Forest Talk

Rotorua’s recent Fast & Forward Forestry Expo raised some $40,000 to lead a mental health initiative for forestry at its charity auction dinner last month. Opened by newly appointed Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell, the charity auction was part of NZ’s first.  

The dinner was one of the highlights of the two-day Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) expo, and was emceed by Jeremy Corbett. FICA CEO, Prue Younger, says the auction was to raise..... more

The first continuous monitoring service for damage detection in forestry is the focus of a collaboration between CollectiveCrunch, the creator of Linda Forest software solutions that provide forest inventories and climate analyses to global clients, and forestry’s Metsä Group’s.

The collaboration will enable Metsä Group to use a powerful AI-based solution that detects, quantifies, and monitors storm and pest damages. With CollectiveCrunch, Metsä Grou..... more

Principal forest science researcher, Dr Mike Watt, took the Individual/Lifetime Achievement for his leadership in forest science, at the recent Science New Zealand Awards celebrating Scion’s leadership in forestry science, bioplastics research and biotechnology. 

Scientists from all seven Crown Research Institutes and Callaghan Innovation were represented at the ceremony held in Parliament. The awards are in three categories - Early Career Resea..... more

A new temporary residence pathway for skilled drivers under immigration settings is being welcomed by the transport industry.

Representatives of the freight, waste management, and bus and coach sectors had written to Immigration Minister Michael Wood in October to share their concern at a combined shortfall of more than 9000 drivers, and to call for urgent changes to immigration rules, to enable more skilled drivers to be brought in from offshore.&nb..... more

While mass timber is growing in popularity, more can still be done, according to a 2022 survey of design, construction and building professionals into the perceptions and barriers to mass timber use in construction. 

The survey, commissioned by the Mid-Rise Wood Construction Programme and carried out by BRANZ, was distributed to manufacturers, builders, architects, designers, engineers, building officials and quantity surveyors. 

The ..... more

The Forestry Hub at Fieldays, opened by Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash, drew plenty of attention earlier this month. Farm Forestry Association President, Graham West, says the farm forestry section of the hub had a team of practical experts on hand to provide advice on how to use a range of tree species, also demonstrating a new tree crop planning web-tool called Treefarmer.  

Forest Owners Association President, Grant Dodson, adds that forestry..... more