NZ Logger December 23

December 2023/ January 2024 | 9.50

SMOOTH LAND PREP OPERATION ISSN 1176-0397

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Forestry roading: a feminine touch

Is wood biomass an option for power?

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contents

DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024

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FOREST TALK Gisborne’s Juken mill to close; New forestry qualifications underway; Shouldering the blame; A blow for transport operators; Four New Zealand forestry assets up for sale; Mapping Central Otago; Strategic move for MIMICO; New dealer partnership; Boosting biosecurity; Safe working around attachments; Conference coverage: Pre-empting problems; Conference coverage: A game changer.

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46

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SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST The Sumitomo SH210 LF-6, together with the Wedgelock PowerClamp, makes post-harvest land prep safer and more environmentally-friendly.

Our Iron Test team went to watch the Sumi in action, working for Kealey Contracting.

34

WOMEN IN FORESTRY As a young girl, Haley Adamson always preferred caterpillars to butterflies but it was moving from earthmoving into building forestry roads, becoming a ‘Metre Eater’ that was the biggest, and most rewarding, change in her life.

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BIOMASS Using “logs” to generate extra power? It’s known as torrefaction of woody biomass energy. The technology behind this innovation has the potential to add a significant bulk product to our forestry industries. Jim Childerstone investigates.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 52 fica 56 top spot 59 Greenlight New Iron 60 classifieds

December 2023/January 2024 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor December 2023/ January 2024

SMOOTH LAND PREP OPERATION Full reach

ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: TIM BENSEMAN

| 9.50

Is wood biomass an option for power?

Forestry roading: a feminine touch

Operator, Regan Weir, climbs into the Sumitomo SH210 LF-6 to rake some more debris at Kealey Contracting’s Berwick Forest site in Otago.

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2 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

In the thick of it WELL, IT’S BEEN QUITE A YEAR, WITH THE FOCUS FOR FORESTRY ON LAND use questions, from the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle to plantings for the Emissions Trading Scheme. The right tree in the right place means different things to different role players and there has been no shortage of opinions flying in all directions.

No surprise then that there have been calls for the appointment of a high-ranking, experienced and proactive Minister of Forestry. As we go to print, we are still waiting for details on the composition of the new Government. Oh to be a fly on the wall of those hotel rooms privy to thrashing out the nitty gritty.

While policy makers don’t have to deal with the practical implications of their decisions, those working in the thick of it do and we can only hope the new government collaborates closely with those in the industry most impacted.

On the ground, some longstanding forestry companies have fallen to the still struggling post-COVID economy this year. Not to mention one last blow with the closure of Gisborne’s Juken Mill. Many are still standing strong though and looking forward to taking a well-earned break over the festive season.

While the big beasts of forestry usually take centre stage, from harvesters to forwarders, yarders and even everyone’s favourite smaller gadget, the chainsaw, this month we move behind the scenes, taking a look at those sectors of the industry we so often take for granted.

Our Iron Test features a land preparation machine, the Sumitomo SH210 LF-6 which does an impressive job cleaning up post-harvest, working for Kealey Contracting. From tackling ‘real goat country’ in the Mount Allan Forest just north of Mosgiel, to farm to forest conversions, this work always presents a satisfying challenge.

Also down from the trees is the protagonist of our Women in Forestry feature this month. Haley Adamson is loving chewing up dirt and spitting out forestry roads, also in a Sumitomo, this time a 30-tonne digger. What was that about it being a man’s world?

For the next couple of weeks, no doubt she’ll be turning off the machine and spending some quality time with the whãnau. Time for you to switch off, put down that chainsaw and do the same.

Here’s to a well-deserved rest and a joyful and rewarding year to come!

Until next time, stay safe.

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forest talk

Gisborne’s Juken mill to close GISBORNE’S JUKEN MILL, OPERATING SINCE 1994, IS SET TO close with 80 staff members losing their jobs. Sixty staff will lose their jobs before Christmas with final closure by the end of March 2024.

While options such as looking for new markets or finding a buyer were considered, ultimately it was decided to shut down.

Managing Director, Hiroyuki Kawado, cited declining demand for the mill’s products as the reason for the closure. Juken New Zealand processed radiata pine from the company’s East Coast forests to produce a small range of specialised wood products, mainly for the Japanese housing market. Demand for the mill’s products has continued to decline over the past five years and is not expected to improve. The mill’s age also meant it needs significant investment if it is to continue effective production and safe operation, he says.

“It is our intention to complete all work in progress by 22 December 2023 and then stop production. This will directly affect around 60 employees. A transition crew of 20 will ensure the mill can remain operational until 31 March 2024, at the latest,” says Mr Kawado.

“It is with sadness that I have advised that the decision has been made to stop production, as we cannot continue with the ongoing losses being made by the mill and have not identified an alternative solution that will turn the situation around.

“This is a difficult time for our people at the mill, and we acknowledge how hard this news may be for them and their whānau. Hence, we will have comprehensive support in place to assist them to find new employment, including an opportunity to meet with local employers and training providers on-site.

“We are also engaging with local community leaders including the Gisborne District Council and Trust Tairāwhiti. The support that has been offered throughout the community is appreciated.”

First Union’s Colleen Ryan, representing the workers, says they are heartbroken, with some losing their entire family income.

“Even though they knew this was potentially going to happen, it was extremely upsetting for them,” she says.

“In some cases, we’ve got couples that both worked there, which is going to be doubly bad. They are absolutely devastated.”

She says the union is meeting with workers to offer support and help them find new employment. NZL

Photo: Liam Clayton.

4 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

forest talk

New forestry qualifications underway Muka Tangata Chief Executive, Jeremy Baker.

EXISTING DELIVERY AND ASSESSMENT OF FORESTRY qualifications is not meeting industry or learner needs and the industry also struggles to attract people into the sector, says Muka Tangata, the Workforce Development Council for the food and fibre sector.

Muka Tangata has been working with industry on a review and development of the full suite of Forestry qualifications since June 2023.

Muka Tangata Chief Executive, Jeremy Baker, says ensuring the qualifications are more compatible with ākonga (learner) development will provide clear pathways in the industry.

“Having a fit for purpose, flexible and future-proofed suite of qualifications for the forestry industry will ensure ākonga are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attributes to succeed.

“The review will streamline qualifications and standards, creating greater learning opportunities and pathways for ākonga to progress.”

The review covers the entire suite of Forestry qualifications (Levels 2 – 6), including the development of micro-credentials in leadership (Level 5) and other areas.

The proposed Level 2 qualifications have been developed in collaboration with industry representatives.

Fast Harvesting’s Mereana Tobenhouse says she has found the process smooth and feels positive about the outcomes.

“Muka Tangata has spread the net widely across the forestry industry to engage and has shown a real willingness to push out the information and to help.

“I feel we’ll achieve a good outcome. We need to streamline the qualifications because there are a lot of unit standards and a lot of duplication. Having a clear process and pathways for learners is important as well as the flexibility for them to change and move to other parts of the industry.”

Contract moderator and assessor, Steven Harrison, says the review process has opened the opportunity for a lot of people to share their thoughts.

“It’s good in a lot of ways and Muka Tangata has made an excellent starting point. I think the proposed Level 2 qualifications will be an improvement in the long run. But there is still a cohort

of people in the industry that we need to reach, those workers out there on the ground who have absolutely brilliant practical skills but don’t have academic skills. We need to hear their voices and value their skills.”

Muka Tangata has also recently submitted a new ‘microcredential’ for log scaling so the industry can access and attain relevant and manageable awards.

This micro-credential will recognise skills for workers in log scaling and will sit at Level 4 of the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).

Muka Tangata is working with industry, iwi Māori and providers across the regions to develop and design the micro-credential, ensuring that a broad view of the needs of the industry are met.

Since October 2022 Muka Tangata has also been working with industry to design and develop a new qualification at Level 5 to recognise business, leadership and communication skills at a higher level.

“This will provide a stepping-stone for employees wishing to move from technically focused roles into supervision and leadership.”

In September 2023, Muka Tangata resubmitted the application for the Level 5 qualification to NZQA and has developed three related micro-credential learning outcomes. NZL

Training at Toi Ohamai Institute of Technology.

December 2023/January 2024 | NZ LOGGER 5

forest talk

Shouldering the blame SPEAKING AT THE RECENT WILDING PINES CONFERENCE IN Queenstown, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, highlighted the need for ongoing investment into the control of pest plants, including wilding conifers. He noted that the wilding issue is tied back to historical government policy settings and activities around forest planting strategies and goals such as erosion control.

Forest Owners Association (FOA) Chief Executive, Dr Elizabeth Heeg, says the statement confirmed that the wilding issue isn’t solely the result of forestry activities.

While forest owners welcome the acknowledgement that the presence of wilding conifers across New Zealand is largely a legacy issue, we caution against placing costs on foresters who are already investing in wilding control.

“There is a widespread misconception that contemporary commercial plantation forestry blocks are responsible for the invasive spread of wilding species,” she says. “Contemporary plantation foresters often shoulder the blame for wilding spread when we know it is predominantly due to historical policy decisions and legacy plantings used for farm shelter belts and the likes.

“These legacy species, such as lodgepole pine, disperse seeds more easily and can rapidly invade and cause dense forests.

“Although Douglas fir is a problem in some areas, plantings are generally well managed by the industry, and other prominent wilding species are no longer used in contemporary plantations.

“The sector has advanced its knowledge of these risks significantly in recent years and carefully manages plantation forests to minimise the risk of spreading species beyond boundaries.”

Planting behaviour has changed significantly since the implementation of the National Environmental Standard for Plantation Forestry (the NES-PF) and the wilding risk calculator in 2017. The risk of wilding spread is expected to reduce even further with the new National Environmental Standard for Commercial 6 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

Forestry (NES-CF) – which also captures carbon forestry. All plantings greater than one hectare are now captured by wilding risk calculations.

“Foresters take their obligations in managing these risks, and being a responsible landowner, very seriously. All are bound by the NES-CF, and the majority do the right thing by working with neighbours and the community.

“Where there is spread, the residual risk is managed with surrounding landowners, to the extent that many foresters are voluntarily controlling legacy problems on neighbouring properties.”

Dr Heeg says the sector is concerned that foresters will continue to shoulder the blame and the cost for the spread of legacy species.

“Many forestry companies voluntarily invest a significant amount of their time and money into proactively controlling the spread of wilding species each year.

“Penalising the sector for its control efforts to date by way of a levy, as suggested by PCE Simon Upton, is not the solution; nor are attempts to correlate current wilding conifer spread to contemporary plantation forestry.”

It is critical that funding for the wilding control programme continues so that the progress made in recent years can be maintained. However, the cost of this work shouldn’t rely – or fall – solely on forestry, she adds.

“The sector would strongly advocate for greater Crown funding to ensure the wilding species programme continues to achieve its objectives, while acknowledging that the current wilding conifer issue is largely a result of historical policy decisions and nonplantation sources.

“Technologies such as gene editing and remote sensing could offer a major step forward for preventing and managing the spread of wilding conifers; but ultimately, combatting wilding spread will require ongoing collaboration from all and the government to take an active, lead role.” NZL

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forest talk

A blow for transport operators “WE ARE NOW SEEING A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE OF THE PAIN AND harm caused by under-investing in our infrastructure – real people end up paying the price in jobs, livelihoods and mental health,” says National Road Carriers Association (NRC) CEO, Justin Tighe-Umbers of Waka Kotahi’s recommended closure of State Highway 1 through the Brynderwyn Hills for road repairs.

He says this would be a devastating blow for transport operators serving Northland and the Northland community.

“Many transport operators and businesses are hanging by a thread and a two-month closure of the main arterial at the second busiest time of year would push some to collapse unless they receive Government support,” he says.

“If it goes ahead it would be yet another serious hit after a triple whammy of pandemic, cyclone and economic slowdown.”

“We understand this work must be done as quickly as possible before the wet season and we want the resilience works to be done once and done right, so the existing road stays open until the new bypass is built. But trucking operators are asking Waka Kotahi to find a better way to get it done without shutting State Highway 1 for another two months.”

He says there is enormous frustration amongst transport operators who have been calling for a bypass for decades now, but the calls have fallen on deaf ears and now they are forced to pay the price.

Mr Tighe-Umbers says NRC’s phones have been running red hot with calls from its road transport operator members who are hugely concerned about the closure. “They are worried about the safety of detour routes, many of which are potholed and not designed for heavy haulage trucks, and they are worried for their livelihoods.”

One of the proposed detours through Dargaville would add 140 kilometres to the return journey between Auckland and Whangarei and drive up the cost to transport goods between Auckland and Whangarei by around 30 percent.

“Many customers simply cannot afford to pay that much extra.

A truck running from Takanini to Whangarei wouldn’t be able to make it back in a single day, as drivers run out of hours and must have a ten-hour break. That means another truck would have to be put on, which isn’t always possible, and leads to yet more cost.”

A report commissioned by Northland Inc calculated that the 58 days of closure earlier this year cost $62 million in additional transport costs.

Mr Tighe-Umbers says in the event of a closure NRC will work closely with Waka Kotahi on developing safe and as efficient as possible detour routes for heavy freight vehicles.

He says NRC would call for the re-establishment of a resilience relief fund to enable vulnerable Northland businesses to claim support for transport and other cost increases. NZL

Four New Zealand forestry assets up for sale A GLOBAL INVESTMENT MANAGER OF NATURE-BASED REAL assets, New Forests has indicated an upcoming sale process for four of its New Zealand forestry assets, as it approaches the completion of the term for its second round Australia and New Zealand Forestry Fund (ANZFF2).

The four estates are located across New Zealand’s North and South Islands in established forestry regions of Blenheim, Southland, Taupo and Wairarapa.

With a combined gross area of almost 16,000 hectares, the estates consist of radiata pine plantations which produce wood for end uses such as housing, fencing and furniture for domestic and international markets. All the estates apart from Taupo, are freehold.

The forestry assets also present future carbon market opportunities, with around one quarter of the plantations established on post 1989 land which is registered in New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). All four forestry assets have been third-party certified 8 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

for sustainable forest management.

“We have managed these assets on behalf of investors for 10 years, and over this time, working closely with the on-theground property managers, have increased production, improved efficiencies, and added sustainability metrics to improve the overall health of the assets,” says Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand for New Forests, David Shelton.

“Forestry is an important industry for New Zealand, contributing to the economy, mitigating against climate change, and playing a role in the circular bioeconomy.”

This announcement follows the successful sale of Forico and Tasmania’s largest hardwood estate to a consortium of investors UniSuper, Pension Protection Fund and APG Asset Management, on behalf of its pension fund client ABP. New Forests has engaged UBS New Zealand Limited as financial adviser to assist with the sale process. NZL

O O

forest talk

Mapping Central Otago The programme is based on partnerships between Toitū Te Whenua and 10 councils and is using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology to capture high-definition data about the shape of the land.

“The LiDAR mapping is extremely useful for investigating and assessing the characteristics of natural hazards,” Mr Welsh says.

Previous LiDAR capture in the Central Otago area focussed on the Manuherekia River floodplain and covered approximately 530 km2. The newly available dataset covers a much greater area and at a higher resolution than previous captures – four elevation points per square metre as opposed to two points per square metre in previous captures.

“This will allow for a more detailed look at the shape and characteristics of the ground surface in the Central Otago district,” Mr Welsh says.

Toitu Te Whenua Location Data Analyst, Abbey Douglas, was asked how LiDAR can assist with floods, as has been seen recently across the North Island.

“LiDAR provides accurate, high-resolution elevation of the ground surface, which is essential for reliable river and stormwater flood modelling. Such models are critical for planning and developing infrastructure which is resilient to flood events,” she says. NZL

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COVERING A TOTAL 3935 SQUARE KILOMETRES OF LAND, a new high-resolution ground mapping dataset of the Manuherekia Catchment and surrounding areas in Central Otago is now complete.

The 3D ground elevation data is available online via the Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) Data Service and Open Topography web sites, says Otago Regional Council’s Spatial Analyst, Andrew Welsh.

“The completion of this geospatial dataset mapping is an invaluable tool in identifying, mapping and managing natural hazards, be it flooding, erosion or landslips,” he says.

Similar, earlier ground elevation datasets for the Dunedin and Mosgiel urban areas and Otago’s Coastal Catchments were made publicly available in 2022 and 2023. This Central Otago segment completes the capture for the Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) LiDAR Project in Otago.

The combined Dunedin and Mosgiel, Coastal Otago and Manuherekia Catchment data sets now cover more than 8190 km2 of land.

Co-funding from the PGF, managed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Kānoa Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, is supporting the substantial regional expansion of the New Zealand National Elevation Programme.

forest talk

Strategic move for MIMICO MIMICO HAS ENTERED INTO AN UNCONDITIONAL ACQUISITION agreement securing the distribution rights to AdvanceQuip’s construction equipment sales and support business.

“This strategic move not only enhances the MIMICO product portfolio but also reflects our commitment to remaining at the forefront of the industrial machinery import industry. These partnerships mark a new beginning and the next chapter in the MIMICO story,” says National Sales and Marketing Manager, Shane Rau. MIMICO will represent the following partners in the New Zealand market: • Case Construction: Known for its innovation and reliability, Case Construction offers a comprehensive range of heavy machinery tailored to meet the diverse needs of the construction sector.

• ASV – PosiTrac and skid-steer loaders: ASV’s advanced PosiTrac and skid-steer loaders are known for their durability, and versatility, making them ideal for New Zealand’s dynamic terrain.

• Astra – Off-Road Vehicles: Astra’s off-road vehicles are designed for rugged conditions, providing solutions for industries such as forestry, mining and construction.

In line with this transition, MIMICO will acquire the distribution rights, stock and select assets from AdvanceQuip for these three brands. A significant number of AdvanceQuip staff will also be integrated into the MIMICO Branches across Auckland, Matamata,

Paraparaumu, and Christchurch.

MIMICO will also be acquiring AdvanceQuip’s existing Gore facility and support staff, expanding the company footprint in the Otago/ Southland Region. This ensures some continuity and familiar faces for AdvanceQuip customers in this region.

MIMICO will be in touch with existing customers of these brands to share relevant contact information and trading requirements. NZL

ASV, one of the brands now being distributed by MIMICO.

New dealer partnership HEAVY EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY SUPPLIER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF brands like Volvo and Yanmar, TDX, has cemented an exclusive dealer partnership with Linde Material Handling Equipment with the announcement of a dedicated, Linde-focused company.

The new company, known as LDX, will feature a team of specialists responsible for the extensive range of Linde ‘forklift’ trucks, pallet and reach trucks, pallet stackers and order pickers.

“LDX will be built on the same foundations as TDX, which over time will offer a Lift and Dig eXperience, putting the customer at the centre of everything as we strive to deliver a world-class experience, backed by local know-how,” says Colm Hamrogue, TDX CEO.

TDX team members prepare for the start of the new business.

10 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

“The creation of LDX delivers a clear distinction between two different but also complementary areas of our business and will help all our customers better understand what we can offer.”

Linde is known for its innovative and safe material handling equipment along with fleet optimisation.

“Establishing the new business demonstrates our commitment to the brand as it gives it the focus it deserves,” says Mr Hamrogue.

“It also reassures existing Linde customers that they remain front of mind and also gives potential clients a great new reason to consider LDX.” NZL

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forest talk

Biosecurity New Zealand’s newest quarantine officers, who recently graduated in Auckland, pictured with Biosecurity New Zealand Northern Regional Commissioner, Mike Inglis (front, third from left), Biosecurity New Zealand Deputy Director-General, Stuart Anderson (centre, bottom row), and Biosecurity New Zealand Chief Quarantine Officer, Stephen Clement (second from left, back row).

Boosting biosecurity THIS SUMMER, A KEY FOCUS FOR BIOSECURITY NEW ZEALAND’S frontline staff is keeping out pests and diseases that could have a devastating impact on our economy and environment – things like exotic fruit flies and brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB).

“These potential intruders are especially active in summer and pose a direct threat to our hard-working growers and farmers, who underpin rural communities and our economic wellbeing,” Mr Inglis says.

With this in mind, Biosecurity New Zealand welcomed 23 new quarantine officers and four new detector dog handlers in November, bolstering the country’s frontline protection against pests and diseases in time for the pre-Christmas mail rush and peak international visitor season.

Biosecurity New Zealand’s Northern Regional Commissioner, Michael Inglis, says the quarantine officers graduated in Auckland after completing a 12-week training programme.

“The training gives the officers a comprehensive understanding of the threats to our environment and primary industries, and the skills they need to inspect and make biosecurity clearance decisions about goods accompanying travellers to New Zealand,” Mr Inglis says.

12 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

“The new recruits are introduced to the role that quarantine officers play as guardians for our way of life.”

All of the new quarantine officers will initially be deployed at Auckland International Airport. To bolster ranks across the motu, an additional 19 officers are completing their training (eight in Christchurch, seven in Wellington and four in Queenstown).

New detector dog handlers have also joined the border team, after graduating from their own 12-week training programme.

The trainees have been learning together how to manage the demands of detection in busy international airports and mail centres.

“The new officers and handlers will play a critical part in protecting our economy and precious natural environment from potentially harmful pests and diseases,” Mr Inglis adds.

In addition to future-proofing its two-legged border team in these ways, Biosecurity New Zealand is delighted to announce the recent arrival of a new litter of four-legged detection recruits.

Four healthy pups – three girls and a boy – are progressing well and, as they grow, will gradually be introduced to the environments and disciplines that will make them top-class pest and disease detectors. NZL

forest talk

Safe working around attachments AS PART OF WARATAH’S COMMITMENT TO safety, the company has recently rolled out free, online Working Around Attachments training for Waratah equipment users.

It is designed to educate workers on the key safety measures to follow while working with Waratah attachments. It covers best practices in the field including a range of topics such as safety features; chainshot awareness; general servicing and the like, and follows up with a questionnaire at the end.

“By completing this training, you’ll be able to enhance your knowledge and understanding of how to safely operate and maintain Waratah equipment, while minimising the risk of accidents and injuries,” says Product Support Manager for Waratah Forestry Services, Alaric Ngawaka.

“At Waratah, we understand the

importance of proper safety procedures when working with heavy equipment attachments.

That’s why we’ve partnered with industry experts to create this comprehensive online training programme. We will continue to promote, improve and update the online training between training cycles. We are also

planning on expanding our online training offering in the future,” adds Mr Ngawaka.

Waratah has had more than 80 completions since the training started, and an average test score of 90%. Access to the training is quick and easy through a simple link or QR code. NZL

Working around attachment quiz.

Grooved Drums and Sleeves

DIAGNOSE • DESIGN • DELIVER

ForestTECH 2023

Pre-empting problems

The advalingo Patas delimbing unit.

FORESTTECH IS ONE CONFERENCE THAT ALWAYS JUMPS IN leaps and bounds with the pace technology is running. 2023’s conference, held recently in Rotorua, did not disappoint, starting with Matt Lythe, Managing Director of Lynker Analytics asking if Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at a tipping point.

That would be the point in time when a technology reaches critical mass and all companies involved have to shift, he explained. While that question comes with a certain amount of healthy fear (of job loss for one), when it comes to forestry, on the ground for now, AI is still an adjunct to help our existing processes with functions such as LiDAR, and to be adopted with time to stay competitive.

Other speakers like Sylab’s Albrecht von Ruffer got down to practicalities, demonstrating how AI allows for fast assessment of a forest for better recovery from fire, storms or disease.

With today’s stronger, faster growing trees, there is more stress early on, so we need to give trees resilience, he said. “That way we can plan ahead and act instead of just reacting, with selected removal of dead trees and meeting targets for thinning density.”

Fire burn analysis can show which areas are burnt and how badly.

The next step is quantification and differentiation of damage to see how much of the living canopy is left, where to focus recovery and what is still worth managing, with AI mapping allowing foresters to prioritise salvage operations.

Likewise, with storm damage one can detect landslides. A time series analysis will find the location of the damage with satellite imagery, differentiating damage from the event from existing damage for targeted action.

This satellite imagery was put to the test with the recent post14 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

cyclone disaster response by PF Olsen, coordinating and analysing data together with a mobile tool for quick imagery capture in the field to identify the damaged forest stand. Data was easily uploaded and shared with clients. High resolution drone imagery also assisted with insurance claims.

Pre-empting problems, Braden Jenkini, Managing Director at Australia’s Sylva Systems covered initial results from a feasibility study on a commercially available remote-controlled, high-rate tree pruning unit to create fuel modified zones in softwood plantations.

Germany’s advalingo Patas delimbing unit, named after one of the world’s fastest climbing monkeys, works off an umbilical cord attached to a power pack, running up the tree with pruning knives, explained Mr Jenkini.

He said with fires increasing in Australia, there is a need to reduce the risk to plantations, so the pruning trial is both about wood quality and reducing fire risk – ideally creating fuel-modified zones in plantations.

The unit is able to prune to 10.9 metres in height which is about 42% removal of the green crown and 40-60 trees per hour achievable in good conditions.

With a focus on safety, some issues that came up from this initial study were branch stubs, an initial lift required (two men for the 52kg unit), questions of how high to prune and how far in, a difficult working environment, keeping it sharp, wear and tear, and, a big one for New Zealand, difficulty working in rainy conditions.

Mr Jenkini pointed out that they are still understanding the machine’s abilities and limitations.

One to watch. NZL

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ForestTECH 2023

A game changer A PROTOTYPE FOR A NEW INTERACTIVE tool providing the forestry industry with powerful inventory information to make management, harvesting and wood processing decisions easier was presented at ForestTECH 2023.

Called ‘Forest Insights’, Scion scientists outlined the tool’s capabilities and applications for the industry.

In a world increasingly driven by data and technology, the interactive Forest Insights tool powered by machine learning and deep learning models provides forest owners, managers and wood processors with an overview of the changing availability and growth of planted radiata pine over time.

The prototype is currently focused on modelling of East Coast pine forests but Scion has plans to provide the same data and for a wider range of trees for other regions, with Bay of Plenty next cab off the rank.

Scion portfolio leader for New Value from Digital Forests and Wood Sector, Grant Evans, said the prototype will support forestry and wood processing companies to make more informed management decisions.

“Long-term, it will help anyone with trees planted know their precise location and ultimately, what they can do with the trees in the future.”

Forest Insights is more than just a mapping tool; it’s set to become a window into the heart of commercial forests, said Mr Evans. It has been built using cutting-edge AI technologies as well as LiDAR, to detect and identify stands of trees to quantify their volume and maturity over time. It outlines the boundaries for each stand of trees and provides essential details, such as age class, area in production, and the number of stems per hectare.

Forest Insights also tracks the history of planting and harvesting, which provides valuable insights into changing inventory levels.

“This inventory data is more than statistics; it’s the key to unlocking investments and strategic decisions for stakeholders across the timber supply chain,” said Mr Evans.

Automatically detecting commercial radiata pine forests using trained Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Networks by their boundaries is “a game changer for 16 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

forestry companies”. What used to be a laborious task of drawing polygons is now replaced with the click of a button.

Additionally, Forest Insights levels the playing field for smaller forest owners, Mr Evans said. “These individuals, who own smaller woodlots or stands, can use the tool to see where other small lots in their region are maturing at a similar time and potentially co-operate to negotiate better pricing from mills.” This democratisation of information ensures that the benefits of Forest Insights extend to all players in the industry.

As a prototype it offers a glimpse into the future, with researchers already planning features that will provide additional value.

Scion is already working with the University of Canterbury to identify tree species beyond radiata pine, aligning with the Government’s goal of having 20% nonradiata pine forests by 2030. Currently, such measurements rely on people voluntarily reporting their data, making it difficult to track progress. Forest Insights intends to change that by using satellite imagery and LiDAR data from Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand to detect different tree species accurately and utilise Indufor’s dashboarding expertise.

Harvest tracking Beyond tree species identification, the prototype goes a step further by automatically tracking forest activities, collaborating with Indufor Asia Pacific who enhanced the detection training. This functionality not only helps in tracking inventory but it is hoped, with further

The dashboard view for ForesttoInsights. training, it will provide a means assess

forest damage following natural disasters.

“For the East Coast, it could also be used as a tool to reveal where planted forests are being abandoned or are no longer being harvested due to concerns relating to planting on erosion-prone land,” said Mr Evans. “For forestry and wood processing companies, this data offers a holistic view of assets and a basis for well-informed decisions.”

Dr Pete Watt from Indufor’s Resource Monitoring Team adds, “Such information provides the cornerstone for developing wood availability forecasts that underpin investment decisions and support infrastructure planning and policy settings.”

The journey of Forest Insights started in 2022 and is a collaborative effort. Scion’s data scientists have supplied all the models and data, working with Indufor Asia Pacific to create the online tool and dashboard interactivity.

Testing with a handful of industry users has yielded positive feedback, with at least one forestry company expressing interest in using Forest Insights to validate their commercial forestry decisions.

“The aim is to expand its functionality and develop layers of complexity over time.

Scion researchers have a grand vision for the prototype to serve as the foundation for a digital twin of New Zealand’s entire forestry estate,” said Mr Evans.

“Imagine having access to information on Eucalyptus trees’ age, harvest readiness, and potential markets, including their suitability for pulp and paper, or feedstock for biorefineries, all neatly presented on a map?” NZL

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Iron Test

The Sumitomo SH210 LF-6, together with the Wedgelock PowerClamp, makes post-harvest land prep safer and more environmentally-friendly.

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EST EST EST 1909 1909 1909

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SMOOTH LAND PREP OPERATION Story & photos: Tim Benseman

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Regular operator, Regan Weir, sets off to do some water controls for the loggers in the next block.

AS AN 11-YEAR-OLD SCHOOLBOY, DARRIN Kealey saw his dad walk into class in his gumboots saying he needed him to come and drive a bulldozer as he’d got one of his trucks stuck. And that’s how Darrin’s career in machine operation began.

Refinements in machinery have come a long way since then and Sumitomo’s reputation for stability, smoothness and fuelefficiency keeps it among the frontrunners in that refinement.

Darrin went into farm and civil excavator work around New Zealand and then in Brisbane and Melbourne, doing subdivision and urban work, before getting into forestry land prep back in New Zealand.

The Iron Test team visits his site in Berwick Forest near Waihola (Otago) to test his new Sumitomo SH210 LF-6 set up for land prep.

It’s just ticked over the 1000-hour mark. He currently has two Sumitomo’s and a Volvo for land prep and earthworks and a smaller five-tonne excavator dedicated to civil and farm work.

It’s fairly steep at the bottom of Berwick Forest and there’s a Madill hauler running across the valley, but this ground is nicely contoured higher up, just a bit steeper than rolling, so ideal for raking.

Starting out in land prep So, how did Darrin get into the land prep business? “It was at the start of the land

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prep era in the late 1980’s,” he says. “My Dad was driving past some forestry land and saw a dozer operator trying to rake harvesting debris - not very successfully. He approached the forestry company and asked if they had ever thought of putting a rake on an excavator, to which they answered they hadn’t. So, he cut a dozer rake down so it would fit on a digger and did a trial for them, and they were very happy with it.

It grew from that. That was in Geraldine.

He then did a trial day for multiple forest owners and ended up with four separate contracts from Nelson to Otago. “ Darrin joined the business in 2000 and bought his dad out when it was time to retire.

The Mount Allan Forest just north of Mosgiel was probably Kealey Contracting’s most challenging forest to operate in.

“It’s a hard forest,” Darrin says, “just real goat country really, a lot of hauler ground.

We got told if we could do it under a certain rate per hectare then there would be plenty of work there for us and it did end up being worthwhile after a fair bit of perseverance.

“There was certainly enough slash on the ground to make it worthwhile getting us in there and improving the plant-ability and environmental sustainability of the place.

I think some of the areas weren’t pruned as there was plenty of processing debris present in a lot of areas. We had to develop a

Above: The factory high and wide and factory high lift means the SH210 LF-6 can slot in as a loadout machine without extra expense and is also more capable in the land prep role when raking up or down slopes.

Below: With 1000 hours now on the clock, regular operator, Regan Weir has kept the SH210 LF-6 scratch-free which is good going in the land prep role.

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system of rowing up that debris in places that weren’t as plant-able so that the areas that were plantable were clear to do so. There were compacted areas, some skeletal areas with not very much soil present and other areas with more soil, areas that were sheltered from wind and others exposed to the wind.

“So, we tried to put the debris in the low-performing areas where it was efficient to do so and generally improve the forest’s re-establishment that way.

I guess it comes down to what all this is costing and what they are getting in return as far as improved growth rates, and as long as that number looks right then we’ve still got a job.

“For skids we’ll scatter smaller processing debris over them to improve the fertility and then rip lines through for the planters at the correct spacings and when you drive back through there now, you can’t tell the difference between skids and other fertile areas whereas an untreated compacted skid will generally have about half the tree growth height of a cutover tree in uncompacted ground.”

Says Darrin.

Similar to the old skids in Kaingaroa then, where it wasn’t uncommon to see up to 90% reduction in tree size on compacted skids compared to their companions in the softer cutover.

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Darrin’s first Sumitomo was a 240 model Get a grip which is “an absolute beast of a machine” A huge problem with land prep machines in that is just approaching 10,000 hours and the past has been cracked booms, so it’s a has been remarkably reliable and smooth- question we have to ask Darrin: “No cracked running. So, when it came time to get a booms now that we run thumbs. We have new machine it was an obvious choice to Wedgelock PowerClamps on our land prep go with Sumi again but perhaps a smaller machines. Prior to that pretty much every machine we had would get cracks in the one might suit better this time, he says.

“The 210 is a bit less powerful than the boom. With our push-pull rakes, now instead 240 but it is just as smooth and stable of pushing everything around and removing so you hop out at the end of the day all of that valuable duff layer we just pull up feeling fresh and not knocked around like any bunch of debris we want to windrow and some previous machines would leave you close the thumb on it and place the debris where it belongs. So, the PowerClamp is a feeling.

“Another factor was that we were really winner really from an environmental angle impressed with AB Equipment’s service because you disturb a lot less soil. It allows actually. They have plenty of mechanics at us to leave that duff layer there to fertilise their Dunedin base, so if you ever need to the new plantings and just take enough talk to a mechanic or technician about any sticks away for the planter to get through and also get down to the ground with the spade.” of their gear then that backup is there.”

Darrin spent a fair bit of time helping fight The work that Kealey Contracting does involves about 70% raking, 10% on skids a forest fire at Mount Allan back in 2010 that and 20% environmental - putting in water created quite a bit of work: “The skid sites control cutouts, silt traps and ripping on were catching fire and of course the first response is to bury those fires to stop them compacted tracks.

“The tracks that are within 20-metres spreading but it often doesn’t actually put of a waterway are fully reinstated to how them out. It just gets rid of the flames then they were prior to being formed to prevent eventually some of them flare up again and silt getting into the waterways. So, we we have to go around with the diggers and pull them right in and the trees planted in uncover them.

“We’d pick them apart for the fire fighters those areas really take off. Further away SERIOUS POWER FOR BIGdown.

TIMESome LOGGERS to hose them of those skids from waterways we’ll put cutouts in every took a fair while to put out. The thumbs 50 metres,” says Darrin.

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1: The Sumitomo SH210 LF-6 is a stable platform and the Wedgelock PowerClamp helps minimise soil disturbance by just collecting the debris required and leaving the valuable duff layer intact.

2: The Sumitomo’s stability pays dividends for operator welfare when stretching out to full reach each time to achieve efficient windrowing.

3: Combining the wide push-pull rake with the PowerClamp allows large volumes of slash to be moved effectively without disturbing most of the duff layer.

4: That gaping over-capacity in the jaws allows the gathering of scattered slash efficiently.

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The Sumitomo SH210 LF-6 with JJ’s Engineering (Mosgiel) guarding package is ready for work.

Top: Regular operator, Regan Weir, invites his dog Cash (named after Johnny Cash) into the cab for a ride.

Above: Operator, Regan Weir (left), Cash and Owner, Darrin Kealey, with the new Sumitomo.

were very useful during that fire, and I’m absolutely lost without them on a digger now. I won’t have a land prep machine without a PowerClamp on it. It’s the handiest thing you could ever put on a digger. It’s an absolute game changer and so much safer to use. Being able to hold items secure and put

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them where you want them is a great thing.”

We caught up briefly with Alex Kelly at Wedgelock in Upper Hutt. “We have been manufacturing PowerClamps here in New Zealand for many years. We have had a large run on them lately due to the cyclones in the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne areas

where there is a need for debris clean-ups in those regions. The clamps are used in many different applications, other than the obvious forestry application – there’s even one currently working on the Wellington waterfront placing rocks into the sea for the new cycleway.”

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Some of Kealey Contracting’s previous work (now replanted) illustrates how land prep organises the landscape allowing for more efficient planting, while a Madill swingyarder works in the top right corner harvesting the next block.

Operator, Regan Weir, demonstrates the economic and environmental advantages of land prepping with a Wedgelock PowerClamp.

The Sumitomo SH210 LF-6 sits stably on the ground and handles slopes well.

Wedgelock has developed a solid reputation in the industry, partly due to its well-known thorough engineering design process to match its couplers, thumbs and other attachments to each specific machine and application.

Darrin is a bit concerned about new rules regarding slash control where anything over 10cm diameter and two metres long has to be removed from a potential waterway. “What I’m hearing is this is a concerning cost. There are stories of needing to lower a machine down into areas or even helicopter grapple removal, and the cost of this would be horrendous for no gain unless a market is established for the debris.

“The most efficient way of moving that slash out of a flood zone would be a rake for the smaller stuff and a thumb for the bigger stuff. It’s going to be interesting to see how the cost pencils out for sure.”

Farm to forest “We’ve been doing quite a bit of farm to forest conversion in recent years,” Darrin says. “Unproductive sheep farms covered in gorse mostly. Perfect for pine trees. We had two more farms to do this year but they’ve both been cancelled. We’ve lost about four months of work there, so we are on the lookout for more work. We’ll probably look at getting a metal truck to expand our capabilities too.”

Looking ahead to the summer Darrin says they will likely shut down for crossover.

“That’s when the humidity number gets lower than the temperature, that’s called crossover. It indicates elevated fire risk, so everyone is kicked out of the forest and we normally go home for the day. The temperature will come down overnight so we will start earlier in the dark to make up for time lost, which is why we add LED lighting to the machine for operation in the dark. I think

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Large volumes of debris can be grabbed and moved with the Wedgelock PowerClamp on the Sumitomo. this year is going to be bad for that again as they are talking about windy weather and dry weather, and so far, the only rain we’ve had has been accompanied by 100KPH winds which dries out the rain very quickly.”

Regular Sumitomo operator, Regan Weir, agrees with the smooth and stable verdict on the Sumi. He’s been with Kealey Contracting for going on nine years and started out his operating career in ag work at a dairy farm near Oamaru.

He did some gold mining work at Macrae’s Palmerston before going into FIFO mining in South Australia where he clocked up some major air miles doing seven days on, seven days off. He was running 300-tonne machines in iron ore. When that contract finished, he came home and started with Kealey’s, running some older gear until they got their Sumitomo 240 a few years back.

First impressions? “Amazing stability.”

“The 210 is a great wee machine too. It’s

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1: The cooling bay.

2: The hydraulic pump and easy-to-service filter bay.

3: The low emission Isuzu GI-4HK1X engine. not really too much different to the 240 as far as visibility and stability goes. You feel good at the end of the day because it’s so stable.

“The most challenging block I would’ve done with Kealey’s would have to be Boulder Hill in Mount Allan Forest. The ground was just boulders. Hard to walk over. Hard to pick slash up. It’s one that always sticks in my brain.”

Favourite thing about work? “Having a great boss. That really counts. And I love my job. I like to set a goal for what I achieve during the day. I have my dog Cash to keep me company. I like to listen to country music at work and Johnny Cash being one of my favourites it made sense to name my dog after him. “ Smooth operation Hayden McCulloch from AB Equipment’s Dunedin branch says they have three of the new Sumitomo SH210 LF-6 models working in New Zealand so far. “We have strong ongoing enquiry with more units on order due to arrive from the factory shortly.

This model offers some great features and will become part of the stable of Sumitomo forestry machines on offer in New Zealand.

They are all in root raking, farm lot forestry and land prep roles.”

With diesel prices still high and world events unlikely to lower them in the near

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5 4: Plenty of fire extinguishers on this machine.

5: The air cleaner and Donaldson Top Spin.

future, the Iron Test team would like to know fuel economy. Smoothness in operation is what Sumitomo has been doing about fuel something that Sumitomo works very hard efficiency as there is a rumour going around on and takes great pride in achieving. Their that they have been making some good dash 3 model even had the word PAX on it which means Calmness in Japanese. progress.

“Of note to loggers as well is that the “Yes the SH210LF-6 has achieved a 14% reduction in fuel consumption in comparison SH210 LF-6 is factory high and wide and with our DASH 5 series,” Hayden says. “This comes with the High Lift boom so it’s set was done by fusing the new generation up for load out as well if required. Weighing engine system, the SPACE 5+ and the new 24,300kg from factory, this makes it easy hydraulic system SIH:S+, further refining fuel to transport between job sites and easier to manoeuvre while also having outstanding efficiency.”

Hayden adds that the newly developed stability and lift in the boom.”

Isuzu GI-4HK1X engine made at Isuzu’s Tochigi plant in Japan is also reducing emissions. The GI-4HK1X is in Sumitomo’s 250-sized machine as well as this 210 - it’s just derated to 117KW from the 250’s 132KW (which is also derated from the maximum 147KW the new engine is capable of). The SPACE 5α engine technology optimises fuel efficiency and environmental performance via the advanced common rail fuel injection system, a cooled EGR system, and variablegeometry turbochargers.

How about that smoothness the Sumitomo machines have become known for?

“The smoothness and fuel economy go hand in hand,” Hayden says. “By monitoring the hydraulic demand and adjusting the TheFOR Wedgelock PowerClamp/hitch/ SERIOUS BIG TIME LOGGERS engine horsepower accordingly, it delivers POWER a rake combo makes land prep a breeze. smooth operation while also achieving strong

ALWAYS SWING A BIG STICK

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Iron Tester: Tim Benseman

Full reach THIS SUMITOMO IS A GREAT LAND prep machine. Smooth and stable. One of the key differences between a logging operator and forestry land prep op is that the latter is reaching out fully almost every time they perform a manoeuvre, so smoothness and stability at full reach is number one.

This machine has the heavy-duty boom for forestry and the high lift which is good for getting the boom and stick up closer to the cab when sidling through narrow road cuttings, raking up debris, squeezing between log stacks and the like. Without a high lift in land prep you have a few frustrating moments and can also get your rake stuck on top of the cab if the rake isn’t set up right for the machine. This boom is about a metre longer than some other brands as well, so that adds to its capability and efficiency.

Climbing up into this machine it has that familiar rock-steady Sumi feel to it. Kind of hard to believe it’s only a 210-sized machine actually.

Owner, Darrin Kealey, told me I might have an issue running this with the Cat controls but I have a Cat 320 of my own so I wasn’t fazed. Turns out my old Cat is running Hitachi controls so I actually didn’t know what I was on about and quickly concluded that there should be a law against different digger controls.

I managed to perform the basic land prep tasks but there were a few times I went to do one thing and another thing happened and I had to stop and scratch my head for a sec to figure out WTF was going on.

Tracking back and forth in the raked rows, this machine is nice and stable with minimal jolting and smooth power. The reason I think it’s a great land prep machine is that smooth power and stability are what operators really need to stay in the land prep game.

It’s all too easy to get wound up in high SPH blocks where every push-up of debris leads to two or three stump strikes, rattling the operator. Then when they draw in the

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stick for the next push the rattled nerves can tend to kick in and before you know it, the inside of the cab turns blue and you hope nobody is listening to the obscenities being muttered or shouted depending on the severity of the conditions.

I used to have to button back throttles sometimes by 70% and yet still hit target and, just as importantly, didn’t have to get a full replate done on my booms. There were a few small cracks here and there though.

The gun op in the crew I was in had about $10,000 worth of plates and engineering work done on his boom inside 6000 hours and those plates covered the entirety of both sides and half the underside and top of the bend in the boom and, within 2000 hours, more cracks had started to appear.

All that extra weight must have played havoc with the balance too.

So, it’s great to hear Darrin hasn’t had any issues with cracks.

That Wedgelock PowerClamp is the answer to a land prepper’s prayers too.

After spending years on a raking and spot mounding machine in Kaingaroa before I went logging, the only real frustration was being put into a root wad farm or being told to rake full stem windthrow. Of course, a rotating grapple would be ideal but there was never enough of it to warrant getting one as you’d need to change it out to a rake or mounder within an hour anyway.

The PowerClamp cures those problems, making the job faster and safer as the alternative back in the day was balancing windthrow stems on the rake and hoping they didn’t end up pivoting off some obstruction and colliding with the cab. For stump farms the PowerClamp really earns its keep as, instead of attempting to play a frustrating and dangerous game of digger soccer, you can just grab the root wads and show them who’s boss and the Sumi has the power and stability to make that a breeze too. These stumps could get out of control on hillsides above roads so these would need to be closed prior, costing a

Iron Tester, Tim Benseman. considerable amount. So, getting a grip on these items is a very fortunate thing to happen. And, of course, loading the odd stash of firewood offcuts onto the ute is also a breeze with this attachment.

I like the push-pull rake on this machine as it is just the right width to minimise stump strike and still be effective. They aren’t as fast as a push rake for raking alone but when you need to hook a stump and drag the machine up a steep spot they save a heck of a lot of time, and to have a thumb you need that push-pull design to work optimally.

I would definitely enjoy running one of these machines full-time as the handling is so smooth and capable and well matched to the implements. It makes life a lot less stressful and gives you a sense of accomplishment that isn’t overshadowed by the stresses of struggling with a less stable machine. NZL

Regular operator Regan Weir and his dog Cash get back to work clearing up some more slash.

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Women in Forestry

34 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

Story: Ian Parkes

A

S A YOUNG GIRL, HALEY ADAMSON always preferred caterpillars to butterflies but it was moving from earthmoving into building forestry roads that has made the biggest change in her life.

Having a dad who ran an earthworks contracting business certainly smoothed the path for her into a career driving heavy machinery but there was nothing automatic about following in her dad’s footsteps.

As Haley points out, there are plenty of other forestry and earthmoving operators whose daughters haven’t wanted to jump in the cab; in fact many have been keen to do almost anything else.

So it’s still almost as much of a nice surprise for her when she sees another woman at the wheel of a big rig or, like Haley, driving a digger, as it is for most of the boys in the construction and forestry businesses.

It’s been a gradual transformation. Haley has been in this man’s world for nearly 20 years – she had a couple of years off when she had her son, Layton, but these days, she is seeing more women at the controls.

Recently she paid a visit to the team at her former employer, Goodman Contracting, and heard they had several women working the machinery there, not just in the office.

There isn’t a wall of prejudice against women doing jobs that, last century, were almost exclusively male, certainly not among Haley’s workmates. And, in her experience, employers seem to think more women in the workforce would be a good thing.

In 2021 she moved to Kieran Oliver Contracting in the Wairarapa, jumping straight into building and maintaining forestry roads operating a Sumitomo SH300.

“People do look at you like, ‘oh, a woman driving’ but then they also look at you like, ‘that’s cool, a woman driving!’ because you don’t often see that.

“No-one’s ever really looked down on me in that area. They’ve always praised me: ‘you’re doing real well’. They reckon women look after the gear better too, and keep it tidy. Just like your cabs and that, sweeping them out at the end of the day. Looking after them, whereas some men don’t take pride in them. My boss also told me women tend to calm the guys down.”

Opposite: Haley in her element.

Above: The Metre Eaters at work.

December 2023/January 2024 | NZ LOGGER 35

Women Forestry Looking in Back Haley can’t personally verify that because she doesn’t know what it’s like when she’s not there.

“But I do think there’s a different atmosphere. I don’t want to get big headed… I don’t know if it’s me but they do… there’s a respect. I dunno, I love our crew. We’ve got a great crew.

“They always encourage and praise me and tell me I’ve done a good job and I have to tell them, ‘if I do a sh*t job you have to tell me so I can better myself’ but they are awesome.”

That doesn’t mean they have to be on their best behaviour, at least not around Haley.

“If they give me sh*t I just give it straight back,” she says. “It’s not like sexist. Just a bit of banter, cheeky. Smart remarks or something and I bite back. Just joking.”

What do they joke about? “My short little legs. Nah, that’s just Brodie.”

Brodie is the other member of Haley’s road crew.

“He drives the bulldozer and we just motor along. We’re ‘The Metre Eaters’.”

Digger and dozer Happily, they get on well, which is pretty essential when there’s so much teamwork required between the two of them on their current job building a logging road in the Glenburn Forest – Haley driving the Sumitomo 30-tonne digger with Brodie on a Komatsu 85-tonne bulldozer.

Driving a digger is one thing but there is so much more to forestry roading.

“Me and Brodie will build the roads and do the water tables and build the silt traps and put some culverts in them and flumes, and we’ll work out how much metal we need and the trucks will stockpile it.

“Then we’ll get our trucks onsite and we’ll metal our road as well, we’ll grade and roll it. Brodie normally drives the grader but I did the last road. Usually I either load out or jump on the roller. I don’t mind having a change on the roller.

“We’ve got a good big roller which compacts the road; makes it hard for logging trucks. It’s really important to keep your maintenance up, especially with your water controls.

“On a rainy day if we can’t do one job we go and do maintenance. Got to make sure your water’s going in the right place, and the water can help bind the road.”

Forestry work has literally opened new horizons for Haley. She says the best part of her day is getting to work each morning.

“Ordinarily people say ‘home time’ but I 36 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

Above: Haley aged 19 and her dad, after the birth of her son, Layton.

Left: Portrait of some of the family, from left: Sister Tanya, mum Gail, dad Steve, brother Casey, sister Josie and Haley.

like getting to my job – especially when it’s sunny. I don’t like the dust in the summer but we get some awesome views. At the moment I’ve just built a road up the top of the ridge and you can see the sea, and quite often I’ll send my brother a photo and say it seems nice and flat for fishing, just the views...”

In the three or four months they have been working the forest, Haley and Brodie have built 8km of the 33km assigned to them. They are also building 63 skids; they have built 17 so far and there’s 25 pads to build.

It’s a job that should keep them busy for the next couple of years and Haley couldn’t be happier about that.

“This is the first time I’ve been working in forestry and I love it. You see deer. I have to stop and take a photo every time.

You don’t see that in earthmoving but in forestry it’s, ‘oh look there’s a deer’... I’ve seen heaps of them, and pigs, but I’ll stick with the deer. And I’ve been learning about the trees.

“It’s just amazing some of the scenery you see, the places you go. I could not sit in an office all day.”

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Just another day in the office.

Never could, says Haley. Her first real job was labouring, working for her dad, Steve Adamson. Her mum and dad had an earthmoving business, SR Adamson Contracting, run from a yard alongside their home in Mangaroa Upper Hutt.

“Diggers, trucks and graders. My dad loved his graders. He built the main highway in Upper Hutt. My grandfather 38 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

worked for the Ministry of Works. They called him The Bull. Dad worked alongside him, then got his own business.”

Haley had three brothers and two sisters and she would be one of those kids who went along with Dad on a Saturday morning sharing the cab.

“When I left school, I did a few courses.

I did a farming course. I remember

building a retaining wall up the back of the Akatarawas, and on a Friday they would take us surfing.”

But she soon found herself back at the yard.

“I started working for Dad when I was 16, labouring, and when the boys would jump off their machines at smoko I would jump in them. And once I got a bit better, Dad would let me on them.”

Haley wears the trousers with Brodie (left), and boss Kieran: “That’s all he ever wears – I’m used to his legs now”.

Family business Her eldest brother, Jason, owns and runs a couple of diggers and second brother Casey also works for Haley’s employers, Kieran Oliver Contracting. Her other brother, Philip, is a painter. Of the three sisters, Haley is the only daughter to have stuck with the big boys’ toys.

“I was a tomboy as a kid. I was always out

there with the boys. I was always outside playing in the dirt.”

Her eldest sister, Paula, is married, with twins, and lives in Australia and her second sister, Tanya lives in Upper Hutt. Tragically, Haley’s youngest sister and youngest in the family took her own life, when she was 18 and Haley was 21.

“I was working for my dad at the time.

I remember sitting on the roller doing a carpark and I just couldn’t stop crying. I had to go to grief counselling.

“It had a big impact on me. She was in Upper Hutt, flatting with her friends. I didn’t think she’d do anything like that, to be honest. You are always wondering why.

You’ve just got to keep going. I decided I needed to live life to the fullest.”

December 2023/January 2024 | NZ LOGGER 39

Women in Forestry

Haley admits to having a rough time for a while but landing a job at Waikanaebased Goodman Contractors in 2011 eventually put her on the right road.

“I was driving dump trucks, then my first digger – there was a 45-tonne digger, so a bigger one. I ended up getting my bulk earthmoving certificate with them and eventually I was driving this 74-tonne digger… so the big gear, I loved it – but not so much anymore.

“It’s slower – you’re just loading dump trucks with the big gear. I think it was 41/2 buckets to load a 40-tonne dump truck. It’s repetitive so after a few years you just want to have a change. I did drive

other stuff for Goodmans – compactors, bull dozers, the dump trucks. They were forever teaching us on the gear.”

She stayed with Goodmans through to 2020, then brother, Casey, landed his job with Kieran Oliver in the Wairarapa.

Casey and his girlfriend had a child which prompted Haley’s mum and dad to move to Masterton, her dad also finding work with Kieran Oliver.

Haley says her mum and dad were married for 35 years and were very happy in Masterton but then Haley’s dad died suddenly. She moved to the Wairarapa to be with her mum. She also landed a job at Kieran Oliver and discovered the whole

new world of forestry.

Haley now shares a flat with a flatmate in Greytown, living there with her son, Layton. He was working with his father in Featherston who installs spouting, but Layton had to give it up as he was diagnosed with agoraphobia, so he’s currently between jobs.

While Haley followed in her dad’s footsteps Layton’s aversion to open spaces means he’s unlikely to follow in his mother’s.

“Both his father and I love the outdoors, so we don’t know where that’s come from,” she says.

Making forestry road: It's a big job and Haley's doing it.

40 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

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Women in Forestry Home schooling Meanwhile, while Haley doesn’t claim credit for it, it’s quite possible she has helped inspire her flatmate to make her own way into the world of heavy machinery.

“She operates a loader for Higgins, she’s just got into it and she loves it.

“She was working at a timber yard. She did a bit of logging QC-ing then went back to the timber yard but she wanted to drive a heavy machine. She managed to get on a course in Palmerston North which then got her a job at Higgins. She went and got her class 4L today.”

Haley is pleased more women are getting to grips with heavy machinery and would encourage more women just to give it a go – but not too many! As a dyed-in-the-wool tomboy, she enjoys working with the boys.

“I’d like it if there were more – but not too many more. I’ve always got on better with guys but I do love seeing another woman come in on a logging truck. Actually, we’ve got a young girl that drives a truck and trailer for us. I think she’s only 21. It’s cool.

I love seeing it. I take my hat off to the women that give it a go because it’s still a male-dominated industry.”

Haley installing corduroy over a soft spot.

42 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

Haley says getting a digger to work with real fluidity is just so satisfying and she has no doubt more women could do it, and would enjoy it, if they would just give it a go.

She says most people she sees on the forestry roads have seen her before but she still surprises the odd new logging truck driver.

Clearly she is also enjoying expanding her skillset and meeting the fresh challenges that literally come with the territory.

When conditions get too bad for cutting new roads in the winter, for example, the crew will often go clearing slips in other places. “You’ve got to watch the fords. You don’t want to get stuck in the forest. You’ve got to the watch the wind… the trees, if it’s too windy.

“I love my job. It’s the crew you work with, as much as anything. I always seem to end up with great crew. Love operating machinery, love being out in the bush seeing the wildlife and this job I’m doing, it’s quite a big job.

“I’m sure a lot of women have never thought about doing it and if you got them out there and they had a turn, eh, I dunno,

they could love it.

“They are missing our beautiful country! our beautiful scenery. They just need to get out.”

Tackling challenges So, how would a woman inspired by Haley’s example get started? Haley says she was lucky in growing up with heavy machinery and having access to it, and that Goodmans recognised her potential. “They put me through all my licences, so I was very lucky and very grateful.”

She says while the trucking industry is crying out for new recruits, the forestry industry is in a downturn, and if they are hiring, they are looking for experienced staff.

“But you know you’ve got to train people to get them on the ladder. You always start at the bottom and work your way up. They need the licences.”

Haley says her flatmate is a good example. She went on a benefit and the Ministry of Social Development paid for a course in Ashurst that got her a Class 2 and roller traction wheels qualification. She was pleased Higgins Contracting gave her

SA O IN

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the opportunity to start out.

After getting more women to think about a career operating heavy machinery, creating a pathway into the forest in manageable steps would be the next challenge – and that’s what makes Haley’s story still so inspiring.

She created the opportunity for herself.

She built up her experience in earthmoving, mostly on the Wellington Northern Corridor, taking her to the point where she could take on a broader task.

“I’ve done Mackays to Pekapeka. I dug out the Mackays to Pekapeka expressway and did some work on Transmission Gully – just seeing them completed, you know, ‘I dug this bit out’.

“I enjoy a challenge and that was a challenge.”

Remembering too, a heart-stopping moment operating her digger on a platform of logs while digging out peat and feeling it start to slide. She caught it in time. She’s never sunk a digger yet and she certainly aims to keep it that way.

Besides the views, working in the forest has given her many other tasks to learn and more judgement to exercise. “We work on some steep terrain too and that’s always a challenge.”

And she says having taken on responsibility for a whole road is pretty exciting. “This is only the north block, we’ve still got a south block to do. You’ll be blown away at how many roads we’ve got to do.

“We started that from scratch at the forest entrance, so to see the end of that would be awesome.”

Apart from seeing more women in heavy transport and earthmoving, Haley says the biggest change she has seen in nearly two

Above from left: Mum Gail, half-sister Paula, Haley, sister Tanya and brother Casey.

Right: Haley always likes to make time for a deer pic.

decades has been the increase in Health and Safety maintenance and environmental protection.

“It’s there for a reason. And the environmental, that’s getting tighter but it’s only looking after our country isn’t it?”

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Women in Forestry

women seem to have less of a problem with those things.

“Everything’s on an app these days, so there’s less paperwork. I used to be the person that filled out the hazard form since the males didn’t want to do it. I’d hand the book round for them to sign and I’d say ‘hey you are meant to read it!’ So, I just read it out to everyone.”

Looking ahead Haley says she’d love to run her own gang one day. “I’d love to buy a digger but I’m quite happy where I am at the moment. I plan to buy my first home next year. In the Wairarapa. It’s beautiful here.”

Her flat looks out on sheep grazing in green fields with the Tararuas, snowcapped in winter, in the background. And the views only get better when out on the ridges in the forest.

“We do have a yard in Masterton but I don’t need to go there unless I need a top-up of grease or something. We always set up in our designated parking area for our machinery and drive to the machinery and do our fuel ups and grease ups. Keiren gives us all company utes, all the diesel and everything.

“Keiran looks after us. Keiran and Ren (Keiren’s partner, Rhiannon Bradey) are good bosses. The hours are a bit longer than maybe working in a shop though but you get used to that.”

She offers a final word of advice to any women in whom this stirs the slightest curiosity. “Get in there give it a go. Anything’s possible and you could love it.” NZL

Haley Adamson is a member of Wāhine in forestry which represents a dynamic and inclusive collective dedicated to supporting women in the forestry sector of New Zealand.

This growing community of wāhine from various areas of the forestry sector comes together to exchange personal and professional insights, learn from experts, network, provide support and celebrate women’s contribution to the industry.

44 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

Above: The 74-tonne digger that could load a 40-tonne dumptruck with four and a half buckets.

Below: Part of the Kieran Oliver fleet on the road.

Biomass

LOOK TO WOOD BIOMASS FOR ELECTRICITY IN DRY YEARS Story: Jim Childerstone Forest Services

R

ECENT GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS ON ELECTRICITY supply during power shortages briefly mentioned “logs” to generate that extra power.

This was apparently part of the “battery” options, particularly during dry periods for hydro.

It was to also achieve up to 100 percent locally-sourced renewable energy generation for this country.

It's known as torrefaction of woody biomass energy.

The technology behind this latest innovation has the potential to add a significant bulk product to our forestry industries.

So how does this work?

In fact it is a major breakthrough, using our forestry resources to boost a low-cost energy source to replace fossil fuel.

That is for both domestic and industrial space heating and electricity production.

The product, known as torrefied pellets, is the next step up from biomass wood chip currently replacing coal fired boilers

throughout New Zealand.

Thanks to the latest trials by Genesis Energy at its Huntly Power Station, up to 600,000 tons of imported coal can be replaced through little modification to at least two of its 240 megawatt (mgw) boilers.

And Genesis Energy is dead keen to go ahead with a permanent supply.

In the trial at Huntly 1000 tonnes of torrefied pellets were imported from Canada, but in future this could be processed by large-scale plants locally.

The project basically also backs up Government’s proposal for added electricity supply during droughts and extreme weather events. Read climate change.

Cutting greenhouse gases There has been little mention of the Lake Onslow hydro scheme lately, although alternative solar and wind energy still appear in the mainstream media.

C 0

M D 0 The Doppstadt chipper being fed whole trees for chipping.

Could this be followed by a torrefaction plant for pelleting?

46 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

0

Replacing coal for electricity cuts a massive tonnage of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere, not counting carbon miles.

Wood biomass equates to less than 10% of CO2 emissions compared with coal. And rotational production forests continue to sequester carbon.

Much of this work is to do with research on torrefaction of wood residues into high-heat-producing pellets equal to coal in calorific value per gigajoule.

Genesis reports that two of its 240 mgw boilers would provide the extra power needed in an average dry year.

Eight of its early coal boilers have slowly been decommissioned and pensioned off.

Wood chip supply for boiler conversions has steadily increased here, but so far there has been little development for torrefied black pellets.

This could make a huge difference to New Zealand’s energy supply based on the sustainable renewable exotic forestry industry, also providing a boost in jobs.

However, it is recognised by stakeholders that this would mean using more low-grade logs instead of exporting them to China.

Currently mostly pulp log, reject timber and slash is used for space heating, now known as white wood biomass.

But there is competition with demand by MDF plants and manufacturers of particle board. Also, domestic firewood merchants.

Development of torrefaction plants could be established with little delay, with a low carbon footprint compared to other products.

Torrefied pellets.

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Looking at speculative figures, it is possible to establish a torrefaction plant capable of producing around 50,000 tonnes of pellets annually (minimal volume for Huntly in a dry year). Cost: an estimated $70 million.

The off-gases from torrefaction which contain a lot of CO, are captured and burned to provide the required heat, or at least most of it. Depending on the moisture content of the biomass (chip or hogged residue) coming in, there may need to be some energy derived by burning some of the incoming feedstock stream.

A big plus with pellets is that they can be stored for about five years before use.

Opportunities abound Ideally a torrefaction plant established within 125km of Huntly would be the most cost-effective, particularly if slash from Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay could be used. Other plants could be built elsewhere depending on demand.

Much of white wood chip production is processed by mobile machines feeding chip liners with direct supply to users.

Some, such as Canterbury Woodchip Company and Wood Energy in the South Island have built drying barns aided by chip-fired boilers.

It would seem that torrefaction facilities could be added to these enterprises.

During the torrefaction process, wood is subjected to 230 to 3000C temperatures at atmospheric pressure in the absence of oxygen.

Wet or dry pieces of wood, up to 10cm in length (hogged) can undergo torrefaction which can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour. The duration depends on the particle size and temperature.

During the torrefaction process, water and volatiles are removed from wood. The wood experiences two stages of breakdown,

Top: A mix of binwood and branches which should be stacked separately for biomass recovery.

Above: A skid site log stack can include between 15-20 percent low grade KIS grade export logs which could boost biomass wood chip production.

Below: The mobile Doppstadt chipper filling the chip liner.

W Tu ha

S Tu th te

P E D P Y T 48 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

*A

hemicellulose first and then cellulose and lignin. As the hemicellulose is broken down, the wood becomes more brittle, like coal, and can easily be crushed ready for pelleting.”

Much of this work has been done under laboratory conditions using radiata pine.

Research has found that normal oven-dried wood had an energy density of 16 to 18 MJ per Kg while torrefied wood had improved to 20 to 21 MJ per kg, putting it on par (energy density-wise) with sub-bituminous coal.

Currently hydroelectricity supplies 55.2% of the nation’s power – gas 21.8%, geothermal 12.2%, wind 7.6%, biogas, waste heat and wood only 1.7%.

Wood biomass is mostly used for space heating although three North Island wood processing plants feature generators using extra steam to run plant.

To replace coal at Huntly, it could require up to 650,000 tonnes of torrefied pellet during extreme dry periods. Thus, continuousrunning torrefaction plants would be required to fill what could be a highly varied demand.

But the length of storage time for black pellets would be a big plus to fill the void when necessary.

It would appear overall costings and a virtual nil carbon footprint, as well as established on-shore processing, would be a huge boost to our electricity supply and job opportunities.

This could involve some of the $385 million of Government’s Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) funding for plant establishment.

Torrefied pellets, part of the Genesis Combustion Trial.

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Biomass

LOWER GREENHOUSE GAS ALTERNATIVES Story: Jim Childerstone Forest Services

S

UPPORTERS OF WIND, SOLAR AND OTHER HIGH TECH electricity supply, as well as various battery systems, can advocate nil carbon emissions.

True, when structures are up and running, but that is only half the picture.

But whoa. What about the greenhouse gas emissions to mine, transport and manufacture the structure needed for our renewable energy?

Add increasing demand and global population blowout, let alone the drastic negative environmental impact with extractions of metals, elements and materials required to keep up with demand.

Finally add the carbon footprint in the separations and manufacture of these materials to build energy plants.

While fossil fuel energy replaced by wood based biofuels, presents a major factor in reducing CO2 emissions, it does not attract media attention.

Yet wood products are a major resource, not only boosting our economy, but with multiple products helping mitigate climate change.

To put things in perspective, we need to factor in some facts and figures, and a certain amount of practical common sense.

First of all, let’s look at electric vehicle (EV) transport which is most reliant on lithium-iron batteries among other metals such as cobalt and rare metals.

To produce one tonne of lithium from hard rock mining emits 15 tonnes of CO2. Similarly for cobalt. (Source: National Renewable EnergyLabs USA) The mining, separation, production and manufacture of rare metals (such as neodymium) results in toxic lakes and radioactive waste.

Currently the world’s lithium mines only supply one tenth of EVs. So how many more extraction plants are going to be needed. And where?

Wind turbines, up to 165 meters high to top of blades, take between 66 to 79 percent of steel, 11 to 16% of fibre glass and plastic, 5 to 17% of cast iron, one percent copper and 0.2% aluminium. More than 600 tonnes of concrete and steel is required for the base.

Usually 30 years is given before major maintenance is undertaken. So far wind turbines provide 7.6% of New Zealand’s renewable electricity.

How many more wind farms will be needed, and what’s the carbon footprint as demand increases?

Solar panels require a diverse list including aluminium, zinc and rare metals, requiring considerable volumes of water with much the same lifespan as wind towers. Separation also requires hydrochloric acid, causing pollution in Chile’s Atacama Desert for example.

Extraction, transport, separation and manufacture of one tonne of aluminium is reported to have a footprint of 4.80 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

50 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

Recent research into wood-based fuels has calculated that 30% of fuel oil/diesel imported into New Zealand could be processed onshore from vegetative biomass.

The carbon footprint was reported to be under 10% compared with fossil fuels, as mechanised harvest operations emit CO2.

But with production forestry, cutover land is replanted, mitigating emissions.

In fact, from one dry tonne of timber, 1.8 tonnes of CO2 is removed from the atmosphere through carbon retention.

A more sustainable future Looking at the overall picture, New Zealand’s forestry resources present a far more sustainable future for both energy- and woodbased products.

The fibre, cellulose, ligneous resins and chemicals available in our forests provide most of the ingredients needed for our communities.

That ranges from building construction to space heating, solid and liquid energy replacing fossil fuels, steam generated electricity, health based oils and furnishings.

A proven trial indicates that dry-year electricity supply using Huntly Power Station generators supplied with wood pellets would make up the shortfall.

As per the previous pages, Huntly imported 800,000 tonnes of Indonesian coal in 2020 to boost supplies. The wood pellet trials saved 970,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2023.

And while we are at it, why do engineers and architects insist on using steel beams, concrete and other non-renewables when designing multi-story buildings? (aka the new Otago University hostel).

Engineered laminated beams are proven earthquake- and fireresistant constructs in these buildings.

Just to add some more data, this time from the University of Otago Physics department; hydro generation provides only 55.2% of total electricity, gas 21.8%, geothermal 12.2%, wind 7.6%. The rest includes biogas, waste heat 1.5%, wood residues, refuse 1.7%.

Total available biomass from forestry residues, municipal sources, orchards, wineries, plant nurseries and the like was calculated at over 11 million m3 per year.

Forest residues totalled half this amount, of which less than two million tonnes was processed to replaced converted boilers from coal to wood chip.

Added to the list of potential resources, we may factor in the tonnage of low grade export logs, such as pulp and reject log, as additional sources.

In summary, forestry is a low emission based industry with the added factor of climate change reduction demanded by the Climate Change Commission in its attempt to reach carbon zero by 2030.

This includes all vegetation capability for sequestering greenhouse gases, including grasses, shrubbery and native and exotic trees. It's just that some exotic conifers are quicker at achieving this when time is of the essence. Latest weather events indicate time is running out fast. NZL

To an 130 pe

THURSDAY 20 – SATURDAY 23 of MARCH 2024, tH

rd

TD33754

PAIHIA, BAY OF ISLANDS

REGISTER ONLINE NOW: www.nztruckanddriver.co.nz/truckers-loggers TOURNAMENTSPONSORS:

FICA.ORG.NZ

your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002

roundIng up 2023 The Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) has ticked off a lot in this last 12 months. We’ve been able to capture funding and network with others to support the industry with new initiatives, plus some initiatives started pre-COVID have finally been completed. Here is a roundup of some of the highlights this year: EDUCATION 1. Model contract template project launched 2. ROVE advisory group completes ‘blueprint’ for vocational training 3. Mates 4 Life pilot completed in Hawkes Bay 4. Be a Mate : Hei Hoa Te Ngahere forestry-centric wellbeing programme underway for 2023/24 5. Monthly webinars bringing experts in on business support topics 6. Part of a Hauler Guarding Technical Advisory Group to establish an industry best practice guide 7. Involved in Toroawhi and Safetree Certification Governance 8. Yarder Tower Inspectors Certification Programme stepped up to professional Management 9. Steering Group for the Industry Transformation Plan 10. ACOP Review support and industry input 11. Silviculture / Migrant Worker Guidelines – being a good employer 12. FENZ Partnership opportunity 13. MOU Partners and lead in Training & Education Entity 14. Pio Terei Wellbeing Video Series during Cyclone Gabrielle and A-OK support

PROMOTION 1. Immigration Class Exception for forestry workers received 500 places 2. Fast & Forward Forestry EXPO 3. Celebrating 20 years of FICA 4. Find Your Fit in Forestry radio – newspaper – social media – TV campaign 5. Support and judging panel for Micro Innovation Competition 6. “Doing it Real” Contractor good bugger stories on video 7. State of the Nation PR through media during Cyclone Gabrielle crisis 8. Promotional stand at the National Fieldays Forestry Hub

FICA wishes you all a Merry Christmas with your families and loved ones. Here’s to waving off the end of 2023 and getting on with a new year, refreshed and prepared!

PRUE AND THE FICA BOARD

FICA.ORG.NZ

Prue Younger to retire as FICA CEO in March 2024 After six years at the helm, FICA CEO Prue Younger will retire from her role on 31 March 2024.

During her time as FICA’s CEO, Prue has led the organisation through both prosperous and challenging periods for forestry contractors, including the pandemic and significant log market downturns, as well as some highlights like the 2022 FICA Fast and Forward Forestry Expo, bringing together various parts of the industry with forestry front and centre.

“I have totally enjoyed my time with FICA and have worked on some projects I’m very proud of. The decision to retire wasn’t easy for me to make, but the role has been a full-on one and it’s time for me to take a step back and enjoy more of a balance between work and life,” says Prue.

“While I will miss the people and the fabulous relationships built across the industry, I’m also looking forward to being able to move to a more flexible life ahead. I look forward to seeing where FICA goes from here as it also takes on a progressive stage forward.”

FICA is recruiting for a new CEO. See more at fica.org.nz or contact FICA Chair Nick Tombleson nick@tomblesonlogging.co.nz

WEBINAR RECORDING

National Environmental Standards - Commercial Forestry 2023 The Government has recently released the changes to the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry. The implications of these changes are significant and apply from 3 November 2023. Staff involved in the planning and organisation of all forestry operations need to be aware of these changes.

The webinar was presented by Heather Arnold, PF Olsen, to over 135 attendees and has now been made available online along with Heather’s presentation and the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry) Amendment Regulations 2023 document.

See more at fica.org.nz/blog

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Pirtek have established ourselves as a trusted partner for the logging industry and FICA. Our comprehensive range of products and services are tailored to meet the unique challenges faced by forestry and logging professionals.

Here’s why you should choose Pirtek: Safety: Prioritizing the health and safety of your employees and equipment through rigorous standards and best practices.

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Choose Pirtek for a brand dedicated to understanding the unique challenges of the logging industry, providing reliable solutions to help you maximize efficiency and productivity of your logging operations.

Contact us today to learn more about our products and services.

Take The Next Step! Visit our website at www.pirtek.co.nz, email nz.enquiries@pirtek.co.nz or call 0800 747 835

December 2023/January 2024 | NZ LOGGER 53

FICA.ORG.NZ

Count Down to Christmas – watch for stress and complacency It’s that time of year again, with Christmas fast approaching. For most of us it will be good to finish up and forget about this year and look forward to 2024 and the hope of more stability in the industry.

This year has had a series of ups and downs for most with plenty of downs, Christmastime this year will potentially be stressful for many due to being on reduced production and the like. Look after each other and if you’re feeling stressed ensure you talk to someone and don’t bottle things up.

Complacency can start to creep in at this time of year, so now is a good time to include in tailgate and safety meetings the need for workers to remain on task, focused and continue to follow safe work practices.

Everyone is looking forward to having a break, but we need to remain focused for the coming weeks to ensure the year

can be finished with no unnecessary incidents.

Make sure your work plans are kept updated and are being followed. Ensure you assess the controls implemented to manage identified hazards to ensure they are still adequate to control the risk.

Enjoy the Christmas break with family and friends sinking a few cold ones, cranking the BBQ up and hopefully catching some good-sized fish!

Keep safe over the Christmas break and look forward to a positive 2024.

Brady Clements HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSULTANT

CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHT

2 minutes with Connor McCormick, McCormick Logging FICA went out to Kaingaroa Forest to film the Contractors Doing it Real Series. Here’s a snapshot of our time with Connor McCormick from McCormick Logging.

“Me and my wife Harriet bought this business from my father Kerry almost two years ago.

“We’re a mechanised swing yarder crew based out of Rotorua. Staff travel from Taupo, Murupara and Rotorua.

“A typical day for me, I’m up at quarter to four. I like to start my day out here with the guys and make myself available to help out wherever is needed.

“The best thing about the industry would be the range of people you meet, the environment you get work in, especially being a hauler crew with the views you get, it’s a bit of a bonus.

“The benefits I see of being a FICA member are you’re part of the industry voice, you’re not going it alone.

You’ve got the buyer discount with N3 and the like, which you can pass onto your staff as well, and just the opportunity to network with other members.”

FICA.ORG.NZ

your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002

AB Equipment Forestry Fieldays a Success AB Equipment recently hosted a two-day Hawke’s Bay and Central North Island Forestry Fieldays, showcasing the latest world-leading forestry machines in action. FICA was pleased to support the event, with Prue Younger speaking at the opening dinner and a FICA shouted lunch at Westshore Beach Reserve.

After a night in Napier, the first logging site visit was to Dan Mouatt and his team at Bay Forest Harvesting Ltd’s site at Ridgemont Road off the Napier Wairoa Road SH2. The group saw a Tigercat 180 Swing Yarder running an Acme Carriage, a newly launched machine and the first of its kind in New Zealand. They also saw a Tigercat LS855E Feller Buncher with a Tigercat 5195 Felling Head, Sumitomo SH350-5 Processor and a Sumitomo SH240-5 Log Loader in action. FICA shouted lunch at Westshore Beach Reserve before heading on to Taupo for a customer evening.

Back on the bus the next morning, the group went to a second logging site near Turangi to see Thomassen Logging’s Ground Base operation working in a Wind Blow Forest with a Tigercat 890 Processor, a Tethered Tigercat 875 Logger and 625E Log Skidder, Tigercat LS855E Feller Buncher with a Tigercat 5195 Felling

Head, Tigercat 620H Log Skidder and a Sumitomo SH3740TLW Log Loader.

AB Equipment Product Manager Mark Hill says there has been really good feedback from the event.

“There was lots of networking throughout the Fieldays and the feedback has been really positive. We’ve had more than 26,000 views on Facebook which is awesome,” he says.

“Things are pretty tough at the moment and lots of Thank you to all of the organisations who support FICA, w logging contractors don’t always get the opportunity business growth and improved safety and efficiency amon to get out and about, so it was good to get out the people benefit of New Zealand’s Forestry Industry. and have a day or two away while looking at someone else’s gear.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS BUSINESS PARTNERS

FICA Partners

“Thanks to FICA, Bay Forest Harvesting & Thomassen Logging for supporting the event.” www.abequipment.co.nz

GOLD PARTNERS

TO JOIN, CALL 0800 342 269 OR SIGNUP ONLINE AT FIC

FICA Partners

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

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

BUSINESS PARTNERS

GOLD PARTNERS

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

Safety/performance/quality

The new norm?

HERE WE ARE FAST APPROACHING THE END of another year.

I’m sure you would all agree it has been a year full of challenges, weather events, market events and a lot of uncertainty that continues to impact our industry and the people within it.

Some of the issues being faced appear as though they could be the new norm.

So, like everyone else, we will need to regroup and adapt to changes to continue to bring this competition to you in the new year.

Until then, we celebrate the success of more top performers in the current year.

In the new year we will bring the Period 4 results, our overall top individuals and top crews for 2023.

As this is the last issue of NZ Logger for 2023, we take the opportunity to thank you all for your support throughout the year and wish you all the best for a safe and relaxing break over Christmas and the new year and look forward to catching up again in 2024.

Keep yourselves physically and mentally well!

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

The crew from Heslip Forest Contracting are amongst the consistently top performers.

56 NZ LOGGER | December 2023/January 2024

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 who have all participated in or continue to influence the way in which we operate.

We understand the commitment it takes

from them to be part of Top Spot and value their ongoing support and feedback.

Our ongoing thanks to: Rayonier/Matariki Forests, Wenita Forest Products, Ernslaw One, OneFortyOne New Zealand, Crown Forestry, Forest View Contracting, Makerikeri Silviculture (2020), Mitchell Silviculture, Puklowski Silviculture, Gutsell Forestry Services, Johnson Forestry Services, McHoull Contracting, Wayne Cumming Contracting, Howard Forestry Services, Inta-Wood Forestry, Heslip Forest Contracting, Otautau Contractors, X Men Forestry, Proforest Services, FM Silviculture, Tane Mahuta, Waikato Forestry Services, Rai Valley Silviculture, Thomassen Logging, Forest View Logging, Griffin Logging, Penetito Forestry, Pride Forestry, Mangoihe Logging, CMH Contracting, Kaha Logging, Roxburgh Contracting, Te Waa Logging, Mike Hurring Logging, Bluewood Logging, Storm Logging, Onward Logging, Down and Out Logging, Forest Pro Logging, Eastside Logging, Lahar Logging, Moutere Logging, JD Harvesting, Whisker Logging, Kimberly Logging, Dewes Contractors, Dempsey Logging.

Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

Contact Shane Perrett on 0274 781 908, 07 3483037 or at primefm@xtra.co.nz. NZL

Another of the consistently high-performing crews, Otautau Contractors.

Safety/performance/quality

Dave Waitoa, Kimberly Logging 22.

Joe Gilvray, Kimberly Logging 22.

Arapete Collier, Kimberly Logging 22.

Value over convenience

A practical solution to a temporary fix for a chainsaw mitt while waiting for a new mitt on order to arrive.

Better than the alternative – to do nothing.

Above left: The tree in the middle of the photo is the easiest to fell but the best tree to keep in terms of form and dominance. The tree immediately next to the thinner is the tree to be taken out.

Above middle: You can just see the thinner preparing a corridor into which the selected tree needs to be felled (the orange shape in amongst the branching).

Above right: The prepared space into which the tree will be felled shows the additional work required to fell the right tree.

December 2023/January 2024 | NZ LOGGER 57

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NEXT GENERATION CAT FOR PETER STEPHENS

NEW SANY FOR MANA LOGGING

Terra Cat has recently delivered this new Next Generation Cat 538LL forest machine to Peter Stephens who has put it to work in Kinleith Forest, Tokoroa. Operator, Jero, says he loves the new machine which features a rear-entry cab providing him with comfort, safety and greater visibility. The 538LL has an Ensign 1730 grapple and was delivered by Shaun Hunter from Terra Cat.

Shane and Mel from Mana Logging have taken delivery of a new SANY SY415H. This machine is equipped with a Woodsman Pro 850 processing head and will join the Mana Logging team in Gisborne. Sold and serviced by Shaw’s.

NEW MACHINERY FOR JENSEN LOGGING Jensen Logging has taken delivery of the first John Deere excavator conversions delivered with a processor. The machine is set up with a Woodsman Pro 850, working in Kaingaroa Forest for Timberlands and operated by Yannick Royal. It arrived on Russell Jensen’s birthday and the crew was treated to a birthday cake for smoko!

LG33636

DOUBLE DELIVERY FOR PULLEY CONTRACTING These two new Next Generation Cat 950 wheel loaders are the latest additions to Pulley Contracting’s Mount Maunganui-based operation.

The loaders replace the older 950M model, and the operators say they are enjoying the improved power and in-cab comforts the Next Generation Cat units have to offer. Machines sold

by Mark Costello, Terra Cat Territory Account Manager Forestry.

December 2023/January 2024 | NZ LOGGER 59

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62 NZ LOGGER | December October 2023 2023/January 2024

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December 2023/January October 2024 2023 | NZ LOGGER 63

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