Forest Talk

Jim Childerstone, long-time columnist for NZ Logger, recently passed away. Along with forestry and writing, he was a man of many talents – fencer, shearer, shepherd mountaineer, keen sportsman and ‘there wasn’t much he couldn’t shoot between the eyes with his trusty 303, says his wife Margot. 

His love of nature began at an early age when living with his aunt Jeannie and uncle Kim Ferguson in  Arrowtown during the mid-forties. Kim ..... more

As part of research aimed at improving wood quality and producing materials to support New Zealand’s bioeconomy, Scion has launched the world’s first field trial of gene-edited conifer.

The Crown Research Institute has implemented the advanced gene-editing technique known as CRISPR that lets scientists turn off a specific gene within the pine’s complex genome. This helps them understand what that gene does – which in turn builds understanding of how ..... more

A new tax incentive, “Investment Boost”, that allows businesses to immediately deduct 20% of the costs of new assets (or second-hand assets purchased from overseas) – such as machinery, equipment, tools and buildings – from taxable income on top of the existing depreciation write-offs, came into effect last month. This can also be applied to investments that were started before the 22 May, if they are available for use the first time after that date.

Janus Electric Holdings, the pioneering Australian manufacturer of electric truck conversion systems and swappable battery infrastructure, commenced trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) last month, marking a major milestone in the commercialisation of zero-emission transport technology.

Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Janus Electric, Lex Forsyth, says following a successful $8.8 million capital raise, backed by a group of instit..... more

In a landmark acquisition, forestry and sawmill business, OneFortyOne, has taken ownership of the former New Forests-managed Limestone Coast plantation forestry estate. This marks a significant milestone in Australian forestry investment. 

OneFortyOne CEO, Wendy Norris, says the acquisition represents the first investment in forestry of this scale by an Australian company, in the past decade.  

“We are thrilled to expand our Green Tri..... more

In an unpleasant surprise for the freight industry, Auckland Council-owned Port of Auckland has announced that Port access charges for road transport operators in 2026 will be increased by 77%.

“The Port’s previously announced 35% increase for 2026 charges has already been baked in by port customers and transport operators, so a doubling in that planned increase has been a bitter pill to swallow,” says Justin Tighe-Umbers, Chief Executive of the Nati..... more