Forest Talk

The NZ Forestry High-Potential Incidents (HiPo) Group is a finalist in the ‘collaboration’ category of the Safeguard New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards 2026.

The HiPo group brings together seven forest owners and managers, representing around 45% of the forestry industry. They share quarterly data on high-potential health and safety incidents to identify trends and benchmark best practice, with an eye to reducing serious harm in the secto..... more

Twice in the last 12 months Tony Hill has needed machinery in a hurry. Both times it was TDF Solutions he called.  There was a reason why he made the first-up call. Five years previously, he had met TDF Solutions co-owner Frankie Davidson. At the time, Tony was running a harvesting crew for Kuru Contracting, but had expressed to Frankie his desire to run his own crew. They exchanged numbers, but for the next five years, neither man picked up the phone..... more

A recent safety alert on changing tractor tyres is equally relevant to the forestry industry says WorkSafe.

Feedback from the alert indicates it can also apply to skidder tyres, grapples and anything heavy that can fall on people in the forest.

The alert covers the importance of using safe methods when changing tractor tyres.

A farmer was fatally injured while changing a rear tractor tyre on a Canterbury farm in January 2026. The person w..... more

Tigercat machinery at Speirs Logging is the subject of the July Iron Test.  The Tigercat 4161-15 mulching head is running on a Tigercat L870D, a 370HP 38 tonne leveller. The Tigercat FPT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies) engine is specifically designed to deliver high power density, quick load response and excellent fuel economy for heavy-duty forestry applications.

Blake and Caree Speirs are the owners of Speirs Logging Ltd, based in Gisborne. Bla..... more

A plan has been put in place to cut damaging deer numbers in a Manawatū forest park.

The newly finalised Ruahine Adaptive Wild Deer Management Plan sets out a five year, evidence based programme of work developed with iwi and supported by a locally representative advisory group.

Monitoring shows deer numbers are above levels needed for forest recovery in parts of the park.

Department of Conservation Manawatū Operations Manager, Moana Smit..... more

New Zealand’s forestry sector is set to benefit from sensible regulation to help meet environmental obligations, while lowering the cost of compliance, according to Forestry Minister, Todd McClay.

“The wood and forestry industries are important contributors to New Zealand’s economy, supporting 42,000 jobs. Last year the sector contributed $6.2 billion worth of export earnings,” he said.

“It’s prudent we set appropriate legislation and provide t..... more