Forest Talk

Some 16 million new trees, mainly pine, will be planted in Gippsland in eastern Victoria as Australia’s Victorian government invests $120 million in a soft timber plantation in the state's southeast.

Hancock Victorian Plantations will match the spend to buy, lease and manage more than 14,000 hectares of softwood plantations, an area equivalent to 7000 Melbourne Cricket Grounds.

The state government claims the new plantation will underpin 2000 n..... more

Separated by World War 1, two brothers nonetheless shared the same dream – to start producing lumber after the war. While one was sadly killed in action, the dream lived on and Sutherland Co was born over a Century ago in 1920 in the Happy Valley Tuatapere.

The mill moved a number of times, with a second mill set up in more

The announcement that Fonterra is taking another step in its transition to low carbon production with replacement of a coal boiler at its Waitoa site in the Waikato with a 30 MW wood biomass boiler, builds on the trend of food processors to adopt bioenergy solutions says Brian Cox, Executive Officer of the Bioenergy Association.

“The use of renewable biomass to replace coal to produce heat arises because of the increased use of forest residues, instead of leaving ..... more

After 145 factory workers were locked out for more than a fortnight by Kawerau’s Essity paper mill after taking limited strike action, union members have voted to accept an increased pay offer and will resume work on Monday.

Having rejected a pay increase of three percent over three years and a lump sum payment of $4,500, the Employment Relations Authority recommendation of a 5% pay increase this year and a $4000 lump sum; a 4.5% increase in 2023 and a $3000 lump ..... more

The southern Kaingaroa Forest, south of the Napier Taupo Highway is an area of extremes with annual snowfall, bitter frosts, blizzards, heavy fog, dangerously cold windchill and heavy rain as clouds step up off the lake, rutting out the pumice-based roads. Then the summers can be almost desert-like and turn the place into a dust bowl - sometimes the deep bulldust from ground-up pumice requires 4WD to get moving on the main arterial routes and passing doubles requires li..... more

Safetree CEO, Joe Akari

Joe Akari has been appointed as the new CEO/National Safety Director of FISC/Safetree. Mr Akari is a Kiwi with Samoan heritage and whakapapa. He began his working journey in forestry as a Ranger with the NZ Forest Service and with PF Olsen as a contractor. He went on to forge a successful senior executive career in HR at various organisations including the Rotorua Lakes Council, Bay of Plenty Health Board, Refining NZ and C..... more