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A collaborative approach with continuous improvement - M J Fraser Logging

M J Fraser Logging is the Training Company / Contractor of the Year at the 2022 Top of the South Forestry Awards, recognised for placing a great deal of emphasis on upskilling its employees and fostering good training development programmes.  The collaborative approach and continuous improvement to reach solutions is typical of their way. They have a strong health and safety culture where it is not a blame game, along with a wide range of training plans for harvesting tasks. The leadership...

Ready and willing – Joseph Horner

A solid worker with a broad skill set across silviculture, Joseph Horner from Tasman Forest Services Limited is the 2022 Top of the South Forestry Awards’ Trainee of the Year. Joseph has embraced the training opportunities presented to him and displayed a very positive attitude towards training and gaining new skills. He has proved to be a proficient leader and has become a role model for the younger generations coming through. His reputation amongst his peers is as a person with a positive ...

Highly skilled and experienced - Paul O’Sullivan, Mike Edridge Contracting

As an integral part of the Mike Edridge Contracting Limited forestry earthworks team, Paul O’Sullivan is versatile and has the ability to operate a range of machinery and equipment. He is the recipient of the Roading Excellence Award at the Top of the South Forestry Awards 2022. Paul’s high level of skill and experience with forestry roading and infrastructure, including environmental controls sees him never compromise safety, quality, or environmental compliance. He also seeks clarification...

Unsung Heroes – Buck Forestry Services

Buck Forestry Services have filled the gap and display flexibility and diversity working across New Zealand. They have been recognised at the Top of the South Forestry Awards for Outstanding Regional Service Performance. Their technical expertise reflects a long time of experience and of gaining results. They have created a business out of a gap and a role that others don’t want to do. Seen as true leaders in their field of service, Buck Forestry Services are unsung heroes offering essential ...

Winners Announced for Micro-Innovation Challenge

Winners of the very first Forestry Micro-Innovation Challenge 2022 have been announced!  In no particular order, the three winners are: Remote Controlled Felling Banner (David Johnston)Slash Grapple (Harper Logging)Mud Mats (Lukas Krkavec) While there can only be 3 winners of this challenge who will receive funding towards developing their idea, organisers of the Mirco Innovation Challenge (supported by FICA) believe in the potential of the ideas you have taken the time to share.   The...

Outstanding Health & Safety Management - Steve Borlase – Borlase Transport

Forestry Awards Winner Snapshot Taking on a role in health and safety, Steve Borlase at Borlase Transport has expanded the role and implemented improvements all round. He has innovated and his leadership is evident with health and safety practises and a focus on positive culture. This also has been a priority across his other management roles. Experienced in his field, Steve also has high expectations of others, but they can walk the talk. Excelling in training and involved in investigat...

Outstanding Environmental Management – Kelly Logging

Forestry Awards Winner Snapshot Kelly Logging have a long history of excellence in environmental management and are recipients of the 2022 Outstanding Environmental Management award at the Top of the South Forestry Awards. They continue to develop, excel and go above and beyond with environmental protection, particularly in their work to protect waterways, which is a key focus. They have been committed to investing a lot of money into equipment and machinery to be at the top of environmental exc...

FICA E-news - September 2022

Another month goes by with uncertainity if markets are righting themselves but the logs still keep flowing on our NZ roads and ships stll keep coming into the Ports. I have had a chance to travel about a bit last month and the regional variations with domestic processing or not have such a huge influence on the forestry community.A recent hui in Tairawhiti with contractors shed light on the lack of communications and engagement regional leaders undertake with the sector. In a region so reliant o...

Keen and likeable - Jackson Goldsworthy

Forestry Awards Winner Snapshot  Considering he’s learnt everything about forestry from scratch, Jackson Goldsworthy at Moutere Logging has come along way already, with both his studies and his skills. He’s been recognised for his awesome achievements as the NZ Apprentice of the Year Accolade at the 2022 Top of The South Forestry Awards. Supported by great references and endorsements, Jackson’s communication would have to be one of his best strengths. He is keen and likable, and peo...

Press Release - First Ever Forestry Expo Coming to NZ 18-19 November 2022

New Zealand’s first ever forestry expo event, the Fast & Forward Forestry Expo, is coming to Rotorua from 18-19 November 2022. The expo will bring forestry to the rest of New Zealand, showcasing innovation and advancements, career opportunities and the contribution forestry makes to the New Zealand economy, while also providing a chance for industry to come together. Brought to you by the Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA), the Fast and Forward Forestry Expo is all about showcasing...

A highly motivated and disciplined operator - Keith Anderson

Forestry Awards Winner SnapshotDescribed as the consummate professional with great endorsements, Keith Anderson at Borlase Transport Limited is the winner of the Log Truck Driver Excellence Award at the 2022 Top of the South Forestry Awards. Known a legend with a very good work ethic, above all Keith is a great driver who has earned gold level status in the Log Transport Safety Council Training Pathway. He recognises the need for balance with exercise, sleep and nutrition and is described as la...

Log Processor Excellence - Murray Smith

Forestry Awards Winner Snapshot Being in the private woodlot and not in the corporate forest sector, a contractor doesn’t often have access to the resources like constant auditing. But when you excel with technology and IT like operator Murray Smith – Burson Logging Limited, then that’s a huge advantage. Murray is the Log Processor Excellence winner at the 2022 Top of The South Forestry Awards.  Having been in the industry for many years Murray has adapted to the introduction of mecha...

Transformation Plan with Expectations

Te Uru Rākau hosted an industry-wide workshop on 30 October 2020. The purpose of the workshop was to set the foundation for a successful collaboration between industry and government to support the development of the Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan (ITP); and identify opportunities and barriers to lifting productivity across the supply chain across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons. The objective of the workshop was to identify the key challenges facing the ...

At the top of his game - Ian Williamson

Forestry Awards Winner SnapshotWith experience in both Cable and Ground Based Logging, Ian Williamson at Moutere Management Limited is the winner of the 2022 Harvesting Excellence Award at the Top of The South Forestry Awards.  A great work ethic, extensive harvesting experience, skilled in Health and Safety management, and having the patience and ability to teach people is a credit to Ian’s high calibre of achievement.  Complimented with a natural ability to relate to all different ...

Well gelled and experienced – Bryant Logging

Forestry Awards Winner Snapshot Bryant Logging’s 730 Hauler Crew is known to tackle the hard jobs that are more complex, with a lot more variables to disrupt consistency. Named Crew of the Year at the 2022 Top of the South Forestry Awards, Bryant Logging 730 Hauler Crew are always looking after their teammates and are a well organised, professional crew. They boast a great age range in the crew, from one that started in the industry only a couple of months ago to a staff member who has over ...

Leading the Way - Grant Puklowski, Puklowski Silviculture

Forestry Awards Winner SnapshotHaving built a very successful silviculture business, Grant Puklowski at Puklowski Silviculture exemplifies a business operator who genuinely cares about his team and the work they achieve. Grant is passionate about the ongoing success and future of the forest industry and has been recognised as the recipient of the Excellence in Forestry Award and the Skilled Professional of the Year Award at the Top of the South Forestry Awards 2022. An example of excellence in ...

New campaign launches to attract more people into forestry careers

A new recruitment campaign called ‘Find Your Fit In Forestry’ aims to draw attention to the varied career opportunities available in the growing forestry industry. A sector-wide initiative, the campaign has just launched and hopes to attract more young people into the industry and fill people shortages being felt throughout the sector. Designed to demonstrate the huge range of roles and opportunities available in forestry, the mostly digital ‘Find Your Fit In Forestry’ campaign is primar...

FICA E-news August 2022

Well I have to say the industry is starting to feel a bit like the All Blacks, despite knowing what the issues are, there does not seem to be any change in the behaviour and despite knowing this, are doing the same "S#*T and getting the same results!Now while we go through the period of typical go slow in China due to the summer temperatures, another month flows by. There are plenty of trees out there or coming on to harvest. How do we get that natural balance to keep our crews working, trucks f...

My ACC for Business

MyACC for Business puts you in control of your ACC account. ACC knows that when you’re self-employed, there’s a lot to stay on top of, MyACC for Business can help. It’s ACC's online platform that puts you in control of your information, so you know what to expect and get invoiced correctly.  With MyACC for Business, you can check and update:  Your Classification Unit  Your employment status Change your communication preference to email to receive a d...

Where are we at with ROVE?

It was March 2019 when sectors within the Primary Industries gathered to start discussions on the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) and now over two years later, albeit with COVID getting in the way a bit, we are still working our way through what this new educational system looks like.We looked back at parts of that journey at a recent Forest ROVE Advisory Group (FRAG) meeting. We originally set out to establish a Forestry Skills Body with a governance group and an administration structure....

FICA E-news July 2022

Yes over the half way mark for 2022 and the outlook ahead is a little foggy! We can positively look back a couple of weeks to reflect on the engagement with many of you face to face at the Safetree and FICA Conferences in Queenstown. It was truly a milestone that demonstrated that the industry has missed the personal gatherings, the chance to network and to travel too. Despite some coming home with more than the photographs, I believe no one regretted taking a day or two to finally feel the...

Safeguard

I applaud the Acting National Director of the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC), John Lowe, for saying it as it is, as he took the opportunity to put pen to paper. I was so impressed to hear it from FISC that I felt it was important to copy to the industry. FICA will continue to make sure the challenges of the industry are communicated clearly and others are made aware of supply chain pressures. It’s important that we get into a room together and have these courageous conversations. John�...

Forestry centre stage at Good Employer Awards

Tāne Mahuta NZ Ltd have made the forestry industry proud, taking out the Māori Agribusiness Award at the 2022 Primary Industries Good Employer Awards last night. The Bay of Plenty based contractors were also finalists for the Supreme Award. Hosted by MPI, the Good Employer Awards are a time to celebrate their passion towards supporting employees by putting their health, welfare and wellbeing first. Tāne Mahuta NZ Ltd directors Wini and Simon Geddes were in attendance to accept their award fo...

New $25k micro-innovation challenge coming to contractors

A new micro innovation challenge, endorsed by FICA and funded by Worksafe, trials a new process and fund to support micro innovation among forestry crews.  The three winning innovators will receive up to $25,000 each to develop their concept into a prototype.  The Challenge is focussed on finding technical solutions to problems forestry workers face on a daily basis.  Crews will be able to register their innovations online and can then engage with other innovators online and respo...

Mechanisation a Reality like “The Jetsons”

Looking back to when I first came on board this role, I found an article written in October 2018 that started off with me saying: “If mobile phones are anything to go by, technology advancement for machinery used in our forests is something that I think will go crazy over the next few years”. Early adopters of technology  I then went on to interview a couple of contractors who quoted they were passionate about mechanisation, and as early adopters they had been using it for the last 15 y...