Forest Talk

The spruce bark beetle was a hot topic at Swedish forestry fair, Elmia earlier this month. The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle is one of the most serious bark beetle pests in European spruce forests and Sweden, where it continues to cause major problems. When spruce bark beetles get under the bark, they cut off the nutrient supply, causing the tree to die. While not yet a concern in New Zealand, there is the worry that they could arrive via lumber, crate or wooden..... more

Nearly one third of conservation land in New Zealand has been held in a generic ‘stewardship land’ category, which has lower protections than other conservation land. The Government now has plans to reclassify all stewardship land, starting with the West Coast. 

The reclassification will create many new conservation parks, reserves, and national park land on the West Coast of the South Island.
 
 Nicola Toki, Forest and Bird Chief Executive, ..... more

At the World Forestry Congress earlier this month, the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) highlighted the enormous opportunity the global push for more sustainable, low-emission industries is presenting for the world’s forest industries, but cautioned that developed countries must do their part to ensure that developing nations aren’t left to do the heavy lifting.

Speaking at the Congress in Seoul, AFPA Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victor Violante, s..... more

Lloyd Logging was among the first to take delivery of a new generation 40-series Sumitomo model in New Zealand. Weighing in at 37 tonnes, the 3740 loader is a 250-sized machine with a 300 base and an 11.68 metre reach. One of its stand-out features is fuel economy, as it appears to burn considerably less diesel than similar loaders. 

For Buster Pieta, the Sumitomo 3740TLW is a real grin machine. He can’t stop grinning when he’s operating it. And he is definit..... more

Good news for business is that New Zealand's border will fully reopen from July 31, two months earlier than expected.

The final part of the staged border reopening will open the country to all visa categories - including tourists, workers, families and students. Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, confirmed the new date this week.

In addition, she announced a number of immigration changes including pathways to residency for highly skilled workers in global deman..... more

Bushman, bodybuilder, axeman, runner… any one of these titles fits Matthew Grant Stewart like a chainsaw mitt. His love for the bush gelled well with his passion for fitness, and combining the two to become a competitive axeman was a natural progression. 

He developed his love for the bush as a child, sitting on his dad’s knee in any number of skidders, diggers, haulers or loaders and he is no stranger to hard work. He got into “hitting the gym” when he was i..... more