Forest Talk

Though critical skills gaps in the primary sector are being eased with exceptions being made to the usual immigration rules to open the door for 1,580 additional experienced workers to come to New Zealand for jobs in forestry, the dairy industry and meat processing, New Zealand still urgently needs more overseas truck drivers to fill a growing shortage, says National Road Carriers Chief Operating Officer, James Smith.

“The people crisis is becoming glaringly obvio..... more

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (Toi Ohomai), the largest tertiary education provider in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato has launched its new co-brand with Te Pūkenga - Aotearoa’s new national vocational education provider.

The new co-brand forms part of the engagement process as Toi Ohomai, along with all 15 Institute of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) across Aotearoa, transition into the new national entity.

This work will see the Toi Ohomai logo..... more

"When you’re on that path of almost going to jail or, worse, in jail, you know you gotta make some radical changes. Life has changed for me for the better... I think, through growth, learning from past mistakes and trying to get ahead to better the future for myself and my family,” says Cruz Hobson of his job placement with FNR Forestry through the Department of Corrections. Starting there in silviculture and now cutting logs to length in an 875 Tigercat Machine for Mol..... more

Input from a wide spectrum of stakeholders indicates conflicting interests around permanent carbon forests, coupled with lack of clarity and considerable misunderstanding among media and the general public. The emphasis, mainly from the agricultural sector, is to implement a national strategic plan to sort out different aspects of carbon farming. However the forestry sector warns of unintended consequences if draconian regulations come into force.

While many lives..... more

A little-known Caterpillar-branded swing yarder has been brought back to life by forestry company Forest360 and a Northland logger to harvest on difficult terrain just south of Whangarei.

The Caterpillar SY235 – said to be quite innovative in its day – was one of just a handful of these yarders to be produced during the 1980s and may be the only one that survives worldwide today.

But, without a full restoration, it may well have ended up on the scrap heap.&n..... more

Marlborough District Council has released its first reports detailing its carbon footprint from its operations, finding just over 75% of measurable emissions come from its landfill. The reports, for the years ending 2019 and 2020, were prepared by independent consultants CarbonEES to serve as a baseline that the Council can benchmark against for future years.

An initial benchmark was the first task in the Climate Change Action Plan, which was approved in March 202..... more