Forest Talk

State Highway 6 is closed for emergency repairs from this month until 18 December with no direct link between Hira and Rai Valley.

“These forestry roads were badly damaged during the August weather event and can’t be used,” says Mark Owen, Regional Manager Wellington and Top of the South. 

He says public access through the work sites won’t be possible due to the nature of the work required and the fact the work sites will use the entire ro..... more

As our Iron Test team arrives at the CJ Newland Logging container near Whanganui, it is a bit puzzling to see the new Alpine Yarder RS450MI about 100 metres away up through the cutover hauling wood. First impressions on this log site are that there is a lot going on. As well as the Alpine hauling stems there is a Tigercat skidder growling away industriously, a John Deere and Waratah 626 Bigwood is processing logs, while an owner/operator Tigercat ..... more

The world's longest timber-towered suspension bridge, SkyBridge Michigan at Boyne Mountain (USA), is now open after months of construction.

The timber design is a nod to the logging industry history in Northern Michigan, and the lumber was sourced from Matelski Lumber in Boyne Falls.

It's built between the peaks of McLouth to Disciples Ridge at Boyne Mountain and is modelled after the famous Gatlinburg SkyBridge at Boyne's sister property,..... more

Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash, recently saw how the Forest Industries Transformation Act could be applied to foster value-added timber products.

At a visit to a newly-built Cromwell timber manufacturing plant, he witnessed an all-timber housing operation in action.

Swiss-backed Hector Egger New Zealand built a substantial factory premises in Cromwell's industrial area over a year ago. It aims to produce up to 100 buildings per year, from stand..... more

WorkSafe’s actions are under question after it sent police to carry out a scene examination, rather than a specialist investigator, following the death of Jason Rawiri (42) who was struck by a falling tree at Ngātapa near Gisborne on October 14.

Worker advocates are questioning whether police have the necessary expertise to gather evidence from a forestry fatality site to support a potential prosecution, and have labelled WorkSafe's actions disrespec..... more

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming this week’s announcement by Government that agricultural emissions will attract a price set by politicians and bureaucrats by decree rather than using the market price of the Emissions Trading Scheme, calling it “the worst of all worlds”.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Callum Purves, says: “The whole point of the Emissions Trading Scheme is to act as an invisible hand incentivising cuts to emissions, general..... more