Forest Talk

Time is running out to save two significant mills in Kaitāia from closure.  Northland Regional Council (NRC), Far North District Council (FNDC) and Northland NZ (NNZ) are calling on central government step in to limit job losses, as NNZ continues to work with potential investors. 

Juken New Zealand, a Japanese-owned company, earlier this year sought expressions of interests to buy its two mills in Kaitāia – Northland Mill and Triboard plant..... more

It’s 72 years since John Wardle began his career in forestry, and it would be fair to say he’s seen a lot of change over that time.

Brought up in Hāwea Flat, Central Otago, it made sense that he would look for an outdoor job and he secured an opportunity as a forest labourer in Southland at 18.

He says he was lucky to gain experience in a range of forestry activities, including horse extraction of small forest material, pruning with long-handle..... more

A significant fall in forestry injury claims reflect the sector’s sustained improvements in safety performance and injury prevention.  Forestry’s injury claims have fallen by around 34% since 2018. ACC has highlighted the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC) as a strong example of what can be achieved when an industry takes collective responsibility for injury prevention, with co-ordinated, long-term efforts contributing to improved safety outcomes.<..... more

Peering through the dense Reporoa fog at H&R Harvesting's operation, we see a Cat 336GC excavator running the aggressive new Woodsman Pro 566.

It is carving through the trees like a wolf through sheep. If that phrase sounds familiar, that's because we used it for the other new generation Woodsman Pro, the 560 thinning head, when it was released in December 2024 at Jensen Logging.

The 560 is a bare-bones speed machine without a top saw, designed..... more

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