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FICA E-newsletter - June 2023

The world of forestry sits in a very precarious position with the continuation of log export markets declining, contractors realising their financial position - solvent or insolvent and generally in limbo with an uncertain lens on what direction will be ahead of us in the near future. There appears to be no rationale now as to location for loss of contracts or reduction in tonnage, cyclone region or not - the whole of NZ is affected.Talking constantly to forest principals it’s a balancing...

PRESS RELEASE - Forestry contractors at breaking point with an unsustainable model

New Zealand’s forestry contractors are at breaking point, with compounding pressures from the last three years mounting. Some are already in liquidation and many more are at risk of losing their livelihoods.Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) is hugely concerned for the viability of forestry contracting businesses at the moment. Pressure has been exacerbated by Cyclone Gabrielle but it comes on the back of a tough three years, with Covid-19, fuel hikes, high inflation resulting in s...

Training Company / Contractor of the Year - D G Glenn Logging Ltd

D G Glenn Logging Ltd is a company that has always supported industry training thoroughly. They are the Training Company / Contractor of the Year at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards. They not does D G Glenn Logging Ltd support industry training, but they also support professional development pathways within their operations and in leadership, defensive driving and adult education.D G Glenn Logging Ltd has developed their vision for staff training extremely well and develop key staff to deliv...

Roading Excellence – Pnut Ross

With a good character and full dedication to his crews and fellow contractors, Terence (P’nut) Ross, Gair Contracting, is the Roading Excellence Winner at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards.The quality of P’nut’s work for the company and clients along with his skill and professionalism and service to the community over many decades makes him second to none among his peers.P’nut is the longest serving team member in his team, with over 32 years of service to the company.He continues to r...

PRESS RELEASE: Forestry contractors on the brink of closure with lack of certainty following release of Ministerial inquiry into woody debris report

New Zealand’s forestry contractors are expressing concern at lack of clarity following release of the Ministerial Enquiry into woody debris report, and say it’s unfair to be viewed as ‘turn-on, turn-off’ service providers. Many are at risk of losing their livelihoods.Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) CEO Prue Younger says while FICA was part of the inquiry, there is not much certainty for contractors in the final report.“Contractors want to be part of the forestry team and...

Outstanding Health & Safety Management – Hayden Mullins

Hayden Mullins has managed multiple crews, has proven leadership qualities and always maintains a high standard of work. He is the Outstanding Health & Safety Management award winner at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards.Hayden is assertive but compassionate to staff and employees. He is a great winner for this award and display a passion for the industry overseeing everyone’s safety and the drive to do better.A few good decisions, some hard work and good guidance from some good mates mea...

Outstanding Regional Service Performance - Peter & Linda Lister

Providing an exemplary service and taking pride in their work, Peter & Linda Lister of P&L Lister Ltd have won the Outstanding Regional Service Performance Award at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards.Peter, Linda and their team working in the business deem themselves to be contractors of integrity who can be trusted explicitly to achieve great results. They are quick to act in situations where action is urgently required.Peter and Linda have a wide range of skills across the forestry in...

Outstanding Environmental Management - Charlotte Holdsworth

Charlotte Holdsworth is a person displaying professional and personal commitment to achieving the best environmental outcomes. She is the Outstanding Environmental Management Award Winner at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards.Charlotte has been instrumental in providing both the planning and communication that set a benchmark for effective collaboration between Council and the Hawkes Bay forestry industry. Notably this has been around slash management and ensuring the biodiversity of the forest...

Trainee of the Year - Hannah Allen

Hannah Allen, Chimpmunk Logging, is the 2022 Trainee of the Year at the Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards.  The work of a trainee is physically & mentally demanding and requires a high level of skills & knowledge over a sustained period to be deemed competent for this high-risk task.Gaining multiple skills and completing all qualifications set ahead of her, even excelling in some cases to a very high level, Trainee of the Year Hannah has been under the astute guidance of a close family mem...

FICA Enewsletter - May 2023

These mixed bag situations keep coming and if it's not the weather keeping us on our toes, it's the people. The month has seen a new Minister of Forestry appointed, Hon. Peeni Henare and we look forward to meeting him this week along with other key industry organisations.This changing of the guard continues on into the month of June as we farewell Glen Mackie, Technical Manager from NZFOA, a real asset that will be missed. We will then farewell David Rhodes, Chief Executive in the following mont...

Log Truck Driver Excellence - Rex Sime

Rex Sime is the Log Truck Driver Excellence award winner at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards. As a driver, Rex has carried over 50,000 tonnes from forest to destination with no speeding events on open roads, no coachable drive cam events triggered, no seatbelt infringements and no over weights recorded outside of tolerances.He regularly works 60-75 hours per week and has been first ever to get a perfect score for his consistent high level of professional driving through the Pan Pac “TrucKin...

NZ Apprentice of the Year - Jovan Hanley

Having come to logging at a later stage in life, Jovan Hanley has totally excelled at further training and taking on new skills. He’s the NZ Apprentice of the Year at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards. Jovan is now a qualified bulldozer operator, digger operator with loading tickets, level 3 tree faller and has started to learn to operate the processor. He aspires to own and manage his own crew eventually. This is a showcase of a real “career changer” and the attraction forestry can have...

Harvesting Excellence - Tane Lee

With a wealth of knowledge and practical experience, Tane Lee has been deemed an inspirational leader. He is the Harvesting Excellence recipient at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards.He has a strong professional manner and high degree of integrity. He always ensures he manages a quality product when leaving the gate. His Health & Safety, quality, environmental and production requirements are to be acknowledged.Tane has been in forestry over half his life, starting at the age of 17, as a gre...

Forestry Excellence - Peni Navuluwai Naulago

Peni Navuluwai Naulago, Mid-Pine Contractor Limited is the Forestry Excellence winner at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards.Having never missed a day of work, Peni has never been sick and his employer can rely on him 100% for his punctuality. It’s been a pleasure watching him develop his skills and grow as an individual in the workplace.There are many positive traits and skills that Peni can be commended for, which contributes to his overall outstanding performance.His positive attitude contr...

Forestry contractors stepping in to help with cyclone cleanup

New Zealand's forestry contractors mucked in to help clean up post Cyclone Gabrielle while unable to get back to work as normal. Read the full stoy in Hawkes Bay Today. CLICK HERE ...

Distribution Excellence - Tony Groome

A third-generation forester, with 40 years in the forestry industry, Tony Groome is winner of the Distribution Excellence Award at the 2022 Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards. Central to success is the ability to match forests to customers according to log characteristics, and to select domestic or export market sales strategies to achieve optimal return to the forest owner.Tony Groome is a well-known and well-respected personality in the Hawke’s Bay Forest industry doing this daily. He’s juggling w...

Crew of the Year – Bay Forest Harvesting

Crew of the Year at the Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards, Bay Forest Harvesting has a team that is fully engaged and focused on the task. Read more below.The Bay Forest Harvesting crew comprises a harvest line cable extraction machine, processor, grapple loader, felling machine, back line machine and a ground-based extraction machine.Testament to the values, culture and comradery that exists within this crew, Bay Forest Harvesting staff in the current environment are reasonably transient, opting to ch...

Forestry Workforce Development Plan

This page from the Muku Tangata website provides an overview of the industry, including statistical trends and analysis, industry opportunities, and a roadmap of where to from here.When Māori first arrived in Aotearoa, it is believed that more than 80% of the land was covered in lush, dense native forest and shrublands. The first contacts between Māori and visiting ships prompted the supply of logs and spars, and an increasing desire for Aotearoa timber eventually led to Māori involvement in ...

FICA E-news - April 2023

What a mixed bag the last four weeks have been, with recovery from the Cyclone and supporting the return to work of contractors slowly as infrastructure is cleared and back to working order. Still some contractors have not made it back, time is ticking on and we know financially this is devastating to many. We also know for some they have got their workforce redeployed to other jobs like civil works and recovery clearing of silt which is not ideal but a better option overall.On top of that the M...

Mike Fraser Logging Celebrates 50 years

Loggers for life, the Fraser family has been working in the bush for five generations, starting with Mike’s Great Grandfather Robin who worked in forestry in Nydia Bay (Marlborough Sounds) around the turn of the 20th Century. Mike’s grandfather Roy and father Don both carried on the family tradition. In 1972, Don and wife Doreen purchased a logging business off Bob Hunt, who Don was working for at the time. “This was the beginning of the Fraser 03 Crew and Fraser Logging,” says Mike. “...

Skilled Professional of the Year - Luke Rosewarne

Luke Rosewarne is the supreme winner of the Northland Forestry Awards 2022. Coming from a forestry family, Luke moved into a different and rather exciting field for a period before returning to his roots. Luke worked for a time in the family business before branching out on his own a few years ago. Competent at most tasks within his operation, whether it be falling, steep slope harvesting, loading or more – Luke has knowledge as to what each task entails, giving the crew an advantage of seeing...

Training Company/Contractor of the Year - Wise on Wood

Wise on Wood is fully committed to ensuring all employees receive ongoing training with a clear career pathway that includes national qualifications. They understand the importance of bringing new people to the industry, so invest heavily in the training of newbies. Their passion is clear to see and output exceptional. Those in the know say the Northland forestry workforce is better for the efforts of Wise on Wood.Congratulations Wise on Wood, training company of the year at the 2022 Northland F...

Trainee of the Year - Troy Wilson

Troy Wilson is the trainee of the Year at the 2022 Northland Forestry Awards. Starting in the industry while still at school, Troy later joined Northpine full time. Capable, hardworking and with highly flexible skills, Troy is also mentoring others who look to follow his lead. He is known as a top operator who is thorough and accurate. He is celebrated for his positive attitude and being an excellent team player at Northpine. Those who know Troy says he has a very bright future ahead. Cong...

Emerging Talent of the Year - Journee Houston

It’s been a rapid ride through the ranks for Journee Houston, winner of the Emerging Talent of the Year award at the 2022 Northland Forestry Awards. Journee is a person who has immense passion for the industry and has followed the footsteps of whānau in her own business. Journee’s fledgling operation is proving a winner in more ways than one. Every task is carried out to the highest of levels by this excellent role model. Congratulations Journee Houston from Mid Northern Forestry Ltd, winne...

Log Truck Driver Excellence - Wayne Thornton

Always willing to help and share his knowledge with others, Wayne Thornton from Aztec FTD is the Log Truck Driver Excellence winner at the 2022 Northland Forestry Awards. In what can sometimes be a rather challenging industry, Wayne is described as a stellar operator. He is very proactive in health and safety, and often called upon to complete forest owner audits where he always gets the highest marks. With an open and friendly communication style and a mature approach to road safety, Wayne is c...