Forest Talk

Dragging logs out of rivers is a big enough salvage operation as it is but when the Iron Test team arrived at Whitikau Forest in East Cape there was also a storm-damaged Washington 188 swing yarder and a landslide-damaged 10-wheel forwarder for Forest Solutions Group of Gisborne to rescue from the ravages of various storms over the last year or so.

While we normally test new machines, this Komatsu D65 dozer had a challenging and unusual job to undert..... more

Logging contractor, Kevin Howard Stratford, who operates Stratford Logging,  has been criticised for his ‘dismissive attitude’ toward health and safety and fined $56,000 by the Nelson District Court.

Over the course of 2021 Mr Stratford carried out tree felling in Takaka Hill at a site directly adjacent to State Highway 60.

WorkSafe was notified in August 2021 by an experienced tree feller that the work was being carried out with disregard..... more

Following a spate of fires along the beach, Napier’s Southern Marine Parade is being cleared of woody debris over the course of this month.

The Silt Recovery Taskforce is leading the clean-up, working with Napier City Council, Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ), and contractors to address the fire risk.

“We’re finding large logs that are charred, and seeing fires being regularly lit in the area which is a fire risk for the beach and community. Removi..... more

In the search for the most powerful forwarder ever made by John Deere, our Iron Test team arrives at a eucalyptus clear-fell operation near Invercargill where the first impression is that something has gone terribly wrong. 

Says writer, Tim Benseman: “Row upon row of processed logs stretch for long distances. These rows have been here so long that they are sun bleached and foliage has started to regrow around them where they lie in the cutover. ..... more

The latest GDP numbers, which show the economy shrinking in the September quarter, reflect the difficult operating environment in which many manufacturers find themselves, says the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA).

The figures released recently by Stats NZ show the economy shrunk 0.3% in the September quarter, with all good-producing industries down this quarter.

EMA Head of Advocacy, Alan McDonald, says the current economic enviro..... more

Isuzu Trucks New Zealand’s team took third place overall in the recent global technician competition in Japan, outplacing more favoured opponents from traditionally strong-performing countries including Great Britain and Australia.

Known as the I1GP, the event is considered the Olympics of the Isuzu tech world and is a hotly contested annual competition attended by representatives from more than 30 countries.

The New Zealand team consists of Ha..... more