Forest Talk

Having spent his working life living and working in the forestry and logging industries in remote locations, forestry pioneer, Ross Lockyer, is back with an excerpt from his second book (of five), Cannibals, Crocodiles and Cassowaries about his time in pre-independence Papua New Guinea (1967-73). This excerpt is set in 1967.

Here’s a taste: 

“The crew would repeat the procedure for each auger hole, back-fill all the holes with clay, and ta..... more

With costs so high and the earning window restricted by the weather, Gisborne-based crews like A & R Logging are looking to new technologies like the Falcon two-speed winch assist to make their operations faster, more resilient and more efficient.

Expanding the capability was also part of the reason A & R’s Arana Kuru replaced his original Hitachi-based Falcon winch assist machine with a new Sany-based Gen 4 Falcon two-speed winch assist in August 20..... more

The Government is providing an additional $25 million to help more businesses in the clean-up from the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle affected regions and get them back on their feet.

This follows earlier support of $50 million to assist the business community with their immediate cashflow needs.

“The priority has been to get businesses back up and running as quickly as possible from the impact of the cyclone, working through the local agen..... more

Trail-blazing technology to test for disease and environmental issues out in the field has won the Supreme Award at the 2023 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards, held at the Marlborough Events Centre last month.

Blenheim company, DNAiTECH,  has developed DNA sampling and analysis that gives on-the-spot results for a quick response and action, rather than waiting for samples to be sent to a lab for analysis. 

The software and equip..... more

Alan Forbes is a name synonymous with the forestry industry. Not only did this forestry legend grow a large and successful log transport business from humble beginnings, but he was also there when the Log Transport Safety Council (LTSC) was formed and continues to ‘learn’ with the Tour of Learning (TOL) group.  

Having sold his business two years ago, in our Tall Timber feature this month, he takes us through the challenges and rewards of his ye..... more

A converted 20-tonne CAT938K loader and Beach Preparation Extraction Vehicle (BPEV) have been successfully trialled as beach landing equipment in an overseas environment for the first time by the New Zealand Defence Force.

Operation Mahi Tahi, recently concluded in Fiji, involved military sealift vessel HMNZS Canterbury, trained personnel for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support in the Pacific, practising air, sea, and amphibious train..... more