they choose to! Awesome companies, awesome people and awesome support!

They back you and your workmates to succeed as professionals, so why wouldn’t you support them? They believe in what we do and what you do. So, a big ongoing thank you to our Strategic Partners – STIHL and NZ Logger and sponsor SWAZI. The best way to keep our industry working is to get out and support those businesses that support New Zealand. 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/

PERIOD 2 HARVESTING RESULTS

Task Breaking Out Cable Breaking Out Cable Forwarder Forwarder Ground Base Extraction Machine Operation on the Landing Machine Operation on the Landing Machine Operation on the Landing Mechanised Felling Mechanised Felling Mechanised Felling Mechanised Processing Mechanised Processing Mechanised Processing Poleman/ Spotter Poleman/ Spotter Shovel Logging Shovel Logging Shovel Logging Skidwork Skidwork Skidwork Yarder Yarder Yarder

60 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Crew Dewes Log 3 Dewes Log 3 CMH 60 CMH 59 Kimberly Log 22 Kimberly Log 22 Raywood, Log 4 Forestpro Log 1 Raywood, Log 4 Eastside CMH 61 Dewes Log 3 Kimberly Log 22 Raywood, Log 4 Dewes Log 3 Eastside Forestpro Log 1 Raywood, Log 4 Kimberly Log 22 Eastside Raywood, Log 4 Kimberly Log 22 Dewes Log 3 Eastside Raywood, Log 4

Participant Nelson Moran Tahi Hiroki Grant Talbot Daniel Keith Arapeta Collier Johno Mackey Corey Malcolm Richard Mason Errol Maaka Marty Strybosch Chris Barnes Ebony Tuari Julia Keelan Nukumai Jansen Dan Cobden Moreau Tangaere Rob Hawker Reece Tamanui Joe Gilvray Elroy Marsh Anthony Stanley Dave Waitoa Quinton Collins Gabriel Hooper Michael Podjursky

Placing 1= 1= 1st 2nd 1st 1= 1= 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1= 1= 1= 1st 1st 1= 1= 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd

Safety/performance/quality

l day, every day 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, 07 3483037 or at primefm@xtra.co.nz. NZL

Nigel Kengen with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

The Lahar Logging team.

Tex van Rossen with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare. September 2023 | NZ LOGGER 61

Safety/performance/quality

James Sell with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

Clint McIvor with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

Devon Stewart with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

Charles Marshall with workmates from Dempsey Logging. 62 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Russell Te Ngahue with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

George Whyte with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

Charles and Hariata Wipaki.

Safety/performance/quality

Jarob Verdoner with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

Kelvin Stratford with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

Nigel Hutchinson with Ernslaw’s One Phil de la Mare.

Russell Riley with Jaden Erceg.

James Kerr, Russell Riley and Kit Bradley.

Russell Riley, Rick Meeusen and James Kerr.

Russell Riley, Kane Carter and James Kerr. September 2023 | NZ LOGGER 63

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Blair Cooper recently took delivery of a new Volvo EC250EL Hybrid for his forestry crew 018 working in Kaingaroa forest for Timberlands. The hybrid technology has proven reductions in fuel and CO2 emissions. The new EC250EL was guarded and forestry prepared by Armoured Engineering and will take care of fleeting and loading on the skid for the Southern Cross Harvesting crew. Machine sold and delivered by TDX’s Ewen Satherley.

Hohepa and Jenna of Motueka-based Waka Harvesting have taken delivery of a Next Gen Cat 538LL forest machine in the Tasman district. Operator, Bradley, says he loves the power, speed, and comfort of the machine. He says it hit the ground running and had an instant impact on the crew’s fuel usage, giving them a better bottom line. Machine sold by Jayden Peek, Territory Account Manager Forestry.

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Brian and Dale from Loggabull are pictured hooking up Mark and the crew at Gang 14 with a new Sany SY330H, equipped with a DC winch package. Operator, Shagga, says he is loving the power and smoothness of his new toy! Machine sold and serviced by Shaw’s and DC Equipment.

FIRST KOMATSU FX IN NZ

NEW MACHINERY FOR LAKELAND CABLE LOGGING

Pete Stephens from Taupo, working in the Manulife-managed Pouakani Forest, has taken delivery of the latest Komatsu FX machine. This is a first in New Zealand. Pete says it’s cool, smooth and quiet.

Another Sany for the Olsen Group! This time a SY415H going to Blair and Sam at Lakeland Cable Logging, Taupo. Operator, Ollie, says he is super-impressed with its power, smoothness and fuel economy. Machine sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

September 2023 | NZ LOGGER 65

DG GLENN GRAPPLING WITH SLASH

SOUTHSTAR/JOHN DEERE COMBO FOR JENSEN LOGGING Jensen Logging has taken delivery of its third QS450 Southstar/ John Deere 803 MH combo which is running the new Log Mate 510 Control system. Machine sold by Southstar New Zealand.

DG Glenn Logging has recently added Ensign grapple slash arms to its line-up. The arms are fitted to the existing Ensign 1730 grapple which is continuing work on cleaning up woody debris post Cyclone Gabrielle. The grapple slash arms have been working on Hawke’s Bay beach and river catchment areas removing environmental and physical hazards, greatly increasing the effectiveness of the standard grapple.

JOHN DEERE SKIDDER FOR SHARPLES LOGGING Jill and Dave, owners of Sharples Logging, have recently taken delivery of a new John Deere 768L-II skidder. The 768L-II 6-wheeler has taken over from their trusty 848L-II 4-wheeler and they say it is exceeding expectations straight out of the box. Machine sold by Lochin Smith and supported by the Team at Drummond & Etheridge Christchurch.

NEW CAT FOR MCCORMICK LOGGING NEW MACHINERY FOR MCCALLUM HARVESTING Another FHL317L fitted with a Qaudco 4400 fixed felling head has been delivered to Daggy at McCallum Harvesting, Tuatapere. Daggy is pumped with his new setup and says he is seeing serious production benefits since moving to the fixed felling head. Machine sold and serviced by Shaw’s. 66 NZ LOGGER | September 2023

Connor McCormick of McCormick Logging has replaced a trusty Cat 336F with a new Cat 568FM LL, which is the second Next Generation Cat 568 unit in the country. The big 568 package incorporates a Woodsman Pro 850 and has been put to work in the Kaingaroa Forest. Connor says he opted to go for the rear entry-cab on the Cat, giving his 568 operator better comfort and visibility. Machine sold by Mark Costello, Terra Cat Territory Account Manager Forestry.

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September November 2022 2023 | NZ LOGGER 71

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Waratah 626

#183 as traded. Danfoss/TimberRite

#089 fully rebuilt. Parker valve TimberRite

Waratah H290

WMAN750

To be refurbished

As traded. Less than 1000 hours. New edges fitted.

10%

OFF

New Zealand Stock H626 As traded H626 As traded H626 As traded H626 As traded H626 As traded H626 Complete rebuild H626 As traded H626 As traded H626 As traded H625C As traded WMan 750 Near new H290 As traded Australian Stock H624C Complete rebuild H622B Complete rebuild H622B Partial rebuild H616C Complete rebuild H616B As traded

RRP $378.50+gst

NOW $340.65+gst

10% OFF

NZ$ 26,000.00 13,000.00 43,750.00 13,000.00 13,000.00 212,000.00 45,500.00 26,000.00 18,750.00 127,000.00 255,600.00 21,750.00 AUD$ 251,251.98 240,000.00 165,000.00 135,056.81 11,000.00

RRP $162.68+gst

NOW $146.41+gst

Delimb Covers Measuring arm spindle rebuild kit

All merchandise

Auto tension kit

Waratah Forestry Services 24/7 phone 0800 492 728 or +6 47 343 1550 Northland Mechanised logging services

CNI, Waikato, Wairarapa Waratah Forestry Services

Hawkes Bay Forestry Maintenance HB

Nelson Tasman Heavy Diesel

Blenheim Onsite Mechanical

Greymouth SM Hydraulics

Dunedin Heavy Diesel support

Southland Heavy Equipment Repair

Grease Nipple Kit

10% OFF

Komatsu

PC270HW/ PC300FX

Komatsu Forest’s Unique Forest Combinations The Komatsu PC270HW & PC300FX Extreme models have been developed by collaboration between Komatsu Forest & Komatsu Osaka Factory. Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd 15C Hyland Cresent Rotorua, New Zealand John Kosar M: 0274 865 844 Paul Roche M: 021 350 747 E: info.au@komatsuforest.com