Forest Talk

Another Bailey bridge has been successfully installed in Gisborne. The bridge went up on the Makarika No.2 Bridge, Makarika Road, south of Ruatorea. It will allow contractors to clear debris and begin repairs to the abutment under the bridge and the road approaching the bridge.

Community Lifelines Director, Tim Barry, says it will make a huge difference to the community living across the bridge as the Bailey bridge means continued access while the re..... more

China has launched the first of two electric-powered river containerships. The 700 TEU pure power vessel, built for COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry, is part of an effort to use electric-powered vessels throughout the Yangtze region. 

The ship was floated at the shipyard in Yangzhou last year and is currently being referred to by its hull number of N997. Dry dock assembly began in March 2023 after the project kicked off in December 2022. It is sche..... more

While forestry bears much of the burden, New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is being let down by several critical sectors according to a new study.

If five sectors were better regulated, the impact of New Zealand’s main tool in the fight against climate change could be heightened, say University of Auckland Business School Energy Centre researchers.

The  authors say the agricultural sector’s greenhouse gas emissions rank first am..... more

New Zealand Immigration settings were changed without consultation by Government last month. The Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) says the changes have had an immediate impact on a number of members.  

Most affected are those involved in silviculture using seasonal workers from the Pacific Islands to fill gaps in the New Zealand Workforce. The main changes affecting contractors are to do with additional requirements relating to the..... more

Government has set the ambitious target of doubling exports by value within 10 years, and new opportunities in the Chinese market will play a key role in achieving this, says Trade and Agriculture Minister, Todd McClay.

“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” he adds.

Mr McClay recently visited Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he me..... more

You know things are going to get interesting when you are still 20 kilometres from the skid North of Gisborne and the road, halfway up the range, surrounded by grass paddocks for miles, suddenly looks like a hillbilly’s driveway due to cyclone damage, says Iron Test writer, Tim Benseman. Out the gate steep and narrow and it's got a twist in it? Surely log trucks or even ordinary trucks would fall off the side of this trail, he asks. Maps app says it's..... more