Forest Talk

Darryl Heron’s journey into science started at the movies.  As a teenager growing up in South Africa, he was captivated by the 1995 film Outbreak, which tells the tale of scientists racing to contain a deadly virus.  “Hollywood saved the world in two hours,” he laughs. “But it sparked something real for me — the idea science could make a difference.”

Picturing a future studying viruses such as HIV and Ebola, Darryl started a microbiology de..... more

The Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of New Zealand (WPMA) has welcomed a new pathway to help large industrial gas users transition away from natural gas.  The opportunity comes as a result of the Government’s launch of the Gas Transition Loan Guarantee Scheme. WPMA says the initiative offers a practical and timely solution for manufacturers facing uncertainty around the future availability and cost of natural gas.

“The insecurity c..... more

The NZ Forestry High-Potential Incidents (HiPo) Group is a finalist in the ‘collaboration’ category of the Safeguard New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards 2026.

The HiPo group brings together seven forest owners and managers, representing around 45% of the forestry industry. They share quarterly data on high-potential health and safety incidents to identify trends and benchmark best practice, with an eye to reducing serious harm in the secto..... more

Twice in the last 12 months Tony Hill has needed machinery in a hurry. Both times it was TDF Solutions he called.  There was a reason why he made the first-up call. Five years previously, he had met TDF Solutions co-owner Frankie Davidson. At the time, Tony was running a harvesting crew for Kuru Contracting, but had expressed to Frankie his desire to run his own crew. They exchanged numbers, but for the next five years, neither man picked up the phone..... more

A recent safety alert on changing tractor tyres is equally relevant to the forestry industry says WorkSafe.

Feedback from the alert indicates it can also apply to skidder tyres, grapples and anything heavy that can fall on people in the forest.

The alert covers the importance of using safe methods when changing tractor tyres.

A farmer was fatally injured while changing a rear tractor tyre on a Canterbury farm in January 2026. The person w..... more

A Tigercat mulcher at Speirs Logging is the subject of the July Iron Test.  The Tigercat 4161-15 mulcher head is running on a Tigercat L870D, a 370HP 38 tonne leveller. The Tigercat FPT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies) engine is specifically designed to deliver high power density, quick load response and excellent fuel economy for heavy-duty forestry applications.

Blake and Caree Speirs are the owners of Speirs Logging Ltd, based in Gisborne. Blak..... more