Friday Offcuts – 4 August 2023
Click to Subscribe - It's FREE! The NZ Government, following devastation from Cyclone Gabrielle (and Cyclone Hale just a month earlier), announced yesterday a raft of measures from the review undertaken on past and current land-use practices and the impact that woody debris, including forestry slash and sediment across the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions. In all, 41 of the 49 recommendations have been picked up. First up, co-ordinated actions and funding have been set up to remove woody debris, remove silt and repair damaged infrastructure (for which, local forestry crews and companies have been working tirelessly with affected communities since February).The longer term, improvements around forestry management, relating principally to the review’s recommendations around harvesting practices, will be resting with the local District Council and the regional plan currently being updated. The Government for their part plan on updating forestry management standards at a national level which will include national guidance on forestry slash risk management and addressing risks of slope failure and slash mobilisation. Details on the announcement, industry and community response and the sector-led measures that the forest industry has already implemented in both regions have been covered in several stories this week. Across the Tasman, building on the success of last years’ efforts, The Ultimate Renewable™ 2023 campaign was launched in Canberra on Monday. It will be going live across Australia on 20th August. The AU$1.8 million campaign is designed again to help educate and reshape consumer perceptions of our industry. It’s being launched across free to air television in a number of top-rating programs, streaming video, out of home, radio, and social media. This year, the messaging is being extended from wood as a building material and will be covering everything from seedlings through to the final product as well as reinforcing the ability that wood has to tackle climate change for future generations. A wide range of free-to-access campaign materials are being made available to the wider industry for their own promotions through the The Ultimate Renewable™ Digital Toolkit, on the new website. In the technology space this week, in line with last week’s Residues2Revenues 2023 event that ran for the local industry, NZ Bio Forestry has announced that they’ve just signed a MoU for a joint research and commercial programme to develop a suite of biochemicals from Pinus radiata with Japan-based Refine Holdings. Already, five years has been invested by the NZ company having completed technical feasibility studies and commercial validation to form biochemicals, bioenergy and biomaterials with pine at scale. We've also included a short video clip detailing how one company, Port Blakely, has been working with local companies in their South Island forests to better utilise wood residues post harvesting. Finally, in automated tree crop operations, we’ve got an update for you this week on recent commercial trials with the Swedish manufactured mechanised planter, the PlantMax. It’s quite a different concept to using specialised planting heads on the front end of an excavator. The machines have been trialled successfully in Brazil, Sweden and Canada. For the first time in Australasia, planting is being undertaken, after a postponement at the start of this year’s planting season, in the Hawkes Bay region by Pan Pac Forest Products. Enjoy this week’s read.
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AU$1.8M 2023 Ultimate Renewable™ campaign unveiled
After a successful campaign in 2022, FWPA’s The Ultimate Renewable™ 2023 campaign was launched in Canberra Airport on Monday, 31st of July and will go live across Australia on 20th August. The imagery in the new television commercial and campaign challenges the current consumer perceptions of forestry, showing harvested and then replanted trees to reinforce The Ultimate Renewable™ positioning. Click here to visit the new website. The new campaign will launch across free to air television, streaming video, out of home, radio, and social media, and is once again presented by popular ambassador Adam Dovile, builder and television presenter. While last year’s message focussed primarily on wood as a building material, the new campaign extends the communication from seedlings to final product and promotes the transgenerational benefits of wood. Accompanied by videos and images of forestry and children in wood-rich environments, the messaging conveys that by growing and using more certified wood we can tackle climate change for future generations. “This is an opportunity to reshape consumer perceptions of the industry,” said Sarah Downey, Head of Marketing and Communications at Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA), “people are naturally saddened when they see images of a newly harvested forest area, but what they don’t think about is the climate-change-tackling carbon stored in the wood that’s been removed from the atmosphere by growing trees and the replanting of the trees for future generations.” “Sustainably sourced wood is an important renewable building material, and we should be supporting and celebrating the renewable aspects of its production and use.” The 2023 campaign is expected to achieve great results after the previous campaign resulted in one quarter (25%) of Australians recalling seeing at least one of The Ultimate Renewable™ messages. The 2023 media buy will see the commercial run throughout top-rating programs such as The Block, Seven and Nine news and both AFL and NRL matches, including their finals series via video on demand. To truly understand our audience and their perceptions, we launched a comprehensive research journey and have undertaken a brand-new approach to our digital strategy. The launch of a new website coincides with the launch of our 2023 campaign and is a fantastic resource to help you promote The Ultimate Renewable™ message.“ To learn more about this strategy, click here. Our goal is to facilitate meaningful connections between individuals and sustainable materials. By empowering people to make responsible choices, we aim to benefit both individuals and our planet's overall well-being. Through captivating showcases, we aim to demonstrate the beauty, sustainability, and exceptional versatility of forest and wood products. Our intention is to inspire and motivate our audience. We are dedicated to conducting thorough research, presenting information, and fostering collaboration. Our objective is to dispel misconceptions and provide clear, concise information about choosing wood products. We firmly believe that by shedding light on the remarkable potential of sustainably sourced wood, we empower individuals to make informed decisions that align with their values. Our commitment lies in equipping people with the knowledge and understanding necessary to make choices that have a positive impact. Together, we can contribute to a more sustainable future. A wide range of free-to-access campaign materials will be available in The Ultimate Renewable™ Digital Toolkit, on the new website. The materials include videos, digital banners, and carefully crafted content that we encourage you to share with your own audience. Together, we can champion sustainability and amplify The Ultimate Renewable™. Source: FWPA Government actions East Coast land use report
The NZ Government is backing a comprehensive package of action around land use in Tairāwhiti/Gisborne and Wairoa, Environment Minister David Parker and Forestry Minister Peeni Henare announced yesterday. The package supports the findings of the Ministerial Inquiry into the devastating East Coast weather events of 2023. “We’re committed to change based on this report,” David Parker said. “Each of the report’s recommendations was carefully considered, and we are firmly focussed on reducing risk and setting this region up for sustainable longer-term change. “Our response has two phases: immediate actions, then building resilience,” David Parker said. Forestry Minister Peeni Henare said phase one includes action to remove woody debris, as well as work to understand how best to ramp up efforts to remove woody debris that’s at risk of further damaging downstream infrastructure for the longer term. “The Government has already made NZ$10.15 million in funding available to enable the clean-up of up to 70,000 tonnes of slash. An initial NZ$3.54 million of the fund has been distributed to councils across Tairāwhiti and the Hawke’s Bay to commence clean-up operations, with a further NZ$2 million being administered through Te Puni Kōkiri directly for whenua Māori. “The NZ$10.15m is a start. But it’s clear more needs to be done to address the problem of woody debris and manage the risks to life, assets, and the environment. Other Government assistance for cyclone-related recovery in the region includes NZ$202 million for silt and debris removal in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti (see below for more details) and NZ$205 million for immediate roading repairs in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa announced this week. The Government will progress improvements around forestry management, responding to the Inquiry’s recommendations related to harvesting practices. “Responsibility for more active controls on forestry harvesting in the region rests with the Gisborne District Council, through specific measures in its regional plan that it is now updating,” David Parker said. “This is why we are helping the Council by providing a statutory resource management advisor, so it can more quickly develop new resource management measures that are fit for purpose. This is not a reflection on the Council – rather, it recognises the scale of the task that it faces. “Alongside the advisor, the Government will also appoint a facilitator to build partnerships, including with the forestry industry, landowners and Māori interests, to support an integrated approach to the recovery. Further, the Government is updating forestry management standards at the national level. This will include national guidance on forestry slash risk management and addressing risks of slope failure and slash mobilisation. This will assist the Council in updating its plan.” “We’ve met regularly with the forestry industry and Māori with an interest in forestry,” Peeni Henare said. “They are also committed to change and are actively working with central and local government to reduce known risks. Again, we recognise and thank the Ministerial Inquiry for their carefully considered report. We are committed to taking meaningful action in response,” David Parker said. Ministers Parker and Henare will report to Cabinet by the end of the year on initial delivery of the response. More >> In response to the announcement, the Eastland Wood Council welcomed the Government announcement and is committed to continuing industry efforts to restore social license. Read more However, some East Coast locals stormed out of the announcement, upset at a perceived lack of urgent action. Read more Cyclone response efforts following land use reportA suite of sector-led measures the forestry industry has implemented since the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use are being highlighted, as the industry continues pushing for change. Letters to Government Minister and agencies ( East Coast Letter & Hawkes Bay Letter), released on Wednesday, detail the recommendations already being implemented in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay by respective industry groups, Eastland Wood Council - Te Kaunihera Pororakauo Te Tairāwhiti (EWC) and Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group (HBFG).CEO of the Eastland Wood Council, Philip Hope says: “Some of the recommendations in the Ministerial Land Use Inquiry released in May talked about limiting clearcut size. Our members have taken this on-board voluntarily as part of efforts to reduce future risks,” Mr Hope says. “In Tairāwhiti, we have also voluntarily implemented intensive wood removal plans for high at-risk slopes where appropriate. We are working on an equitable wood debris programme to guide future remedial work with our partners, Gisborne District Council. There is no silver bullet, but there are a lot of initiatives underway that complement each other.” HBFG Acting CEO, James Powrie, adds: “Catchment specific harvest planning is also being practised in some of our forests,” Mr Powrie adds. “The Pakuratahi Land Use Study is being repeated in Hawke’s Bay with involvement from a range of stakeholders, including industry and iwi. It is a unique opportunity for forward looking research and education into improved land use across farming, forestry, and native forest restoration activities.” Both letters acknowledge ongoing clean-up efforts including hundreds of hours tidying up beaches, the adoption of woody debris protocols and the continuation of the use of science and technology to manage slopes. “The impacts and scale of these cyclical weather patterns are astounding when they occur. While Wairoa was not as badly impacted by woody debris, saturation from six months of record rain and then this major event has taken a huge toll in Hawke’s Bay,” Mr Powrie says. “It can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach for Aotearoa. The challenges in Tairāwhiti and the challenges in Hawke’s Bay are not identical, which means the ongoing responses in each area vary too. I am proud of the way our people have stepped up to help in the face of devastating weather events, but we are not done yet,” Mr Hope adds. Looking to the future, Philip Hope acknowledges there are further initiatives on the table. “Ultimately, where the risks of slope failure cannot be mitigated due to the highly erodible soils, there may be cases for retirement of land from productive use and not building on high-risk flood plains. That is something that we will consider as well. We need to continue to collaborate at a sector level with GDC, iwi and mana whenua to tackle the most pressing issues and find the right way forward,” Mr Hope says. James Powrie also notes the critical role that mature relationships with local and central governments will play in fostering enduring change. “In Hawke’s Bay, we have a pulp mill to process poorer quality logs in the region, and a wood fired power facility. This plant processes forest residues, removing them from the forests. Gisborne doesn’t have these initiatives in place as it currently stands,” Mr Powrie says. “As an industry, we need central government to help us create an environment for investments like this. We also need a nuanced approach to land use, and site-specific treatment of the risks and impacts from debris and sediment,” Mr Powrie adds. Both Mr Hope and Mr Powrie acknowledge there is also work to do to restore the social licence which was impacted in the wake of the cyclones. “Forestry remains an important part of the economic and social fabric of who we are as a country. As an industry, we are committed to working hard to regain the trust and confidence of our community,” Mr Hope says. About The Eastland Wood Council– Te Kaunihera Pororākau o Te Tairāwhiti The Eastland Wood Council (EWC) is an incorporated society which provides a collective voice for the forestry industry in Tairāwhiti, for the benefit of Tairāwhiti. Members reflect the supply-chain and include forestry companies, forestry managers, contractors, trucking organisations, Eastland Port, ISO (stevedoring), timber mills and export. Tairāwhiti has 163,156 hectares of planted forestry and EWC members represent more than 130,000 hectares of production forestry. Planted forestry makes up just 20% of total area in Tairāwhiti. About the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group Hawkes Bay is growing 165,000 hectares of highly productive plantation forests of which 127,180 hectares are managed by members of the Hawkes Bay Forestry Group. 
Plantma Forestry commercial planting trials expanded
Successful trials with the Swedish manufactured mechanised planter have already been undertaken in a number of countries. The last few months where their machines have been operating have been a real challenge with cyclones, wildfires and drought combined with heavy rains and flooding. For the first time in Australasia, planting will be undertaken, after a postponement at the start of the planting season, in the Hawkes Bay this season by Pan Pac Forest Products. In other markets, planting machines have had to stop during day time and run at night to mitigate the risk of fires. Production has still been achieved, even during these limitations, in both Sweden and Canada. As part of the ForestTECH 2023 series this year in November, early results from planting using the Plantma machine by Pan Pac will be able to be shared with forestry companies and tree crop managers for the first time on both sides of the Tasman. Programme details for the annual November forest technology series can be found on the ForestTECH 2023 event website. Updates from other key markets include; Brazil Timber has been on tour throughout 2023 with their first PlantMax X2 doing demos with many of the major companies and in collaboration with IPEF. Both pine and eucalyptus seedlings have been successfully planted. Their MidiFlex scarifier has been used in new ways and both hardware and software have had updates and they’re currently working on adding more (retrofittable) features to the machine to be able to do even more tasks in the same run, like subsoiling and fertilizing. Holmen, Sweden For a while now, it has been obvious to Holmen, a large Swedish Forest products business, that for a number of reasons they need and want to mechanize a large portion of their reforestation. According to Holmen’s evaluation of planting quality, where they’ve looked at planting spot, depth and straightness immediately after planting, PlantMax has the same level of quality as manual planters: 96%. Holmen has now formed a dedicated project group to work on different aspects of mechanization, from logistics to site planning and criteria for choosing the most suitable sites etc for mechanised planting. Canada During the fall of 2022 a second run of planting was done with JD Irving, planting 345,997 seedlings in just 3 weeks. The Plantma X machine has now been rented out for a production run with their own operators. The group have also made some changes to the MidiFlex scarifier to be able to handle more of the sometimes very heavy slash load, and moved the machine around to find out where the limits are re the quality of planting. JD Irving has already planted more than the 500,000 seedlings using the Plantma Forestry machine. Further details can be found on the Plantma Forestry website. Source: Plantma Forestry 
NZ Bio Forestry signs biochemicals MOUJapan based Refine Holdings and NZ Bio Forestry have recently signed an MoU in Tokyo. This MoU outlines a joint research and commercial programme to develop a suite of biochemicals from Pinus radiata for the automotive, technology, EV battery, and solvent markets.NZ Bio Forestry CEO, Wayne Mulligan, says NZ Bio Forestry has invested five years in refining Pinus radiata at tonne scale. “We have completed the technical feasibility and commercial validation to form biochemicals, bioenergy and biomaterials. This work with Refine Holdings will be undertaken with our Taiwan partner, INSPIRA Applied BioSolutions which owns the proprietary bioconversion technology platform. “We’re focusing our biochemical platform to meet the needs of Refine Holdings in illustrating how biochemical refining enables development of non-fossil energy, material, and chemical products. We are proud to be working with Refine Holdings in Taiwan and Japan,” Mulligan says. “NZ Bio Forestry believes Aotearoa-New Zealand can be at the forefront of connecting with exciting markets seeking new and globally relevant biochemical applications.” “We are excited to cooperate with NZ Bio Forestry and hope that this project, which realises effective use of unused biomass resources in New Zealand, will provide practical chemical products such as organic solvents all over the world,” President/CEO Dr. Yasuhito Kawase of Refine Holdings said. “Combining recycling of those solvents is one of the Refine group’s specialties. We aim to achieve a true cradle-to-cradle-circular bioeconomy. We aim to be a role model of a sustainable society,” he says. Source: NZ Bioforestry PF Olsen NZ Log Market Report – July 2023Market SummaryLog prices are increasing in China as log demand remains steady and buyers react to tightening supplies. Inventory of New Zealand pine in China has dropped by 0.5m m3 in the last month. AWG prices increased slightly in July, and larger AGW price increases are expected for August. New Zealand suppliers need to be cautious they don’t increase log production too much and oversupply China. A small increase in shipping costs will partially offset the AWG gains from CFR log price increases in China. Domestic Log Market New dwelling building consents in New Zealand continue its downward trend this year. Indeed, there has been a downward trend since the peak of March 2022.
This is not a good sign for mills who already report lower demand for the sawn timber they produce. Export Log Markets Export AWG prices AWG prices in the North Island only increased marginally as competition for logs had kept the prices artificially higher than market fundamentals. Log sellers in the South Island received about an average 15 NZD increase in AWG prices in July. This reduced the AWG price differential between North Island and South Island ports back to normal levels. China China softwood log inventory has decreased slightly to about 3.7 m3 with radiata stocks dropping about 0.5m m3 over the last month to 2.6m m3. Port off-take has remained steady ranging around 70-75k m3 per day while supply volume has reduced significantly. Log shipments from New Zealand was about 1.4m m3 which is well down on previous highs of 2m m3 a month. In July the CFR price for A grade radiata logs in China increased to 110 USD per JASm3, and the market expects August sales will range around 115-120 USD per JASm3. Domestic wholesale log prices in China increased through July as buyers react to tightening supplies. Many of the larger forest owners in New Zealand have removed the production restrictions they had placed on their crews. This will increase volume to China. Countering this increase, many smaller forest owners are still not willing to start harvesting at the current price level, so as harvest crews complete jobs, their next job is unlikely to start. Winter is also not a good time to start a new harvest block with increased roading costs. The China Caixin Manufacturing PMI unexpectedly fell 0.4 points to 50.5 in June. Manufacturing conditions picked up for the second month in a row, but at slower levels then in May. Any PMI number above 50 signals manufacturing growth. India Prices for green sawn timber in Kandla are stable at 511 INR per ft3 for timber from South American logs and 551 INR per ft3 for timber from Australian logs. Kandla is expecting four log shipments from South America and four shipments from Australia during August. The market in Kandla is waiting to hear MPI NZ decision regarding issue of phytosanitary certificates for India bound shipments without fumigation at origin, for which Indian Plant Quarantine has given a temporary window till 31st August 2023. Tuticorin is receiving pine logs in containers from South Africa and USA at CIF 91 to 113 USD per metric tonne. Green sawn timber is sold around 600 INR per CFT. More >> Scott Downs, Director Sales & Marketing, PF Olsen Ltd Source: PF Olsen Port Blakely’s move to in-forest biofuel recoveriesAndrew Cocking, Port Blakely's South Island Regional Manager at last year’s Residues2Revenues event detailed the company’s progress and early innovation around extracting biofuel from their South Island forestry operations.Trials on binwood recovery started back in 2018 with one of their hauler crews. In-forest chipping followed with cartage, storage, drying and chipping on skid sites within their forests and contracts for the biofuel set up with local companies. Residue recovery benefits include increased utilisation of forest residues, reduction of environmental risks, a reduction of slash on landings, productivity gains in establishment and compliance with NES PF and consents. In this video, Andrew tells us a little bit more about the company’s journey to improve wood fibre extraction out of their forest estate and how their company is looking to best meet the current local demand for wood fibre. Presentations from last week’s Residues2Revenues 2023 in-field chipping workshop and conference have this week being sent out to all event delegates. Images from the event can also be seen here. And to show the company’s real ability to think outside the square, Mitch Cooke, Business Manager of Port Blakely NZ Essential Oils at last week's wood residues event detailed the company’s vision to diversify their forest operations, going from initial sampling and testing and pre-feasibility studies back in 2018 to the construction, commissioning and now commercial production and sales of Douglas fir essential oils (US$300/kg) from one of their forests in North Otago. Action urged over impending summer fire risks
The upsurgence of global wildfire events is an early warning for potential large-scale fires in New Zealand forests and rural landscapes this upcoming summer season, says the New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF). NZIF president, James Treadwell, is calling for better coordination and management of these fire risks, saying there is an urgent need to prioritise at-risk land management issues over deployment of firefighting aircrafts and building of more fire trucks. Fire risks specific to New Zealand are the vast areas covered by self-sown exotics or retired hill and high-country tussock grasslands, which were historically burned every seven to ten years by lease-holding farmers. “The ceasing of these practices has resulted in an accumulation of fuel across the hill and high-country landscape throughout the country,” Treadwell says. Previously, much of this landscape had lower fuel loadings, enabling swift containment of unwanted fires. This is no longer the case. Wildfires destroyed 5,043 hectares of self-sown exotics and tussock at Lake Ohau and 2,230 hectares at Pukaki Downs in 2020; and consumed 5,088 hectares of tussock grassland at Deep Stream in 2019. The shift from a La Niña to an El Niño weather pattern across New Zealand this summer is anticipated to significantly elevate fire danger levels, particularly in the East Coast, and could compound the wildfire risk. “Landscapes and rural communities in the South are at particular risk of fire due to the incoming El Niño weather patterns, unless appropriate mitigation activities are undertaken,” Treadwell says. The NZIF strongly urges Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to collaborate more closely with landowners and forestry professionals to promote and ensure better management and support in reducing fuel loadings in the hill and high-country environment, to raise fire prevention awareness and preparedness and to develop tighter protocols for prevention and avoidance of fires in the rural environment including power line maintenance and automatic cutouts, and restrictions on high fire risk activities during times of high fire danger. “Specifically, NZIF would like to see focus directed towards reducing fuel loadings on areas covered in self-sown exotics and controlled fuel reduction burning on Public Crown lands. “A comprehensive training program, to ensure there is a sufficient resource of rural forest firefighters who can safely operate in tall timber, hill and high-country environments, is also sorely needed,” Treadwell says. “Such a program would reduce reliance on urban community-based volunteer firefighters and the excessive deployment of aircraft to contain landscape fires.” A centralised fire service entity for urban fire protection and fire management in the forest and rural landscape was established in 2017. However, James Treadwell says the fire response-driven culture within FENZ isn’t what’s needed to address the present risks, rather a proactive approach towards land management and preventative practices, is what’s needed. Failure to take corrective action to protect New Zealand’s forest and rural landscapes may lead to repeated forest losses as witnessed from past wildfires – akin to the wildfires we are currently observing in Greece. The NZIF wants to stress the importance of learning from history to avoid devastating consequences to our whenua. Collectively, we need to front foot these fire risks through collaboration, education and proactive management. “If immediate steps are not taken to consider land management measures, such as fuel load reduction and firebreaks (including green firebreaks); and the intensification of a fire training program, we risk leaving a detrimental legacy for the generations of land managers and foresters who follow” Treadwell says. Source: New Zealand Institute of Forestry Advocacy positions produced by Forestry Australia
Forestry Australia has released a series of two-page Position Statements to better inform members and the community of its position on a range of issues. Designed to be short, sharp and easily understood, the first five in a series of position papers covers the areas of Ecologically Sustainable Forestry Management; Forest Fire Management, Forest Fire Recovery and Restoration, Sustainable Forest Harvesting and Forest Research, Development and Dissemination. President of Forestry Australia, Dr Michelle Freeman said the organisation is seeking greater recognition by policy makers, media and the wider community of balanced science-based positions on important forest policy and forest management issues. “It is important to have easy to read, up-to-date information and resource available for members, the forestry sector and the community on important forestry topics, particularly those that are frequently in the media, and which are relevant to future forest policy decisions,” Dr Freeman said. “Each two-page Position Statement explains the context for the specific topic and presents Forestry Australia’s position, with supporting information. I want to acknowledge the significant amount of work that has been done over the last two years by several volunteers and the Science Policy Officers to consult with the Forestry Australia membership, review and synthesise these Statements.” Dr Freeman said the Position Statements can be used widely by Forestry Australia members and forest sector stakeholders. “When advocating with policy makers, having a concise well written position paper to speak to and leave with the policy maker enables more effective communication,” Dr Freeman said. For those interested in the first five topics they can be found clearly on the Forestry Australia website or here: Ecologically Sustainable Forestry Management Forest Fire Management Forest Fire Recovery and Restoration Sustainable Forest Harvesting Forest Research, Development and Dissemination Source: Forestry Australia  CNI Generation Programme students graduate
The third Generation Programme run at Toi Ohomai Institute NZ Tokoroa completed on Thursday 15 June with a 'Matariki' celebration. The Matariki cluster of stars signifies the start of the Maori New Year and Hiwa-i-te-rangi, one of those stars being associated with granting of wishes, and realising aspirations of the coming year. The seven graduating students are now working towards realising their aspirations. Zshawnee Uatuku took up a role with FAST Harvesting on Monday 19 June. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Lorraine or affectionately known as 'Aunty' - an accomplished machine operator at FAST Harvesting. Zshawnee was keen to get her boots on the ground and start her career in 'Forestry'. Zshawnee is the third Generation Programme graduate to be offered a role with FAST Harvesting. FAST have been a wonderful ambassador for the programme and along with all the support from our industry adds to its success. Another student Cavelle Heat, the granddaughter of Lorraine or 'Aunty' is starting work experience with Brown Logging, another wonderful ambassador for the programme. Brown Logging also employs two other Generation Programme graduates, one being Rawiri Te Hiko. Rawiri took out the Generation Programme Graduate of the Year Award at the 2022 CNI Wood Council Forestry Awards. It was great to catch up with Rawiri on a recent trip with Peely and Cavelle to 'Crew 44' and hear Peely, one of the owners, describe Rawiri as awesome! No job too big or small, he just gets on with it and with everyone. Rawiri is a credit to the programme. The Timberlands Ltd sponsored Generation Programme run at Toi Ohomai Institutes Waipa campus in Rotorua has also recently completed. This was a 'pilot' programme made possible through the support of Timberlands Ltd, the forest management company for the iconic Kaingaroa Timberlands Forest Estate. A partnership aimed to support delivery of one of Timberlands seven strategic Restorative Development Goals - Prosperous Communities: Help local communities become prosperous through the provision of an employment pathway....' Late March six students embarked on this journey with five to graduate from the programme. Robert Delemere of Murupara was so keen to start his career in forestry that the Ministry of Education granted him an exemption to leave school before turning 16! Rob has sucessfully completed the programme and is now working full-time with Makov Enterprises Ltd, a Silviculture Contractor. The sole 'Wahine' Cinderah Halkyard McIvor, inspired by what she saw on the programme and more so who she met, has her sights set on becoming a machine operator. Cinderah has elected to further her forestry education and has signed up to the NZ Certificate in Forest Harvesting Operations (Level 3) - strand in basic machine and landing operations, Cinderah will learn to correctly operate, maintain and sharpen a chainsaw and cut logs to length and to safely operate a forestry machine. For these students the opportunity to realise their aspirations was made possible through the financial support of Timberlands Ltd and the various field trips and presentations across all facets of Timberlands operation. The Generation Programme is taking a break for the rest of this calendar year and they will be offering programmes in the first term of 2024. They are sincerely grateful to everyone who support the programme and our funders. Source: Central North Island Wood Council New Site Manager appointed – Tumbarumba Mill
Hyne Timber is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristina Kaminski as the new Site Manager of the Hyne Tumbarumba Mill. Kristina has been the Mill’s Operations Manager since joining the company in February 2023 and this recent promotion to Site Manager makes Kristina the first female to ever to hold the role. In making the announcement, General Manager of Supply, Joe Trevaskis said Kristina brings extensive experience in high-paced manufacturing, “Kristina has been working with Hyne for several months, learning the industry and effectively building relationships during that time. “She is a Biomedical engineer having gone from quality managing the manufacture of hip, knee and shoulder implants to more recently, as Operations Manager for Visy then Hyne Timber. “In addition to this manufacturing experience, Kristina demonstrates a genuine care for people development and was a stand-out to lead our Tumbarumba team into the future. “I would like to congratulate Kristina on this promotion and value her contribution for the best interests of the Tumbarumba Mill. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Darren Wright who held the Site Manager role previously and will now be taking on the role of National Projects and Reliability Manager.” Mr Trevaskis said. Originally from Germany, Kristina relocated her family to Tumbarumba at the start of the year and very quickly, grew a love for the town. “Tumbarumba is my home now and I am very proud to take on the role at the helm of the Mill which is such a significant part of our community”. “People are my focus with the benefit of working for a family-owned company with family values. As the Site Manager, I also look forward to my increased community and industry engagement as well as leading the team on site.” Kristina said. Source: Hyne Timber 
Young apprentice grows new forestry skills
NZ forestry apprentice Neihana Brewer is a man of few words, preferring to leave it up to others to speak of his attributes, including Graeme Benge, his employer at Fast Harvesting in Tokoroa. Graeme says the 21-year-old is an example of a future forester passionate about the industry. “Neihana understands that by being adaptable and taking all opportunities that come his way, he shows he has what it takes to be a leader amongst his peers. He’s a valued member of the Fast Harvesting team because he is a good listener, a quick learner and has a positive attitude that has made him respected by his crew.” Fast Harvesting has 55 staff and six apprentices on its books. Neihana is one of those learners, already a highly skilled machine operator and currently on track to complete his apprenticeship in Forest Harvesting Operations (Manual Tree Faller) (Level 4) qualification this year. “Earning and learning while gaining experience and qualifications is invaluable, and people don’t end up with debt to repay at the end of their study,” says Graeme. “The opportunity to complete a forestry apprenticeship gives people a sense of achievement, pride and ownership. They’re the future of one of New Zealand’s primary industries. “Apprenticeships add value to our business as any person at any age can achieve a higher level of education and qualification and have a feeling of self-worth.” The whānau has certainly played a significant role in Neihana’s career choice. His father worked in forestry, so Neihana “knew a bit”— and his uncle (Cuz Brown), a well-known Competenz Te Pūkenga assessor and career logger in his own right, also encouraged him to look at forestry as a career. “It made it easy, and I also have a couple of good mentors inside and outside the company. Forestry is a good career. Being outside and the tree-felling side of things is the best job. It keeps you young and fit! Fast Harvesting is a good company – everything is done right to keep us safe.” Competenz Te Pūkenga training advisor Jan Nikora describes Neihana as very mature and willing to learn. “He’s not afraid to ask for help and has a good support system around him within the crew. They allow him to do his assessments during work hours. He has integrated assessments and daily work training note-taking for maximum time management and gets paid for it — can’t get better than that, he reckons!” Quarterly visits by Jan ensure Neihana is keeping on track and progressing with his training plan. Jan is proud of her relationship with the people at Fast Harvesting.“It’s these relationships that help support Neihana on his learning journey. I’m so privileged to watch these apprentices mature and transform over the time we work together. Neihana has embraced the journey to becoming a well-respected, professional forestry worker.” Source: Competenz  Climate change: direct measures’ to adaptJust two in 10 of NZ forest growers are taking direct measures to adapt to climate change, a first-of-its-kind study suggests.That’s despite most foresters having a good awareness of climate-driven risks – from new pests and diseases to extreme weather and wildfire – increasingly facing our industry and its billions of dollars of assets. Recent years have already brought a slew of disasters that a changing climate is likely to bring more of: notably the destructive 2019 Pigeon Valley fire, the following year’s Lake Ōhau blaze, and February’s Cyclone Gabrielle, which damaged swathes of North Island forestry and sent tonnes of silt and slash into East Coast rivers. But the new Scion-led research marked the first time that our third largest export-earning sector has been canvassed on climate adaptation. To date, study leader Dr Grace Villamor said, most climate-related research on forestry had instead been focused on how it could help lower net emissions. “Preparing for the effects of climate change is an important part of making our forests more resilient, and so we were interested to know more about what forest managers are doing.” Over three months in 2021, her team surveyed 60 growers from organisations that collectively manage more than 70 per cent of our plantation forests. They were asked about how they thought they’d be affected by climate change, what they worried about most, how they were adapting, and what barriers were stopping them. About 60 per cent of respondents thought it would worsen the impact of pests and diseases, while making wildfires more frequent. Yet fewer than half thought climate change would affect their forest growing – and just 21 per cent were taking direct adaptation measures. More >> Source: NZ Herald Jobs
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