Victoria is the first state or territory in Australia to announce the permanent removal of one of the main hurdles for heavy-duty electric trucks to operate on local roads. The …

Forestry crews are in a race against time to harvest 6500 hectares of trees blown over around Taupō and Tūrangi area in the central North Island during Cyclone Gabrielle. Since …

Australia’s plantation estate is still on a worrying downward trajectory, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Agricultural Economics (ABARES) figures. Australia’s total plantation area contracted to 1.716 million hectares …

A forestry company that showed a “high level of carelessness” involving the use of heavy machinery in streambeds and leaving slash and debris on steep and erosion-prone slopes in Gisborne, …

Dr Tom Mulholland, a celebrity physician and beloved Kiwi campaigner for physical and mental health, died suddenly at the weekend. Known affectionately as Dr Tom, the medical practitioner had helped …

A new report released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and GHD Advisory calls for Australia to focus on hydrogen-powered transport – alongside electric vehicles – or risk being left …

Advanced technology will pave the way to exceed what was previously thought possible. The commercial transportation industry faces rapidly changing regulations and evolving customer needs. Cummins examines the future of …

Opinion: Marcus Musson, Forest360 Kiwibuild may be the best thing we can export to fix the housing crisis in China, lots of hui but not much doey. Since the early …

This year has been a challenging one for Phil Schneider, who hasn’t seen wildfire behaviour like this in his 47-year firefighting career. Blazes raged through more than 2,000 acres of …

Trelleborg enters the discussion on which technologies will be appropriate to power the vehicles of the future. Pick any data point and the growth of electric cars looks like a …

This year, well over 250 forestry and log transport delegates from companies across Australasia, North and South America and Europe met up in Rotorua, New Zealand. The occasion? The long …

Researchers examined the potential of hybridized drivetrains for tower yarder applications. Radical changes are necessary to address challenges related to global warming and pollution. Ever-tightening emission standards for combustion engines …

For three weeks in July, the world’s most elite bike racers climb steep mountains and sprint along historic cobblestones to capture the coveted yellow jersey or the race leader in …

Komatsu Forest has appointed Dean O’Connor National Sales Manager for Australia. He will also retain responsibility for Komatsu Forest operations in New Zealand. Dean is an experienced timber industry professional …

Opinion Piece: Marcus Musson, Director, Forest360 Moving into electioneering season we are starting to see our political masters throw cash promises at potential voters like candy to kids, seemingly without …

Researchers examined the potential of hybridized drivetrains for tower yarder applications. Radical changes are necessary to address challenges related to global warming and pollution. Ever-tightening emission standards for combustion engines …

A new report released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and GHD Advisory calls for Australia to focus on hydrogen-powered transport – alongside electric vehicles – or risk being left …

Zane Knight, owner of Knight Logging, and his operator Johnson Peri, talk about their new T-Winch, which can be operated from the cab using a remote control. Zane says the …

Heralding the success of the inaugural awards last year, the Central North Island forestry industry stepped up to bring in a record number of nominations for the second year, with …

Forestry operators, arborists and emergency workers may all need to draw on skills to manually fell trees with a chainsaw when using large machinery is unviable. These skills are described …

Waka Kotahi will be auditing and invoicing RUC users for excessive Road User Charges purchases made during the temporary reduction scheme. The Government reduced RUC rates by 36% from 1 …

As anticipated, the turnout to the second Residues2Revenues 2023 was a standout for the industry. Around 250 delegates attended the wood residues event, principally forest owners and managers, harvesting and log cartage …

The Andrews government is being accused of plundering timber from Tasmania after announcing the closure of the Victorian industry. The Heyfield Mill, part-owned by the Victorian Government and operated by …

The third Generation Programme run at Toi Ohomai Institute NZ Tokoroa completed on Thursday 15 June with a ‘Matariki’ celebration. The Matariki cluster of stars signifies the start of the …

Successful trials with the Swedish manufactured mechanised planter have already been undertaken in a number of countries. The last few months where their machines have been operating have been a …

Opinion Piece; Marcus Musson, Forest360 Director Sentiment’s a funny thing. A month ago, we were staring down the barrel of a long and protracted export market ‘crash’ as prices plummeted …

The Commerce Commission’s latest Measuring Broadband New Zealand report shows the potential of low Earth orbit satellite (LEO) broadband internet as an option for the 13% of Kiwis who are …

NZ forestry apprentice Neihana Brewer is a man of few words, preferring to leave it up to others to speak of his attributes, including Graeme Benge, his employer at Fast …

The NZ Government has ordered a ministerial enquiry into forestry practice and the which has filled beaches and destroyed roads in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. But in a nationwide …

Digital developments unfold at a fast pace, and for forestry this means opportunities for new, smarter ways of working. Thanks to developments in the satellite positioning technology GNSS, MaxiFleet, Komatsu …

The NZ Government is making a start on a more sustainable forestry industry with investments into a bioenergy plant, research into biomass and better forestry practices, Forestry Minister Peeni Henare …

The latest Australian Pine Log Price Index for the July to December 2022 period has just been released. The Australian Pine Log Price Index is compiled by KPMG using data …

MechLog, a leading provider of forestry services, has announced the launch of Skills Enhancement & Employee Development, a new training programme aimed at improving the skills of people entering the …

New Zealand-based logging equipment manufacturer DC Equipment has acquired the renowned Madill brand from B.C.-based Nicholson Manufacturing, who have held the brand for the last 12 years. The Rich Madill …

At the end of 2020, China banned the importation of plantation pine logs from Australia, stating that bark beetles had infected the logs. This decision resulted in a collapse of …

The Komatsu 951XC is a new harvester for final logging in steep terrain and on soft ground. The eight-wheel design, combined with the stable Komatsu concept, ensures a machine with …

Several New Zealand sawmills producing housing timber are temporarily halting production, as the construction sector slows. Forest manager and log marketer Allan Laurie said demand for building new houses had …

New Zealand’s eight Wood Councils have joined forces to launch the joint forest education organisation – Discover Forestry New Zealand. Work around the country has already been undertaken with school …

Wood Transport & Logistics 2023 returned to a packed audience, a car park full of large rigs and a range of next-gen technologies on display. Over 250 forestry and log …

Virtual machine operators can utilize 5G connections to remotely harvest forests The robots are coming to the B.C. forest sector. It’s the undeniable wave of the future for forestry companies …

Ponsse’s and Epec’s technology concept PONSSE EV1 has been rewarded with the Finnish Society of Automation’s Automation prize. The prize is given every two years by society to reward significant …

NZ log prices dropped 14 percent between March and April as China’s usual seasonal increase in consumption failed to materialise. Logging exporters are being blamed for the current dive in …

It was a well-timed event for the Southern North Island Wood Council to hold their Forestry Awards on the night of 12 May 2023 in Palmerston North. 410 members of …

In NZ, a Gisborne-based forest contracting business owner is “devastated” by having to pull the pin on his 23-year-old company. Robert Stubbs (photo) owns Stubbs Contracting and forestry has been …

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 …

Market Summary At Wharf Gate (AWG) prices for export logs further decreased an average of $22 per JASm3 in May. The AWG prices have now dropped to their lowest prices …

According to recent data from Roslesinforg, the Russian forest regulator, foreign sales of Russian timber experienced a further decline in the first quarter of this year, dropping by over 20 …

Waratah is pleased to announce the appointment of Barry Gates as Area Manager Retail for Waratah Forestry Services of New Zealand. Barry will take up the leadership of the New …

ForestWorks has commenced work on a project to update the forest industry’s Log Haulage Manual and produce instructional videos to support some important knowledge and skills required to transport harvested …

New Zealand’s largest privately owned transport company has launched what is believed to be Australasia’s first dual fuel truck which is powered by hydrogen gas and diesel. The HW Richardson …

EECA has a new fund which could be of assistance to those looking to make a start in the biomass business in New Zealand or increasing production of an existing …

Logs are being transported more than 900 kilometres by rail from northern New South Wales to prop up supply to sawmills on the south-west slopes as part of bushfire recovery. …

Vodafone has reached an agreement with Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite business to provide mobile coverage of the whole country for its customers via Starlink. The telco announced the landmark deal …

From logging truck beginnings to battery-electric trucks and fuel cell pilots Kenworth, which began as a maker of logging trucks in 1923, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Kenworth Truck Co. …

The owner of a NZ forest company who has been cleared of breaching the Resource Management Act says the charges were without merit. Forestry company John Turkington Ltd was found …

New Zealand’s forestry contractors are asking to be included when investigating solutions for slash / woody debris. Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) CEO Prue Younger says FICA is keen to …

In New Zealand, could slash traps help curb the flow of woody debris that has battered and cloaked the east coast of the North Island during recent storm events? Forest …

Canadian Company takes the transportation industry by storm. Edison Motors is a revolutionary company that specializes in the design, development, and production of electric semi-trucks. Founded by Chace Barber and …

Three years ago, the Labor Government of Victoria announced that it would be phasing out all native forest logging by 2030. Now both environmentalists and industry are worried that this …

In an effort to help provide relief and recovery to Waratah Forestry Equipment’s home country following the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, Deere & Company recently announced a US$50,000 donation to …

Cyclone Gabrielle left a trail of destruction in its wake as it swept through the Hawkes Bay area, and now with the power and accessibility of satellite imagery we have …

A Teletrac Navman survey of more than 1,800 global fleet operators has revealed that rising fuel costs (39%), disruption due to the impact of COVID-19 (32%), and supply chain pressure …

Market Summary At Wharf Gate (AWG) prices for export logs increased $18 per JASm3 (14%) in March. This price increase was due to a shortage of logs to fill ordered …

Funding to explore industry innovations and best practice: Who’s doing what and doing it well The WIDE Trust is pleased to launch the opportunity for persons actively pursuing a career …

ISO Limited is readying another significant technology investment, at the Port of Tauranga. The Mobile Log Scaler is a semi-autonomous robot which will image and scale logs, on rail wagons. …

MOLINE, Ill. (Feb. 20, 2023) — Designed for logging contractors of all sizes, John Deere is excited to introduce the new 2956G. The 2956G crawler log loader is an ideal …

Plantation thinning may not be new in the forestry sector, which has been thinning to improve tree growth and vigour for years. But the operations being carried out by Forico …

New Zealand’s forestry contractors in the Tairawhiti, Hawkes Bay, Coromandel and Northland regions are facing immense pressure and compounding challenges post-cyclone Gabrielle. Planted forest in these combined regions makes up …

China’s Softwood Log Inventories at Ocean Ports. FEA industry sources in China report that softwood log inventories at the country’s main ocean ports totaled 5.4 million m3 on February 3, …

JCB will feature its new hydrogen combustion engine—the company’s solution for zero carbon emissions for construction and agricultural equipment on the international stage at North America’s largest construction show, CONEXPO/CON-AGG …

New Zealand’s forestry contractors are mucking in to help clean up post Cyclone Gabrielle while unable to get back to work as normal. Some forestry contractors affected by Cyclone Gabrielle …

Opinion Piece, Marcus Musson, Director, Forest360 As expected, February has seen another solid lift in export prices courtesy of some increased in-market sales prices (CFR) and a reasonably subdued shipping …

Global transport is on the cusp of substantial changes driven by constant innovation in technology, the need to deliver more, a powerful surge in customer expectations, and pricing. In New …

Press Release SEA Electric has made the next step in its journey to electrify the world’s commercial vehicle fleet, by signing a significant Memorandum of Understanding with MEVCO, a leading …

Tasmania’s sustainable forestry sector is going from strength-to-strength with the official opening Tasmania’s newest wood fibre export facility at the Bell Bay Industrial Complex last week. The facility, owned by …

The question of how to address the gender inequality that exists in our forest sector is not a new one, you only must read, “A Path Through The Trees”, the …

Good things take time and two and a half years since the inaugural event in 2019, the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group celebrated with the local sector community the second forestry …

A forestry services company has been ordered to pay NZ$536,000 for the death of a worker on a site near Wairoa in 2020. The victim, a 48-year-old father and husband, …

Waratah Forestry Equipment is celebrating 50 years of innovation within the forestry industry and thanking its customers for decades of trust and loyalty to the brand. “We’re proud to celebrate …

The Brandt Group of Companies is pleased to announce that they have successfully acquired the assets of AGrowQuip NZ Ltd., effective January 30, 2023. This transaction ensures access to the …

In log transport, we continue to ramp up coverage of an array of new innovations in electric, hydrogen and diesel-hybrid powered vehicles, truck automation and platooning. Right now, there’s a …

In New Zealand, the Brandt Group of Companies is pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement to acquire the assets of Agrowquip NZ Ltd. The acquisition combines the …

Early expressions of interest to present at next year’s Residues2Revenues 2023 event are now been called for. This year saw record numbers of forestry, wood harvesting, timber products companies and wood residues extraction …

C3 Limited and Pedersen Group are scheduled to install their new Debarker at Northport in early December 2022. Commissioning of the new Pedersen Group Debarker at Northport is planned for …

More than NZ$40,000 was raised to lead a mental health initiative for forestry at a charity auction dinner held in Rotorua, New Zealand on 18 November. Brought together by the …

Opinion piece: Inflation is front and centre of everyone’s minds at present and is more than likely causing Grant Robertson many sleepless nights. One of his biggest worries (and he’s …

Many commercial fleet operators are thinking about transitioning their vehicles to hydrogen or natural gas engines. These fuels can be great ways to reduce emissions. Both fuel options present similarities …

Timber from Russia has in recent years been sent through China for processing but since the Ukraine invasion by Russia, and the declaration of Russian timber as conflict timber, the …

Hiab’s HiVision™ for forestry cranes uses external cameras to show the cranes surrounding. The operator sees the surroundings using virtual reality (VR) goggles inside the truck cabin. This improves productivity, …

Multi-use, modular platform Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) automates tree and vine crop tasks, starting with intelligent spraying Robotics Plus, a New Zealand-based agritech company, on 20 October launched its autonomous …

In what must be one of the longest partnerships in NZ forestry, Safetree Certified Contractor Gamble Forest Harvesting celebrated 50 years working for City Forests in 2021. Safetree Toroawhi Richard …

On Friday 2 September, Napier Port’s senior crane operators safely and successfully loaded logs onto the Norse Mobile bulk cargo vessel using log grabs custom-designed and built for use on …

In New Zealand, a training initiative implemented by a central North Island iwi trust is taking rangatahi (youth) to new heights, three years since its launch. Rotomā No. 1 Incorporation’s …

It would be nice to be reporting on a rebound in the export market on the basis of solid demand and improved overall global macro-economic factors, but that would be …

Global trade of softwood logs plunged by 20% during the first half of 2022 y-o-y. Much of the decline was because of the Russian log export ban that came into …

If one guy can call his electric-car company Tesla, why not call theirs Edison, a couple of Merritt enrepreneurs figured. While the real-life Tesla and Edison, ground-breaking inventors, became fierce …

Swedish manufacturer Volvo Trucks is beginning series production of its heavy-duty electric models with global deliveries set to ramp up. And customers in Australia and New Zealand can expect to …

As a follow up to the local electric log truck story that we ran in the 9 September issue of Friday Offcuts, we’ve built in more information this week on …

The Tigercat D7 control system combines a solid and field proven hardware and bucking control system with a Tigercat developed head control and user interface. The system offers powerful functionality, …

Last month I made the comment that there was some light at the end of the tunnel in terms of increased export log prices, but we weren’t quite sure what …

Yamaha recently announced that the company has further strengthened the functions and performance of the industrial-use unmanned helicopter FAZER R G2. Specifically, the transport & delivery services have been enhanced …

Despite the growing popularity of electric vehicles, many consumers still hesitate to make the switch. One reason is that it takes so much longer to power up an electric car …

Ponsse and Epec are introducing the PONSSE EV1, an electric forest machine technology concept. While the forest machine will be commercially available later, Epec’s technology can already be used in …

OneFortyOne’s New Zealand’s Kaituna Sawmill and Marusumi Whangarei Co. Ltd, have signed an agreement to export wood chip to Japan with the first vessel expected to depart from Port Marlborough …

Tigercat founder Ken MacDonald takes on the role of president, Tigercat Industries. On August 2, 2022, Grant Somerville stepped away from his role as president of Tigercat Industries. The timing …

A reliable, environmentally friendly, and sustainable alternative to methyl bromide. August 2021 saw the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announce revised regulations regarding the use of methyl bromide. Fumigation of logs …

Tigercat officially has introduced the 6900 grinder, the first regular production offering in Tigercat’s material processing category. The 6900 is the first production grinder designed and built by Tigercat. The …

New Zealand workers are still being maimed and killed in huge numbers, but WorkSafe’s boss is ambitious to deliver change. Phil Parkes was trained as a regulator in the ways …

Shipping giant Maersk is launching a dedicated New Zealand coastal service to help strengthen the supply chain and improve vessel schedule reliability. It’s the first time the company has offered …

June is never a fun month in this game. We’re generally kidding ourselves that it’s going to be a dry winter or that we’ve had enough rain already and there …

SCA has, together with Scania, has developed the world’s first electric timber truck with a capacity of 80 tonnes. The world’s first electric timber truck with a capacity of 80 …

After seven great years this is my last Safetree blog. What an experience it’s been overseeing Safetree/FISC’s growth from a recommendation in the 2014 Independent Forestry Safety Review to an …

A new partnership is helping one of New Zealand’s largest heavy transport fleets decarbonise with hydrogen technology. New Zealand transport company H.W. Richardson (HWR) is partnering with Christchurch-based zero emissions …

Before chainsaws were invented, the logging industry in the United States & Canada was a seriously challenging occupation and we are only talking about 125 years ago. In the Pacific …

New Zealand’s Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods celebrated the launch of two firsts for energy decarbonisation in the transport sector in New Zealand; an electric milk tanker and …

Ponsse Plc is inviting its personnel to cooperation negotiations pursuant to the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings. The negotiations concern adaptations to the current situation. The needs for adaptations are …

Motorised Grapple Carriages seem to have been around for ages and have revolutionised the way many steep forests are harvested around the world…….and yet, there is still some reluctance to …

Well-known veteran Australian outback truckie Steve Grahame says that while owner operators are already feeling the pinch of rising fuel costs – he believes the effects are likely to get …

Scania New Zealand is putting two of its very first fully electric trucks on local roads and marks our country as the very first outside of Europe to have the …

One of nine brothers who, along with their father, were all involved in the log transport industry, Dave Siddle, 76, knows the roads that lead to the APM Mill at …

Alex Rodrigues, CEO of Embark Trucks, donated his 2022 salary and bonus to fund Little Robots. After a long career, many of us feel the need to help future generations …

Tigercat Industries develops purpose-built forestry dozer and launches new brand Tigercat Industries has developed a forestry dozer. The new TCi 920 will be making the rounds at several US forestry …

A partnership between Pioneer Energy and Niagara Sawmilling Company Ltd in the lower South Island of New Zealand has been formed to meet the demands of the biomass market to …

As global demand soars, extractive industries are embracing automation. A mining outfit in Australia is making a big bet on big robots. Following a recent proof of concept at a …

The WA government has tried to ease the pain on forestry businesses affected by a logging ban by announcing a revised multi-million-dollar compensation package. ln September the government announced it …

Remsoft has announced a new collaboration with Australian-based company ForestPHD, the developer of STICKS, to enable the use of forest machine data in Remsoft Forest IntelligenceTM solutions. The partnership will …

In August 2021 a decision on the Reassessment of methyl bromide for fumigation of New Zealand logs was released by the EPA. This was followed more recently by the release …

How can forestry companies look after their teams? See how Gisborne-based contractor Stirling Logging does it with things like top gear, hot food, smart targeting of bonuses and being a …

With Forico’s implementation of cloud-based Remsoft Operations, planning pressures can be predicted 6-12 months in advance and the scheduling process is more efficient, taking 50% less time. Forico, Tasmania’s largest …

A new type of forest machine is currently driving around the forests of Sweden. It combines a low-impact approach, increased productivity and an improved operator environment and is the result …

Tigercat Enters Yarding Niche with 180 – The new Tigercat 180 swing yarder is purpose built from the ground up. It combines the speed and stability of conventional yarders with …

Genesis Energy believes converting part of the Huntly power station to run on biofuel could be economic, but it will need a source of the specialist wood fuel needed to …

A vessel normally used to transport cars and trucks called at Northport this week to load approximately 5,000 cubic metres of triboard from the Juken Mill in Kaitaia. The m.v. …

John Deere has announced the release of the new and innovative Forestry Full-Tree Training Simulator. This development offers cost-effective and efficient operator training in a risk-free environment, all while avoiding …