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 huge amount of interest by larger fleet operators. Already, a number of firsts for fuelling log trucks in this part of the world are underway and being planned for early …

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 strong local presence of Agrowquip with Brandt’s existing locations across the North Island to create a network of John Deere dealer locations that runs from Cape Reinga to Wellington. 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 and handling specialists turn up in Rotorua, New Zealand. The venue, with conference, pre and post conference workshops and exhibitions sold out. With developments in biomass utilisation so rapidly unfolding …

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 the end of December 2022, and trials commence in January 2023. The Debarker is predicted to be fully operational in late January 2023. The plant consists of a Nicholson A5 …

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 Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA), the charity auction dinner was part of the 2-day Fast and Forward Forestry Expo held last week. FICA CEO Prue Younger says the auction was …

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 got plenty) will be whether Adrian Orr brings out the big guns in the next OCR round and gives us all a 75-basis point punch in the face. Then there’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 and differences across a variety of areas. For example, both hydrogen and natural gas are predominantly used in their gaseous form in vehicle applications. This leads to similarities in some …

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 volumes have grown substantially. Australian builders, architects, and specifiers who for nearly nine months have agonised over an ever-widening supply gap in high-strength engineered wood products have found an unforeseen …

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, reduces the weight of the equipment and provides a more comfortable and safer working environment for the operator. HiVision 2.0 has an improved camera system combined with a powerful computer …

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 multi-use, modular vehicle platform for agriculture designed to carry out a variety of orchard and vineyard machine tasks – to alleviate ongoing labour shortages and transform the industry. The multi-purpose …

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 Stringfellow talked to the companies about their long working relationship, particularly the benefits of their ‘evergreen’ contract – which has no fixed termination date but keeps rolling over. Tony Gamble …

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 the port’s existing mobile harbour cranes. Napier Port CEO Todd Dawson was on board the Norse Mobile to observe the initial operational trial and was very pleased to watch this …

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 mahi is mostly dedicated to the forestry industry, but at the heart of ensuring its sustainability is a scheme to secure a skilled and dedicated future workforce and a commitment …

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 about as factual as the government’s recent announcement of lower crime statistics – during a year of repeated lockdowns. Not much has really changed in the past month in terms …

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 effect on January 1, 2022. However, with weakening housing markets worldwide resulting in lower demand for lumber, other countries beyond Russia saw slowing exports of logs throughout the spring and …

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 rivals, Edison Motors has a way to go before catching up with Elon Musk’s car company. But the journey has begun: Chace Barber and Eric Little are building hybrid electric …

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 see the vehicles on local roads in the near future. Electric versions of the company’s “most important” heavy-duty truck range includes the Volvo FH, FM, and FMX which can operate …

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 Fennell Forestry who’re taking the crucial first step towards decarbonising Australia’s heavy vehicle transport industry. The Mount Gambier based harvest and haulage company has commissioned the world’s second ever electric …

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, simplicity and intuitive operator navigation. There are two types of bucking control available for D7. Priority-based bucking logic utilizes a list of operator-entered log specifications sizes to determine how best …

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 that light was. As it stands now, that light started shining very brightly and the tunnel got much shorter in September as export prices rose around $NZ10/m3 across the board. …

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 by utilizing the automatic navigation version of the model to bolster the company’s response to the expansion of transportation and delivery requirements in the sector. By changing the design and …

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 than it does to gas up a conventional one. But speeding up the charging process can damage the battery and reduce its lifespan. Now, scientists report that they’ve designed superfast …

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 electric or hybrid-electric commercial vehicles and non-road mobile machines. Ponsse’s technological concept is a peek into the future, paving the way for technological development and sustainable harvesting solutions. The PONSSE …

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 (Picton) before the end of the year. Port Marlborough has been a critical partner in providing logistical support for the trial, including 4,000m2 (0.4 ha) in the port’s Shakespeare Bay …

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 is related to Grant’s original intention to serve as president for a five-year term when he took on the role in 2017. Tigercat founder, Ken MacDonald has assumed the role …

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 and timber previously accounted for 94% of methyl bromide use in New Zealand. Methyl bromide was used on above-deck cargo for export until 31 December 2021 at three of New …

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 6900 is a heavy-duty upswing grinder made for high throughput material reduction and mulch production. With Tigercat’s legendary build quality, the 6900 is designed for extreme duty and long life, …

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 of “the carrot, the stick and the sermon” – incentives, punishment and guidance. But two years into his role as chief executive of WorkSafe, he speaks of “root causes” and …

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 such a service in the country following 25 years of operation here. The service, Maersk Coastal Connect, will begin on 12 July operated with New Zealand crew. Two 2500 TEU …

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 can’t be much left, a bit like Jacinda hoping the covid debt is going to miraculously disappear. To top it off, June is generally the lowest point for export prices …

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 tonnes has now been delivered to SCA. The vehicle solution developed by Scania in close collaboration with SCA and the research institute Skogforsk, is part of the transition to sustainable …

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 established organisation with a focused work programme agreed by key stakeholders. The achievement I’m most proud of over those seven years is the role Safetree/FISC have played in helping the …

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 technology firm Fabrum on the initiative. Fabrum is developing and deploying an end-to-end scalable hydrogen refuelling solution for HWR to enable fleet-ready access to hydrogen. It will help HWR’s plans …

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 Northwest there were forests full of monster trees and cutting them down was done by hand. Check out the length of the two-man hand saw and heavy-duty axes above that …

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 a hydrogen truck, made possible with the help of Government funding. New Zealand’s (and possibly the world’s) first electric milk tanker is entering Fonterra’s fleet and Hyundai and NZ Post …

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 related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting stoppage in exports to Russia, the significant increase in manufacturing costs, and the decrease in profitability and cash flows. Challenges …

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 use them in certain settings or at all. So, DC Equipment, which pioneered the wide use of motorised grapple carriages more than a decade ago, has produced an online guide …

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 worse in coming weeks. “The price of fuel is going through the roof. My personal thought is that it’s going to be very, very difficult for single truck owner operators …

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 new models. The Scania 25 P battery electric vehicle (BEV) was unveiled to guests last Thursday at the company’s Wiri site in South Auckland. It arrives on our shores just …

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 Maryvale, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, like the back of his hand. After all, he’s been going there ever since he was 17. These days you’ll find him behind the wheel …

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 find success. It seems that age might not be a requirement. At 26, Alex Rodrigues, CEO of Embark Trucks, didn’t want to wait years to show appreciation to those who …

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 industry tradeshows this (northern hemisphere)spring. The dozer will be branded under the new TCi badge, as Tigercat Industries continues to design machines for applications beyond forest harvesting systems. All products …

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 supply high quality product to the end users, with both organisations bringing together their respective wood fuel supply businesses. Niagara’s wealth of experience in forestry, procurement, processing and transport coupled …

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 gold mine, mining contractor MACA will retrofit a fleet of 100 very large vehicles to create one of the largest autonomous heavy equipment fleets in the world. This is 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 would end native forest logging from 2024, a move that divided opinion and saw hundreds of people protest in the state’s forestry region. In pressing ahead with the plan, Forestry …

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 improve visibility and data-based intelligence for forestry companies using Remsoft Operations SaaS software to plan and schedule their harvest and wood flow activities. Widely used throughout Australia, New Zealand and …

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 of the decision approving the use of EDN in mid-April 2022. Details on the announcement were covered in a Friday Offcuts story a couple of weeks ago. Both processes had …

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 good neighbour. And see what their crews think. If you’ve got a story to tell about things helping you to run a better forestry business let us know. These stories …

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 private forestry management company, has implemented Remsoft Operations as a solution to overcome the limitations of spreadsheet-based operations planning. Forico sustainably manages 172,000 hectares in Tasmania, Australia of which 90,000 …

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 of a major cooperative project that has been under way since 2019. The concept machine is called Centipede and it has been developed by eight Swedish forestry companies and a …

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 the mobility and simpler controls of excavator-based yarders. The result is a powerful and versatile yarding machine for extreme terrain logging applications. The 305 kW (409 hp) carrier was carefully …

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 be created in New Zealand, which the government could assist in setting up. Genesis chief executive Marc England said preliminary work showed converting two of the Rankine units at the …

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. Istra Ace has sailed from South America and is destined for Japan. She was scheduled to depart Northport late Thursday or early Friday. The PCTC (Pure Car, Truck Carrier) is …

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 wear and tear on equipment. The Training Simulator allows operators to explore interactive virtual logging sites as if they were in the cab of an actual John Deere machine. This …

C3 Limited, part of the broader LINX Cargo Care Group, has officially unveiled the new C3 Log Vessel Grapple (LVG) at the Port of Tauranga, a first in Australasia. Held exclusively by C3 Limited, and developed in collaboration with industry partner, Page Macrae Engineering and customers, the revolutionary log loading technology is set to deliver unparalleled levels of safety and …

Murray Logging owner Andrew Murray said cutting the trees and getting them on a truck was laborious. They were cut from Manuka Gorge in Otago, NZ and were about 80 to 100 years old, he said. Once they were cut down the trees were impossible to move whole and had to be cut into logs wherever they fell. The largest …

Dynes implements driver fatigue cameras across the whole fleet – Moving to the deep south, in a pioneering move, Dynes Transport has implemented driver fatigue cameras across its entire fleet. Dynes also has a dedicated staff resource specifically for managing fatigue, so that we are proactively managing fatigue events. This puts Dynes at the forefront of the industry when it …

As part of the FGR programme in Automation and Robotics, a project has commenced to develop a safe and efficient alternative load securing system in New Zealand for logging trucks. Many logging truck drivers suffer musculo-skeletal injuries that are caused by throwing chains over the load and then manually tensioning the load restraints. An improved method of load restraint is …

This log is from a Sequoiadendron giganteum. The tree’s common name is either Giant sequoia or Sierra Redwood. It has also been given a nick name, “Wellingtonia” with history suggesting a man by the name of John Muir gave it this title in memory of the Duke of Wellington. Giant sequoia is one of three of the last remaining closely …

A Wairarapa-based forestry company are paving the way with stream crossing bridges that don’t disturb the waterway. Josh Blazek and Guy Farman of Farman Turkington Forestry came up with the design over a series of prototypes. Farman said forestry had always had issues with trucks crossing water and keeping the water clean, and they set out to find a solution …

There’s some high-tech wizardry taking place as this ISO Limited log shuttle heads through the company’s log yard at Port Taranaki. We’re thrilled ISO is supporting the growing export log trade at our port by installing a new Auto Tally Shed (ATS) on-site, which uses 18 high-resolution cameras to detect and scan log barcodes and automatically count the logs as …

Learning with the Generation Programme has proved life-changing for 22-year-old Ariana Ngaronoa and she’s already lining up more study to pursue a career in forestry that she previously hadn’t considered. “It is amazing,” she says. Plenty of Ariana’s extended whanau are in the industry but it wasn’t until a friend suggested the programme to her that her world changed. For …

The Nippon Foundation, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co have successfully completed a demonstration test of the world’s first fully autonomous ship navigation systems on a large car ferry, conducted on the Iyonada Sea from Shinmoji, Kitakyushuu City, on 17 January. This demonstration was part of MEGURI 2040, a project promoting the development of fully autonomous vessels supported by The Nippon Foundation. This …

As part of the NZQA-mandated five-yearly qualification review, the suite of New Zealand forestry qualifications spanning across forest harvesting and silviculture operations have been updated and officially launched. Coverage of some new operations has been introduced to keep pace with technology and changes in the industry and ensure updates to health, safety, and environmental regulations are followed. This includes programmes …

In another step towards a fossil-free society, SCA and Scania are together developing the first electric timber truck with a technical capability of up to 80 tonnes total weight. The vehicle is a sustainable transport solution enabled through another close cooperation between Scania and a progressive customer. It is possible to drive longer distances with heavy electric transports. Scania and …

China imported 30% of its total volume of softwood logs from Europe in 2020 and2021, thus surpassing supply from Russia and North America. European softwood logs were practically non-existent at Chinese ports five years ago. However, a combination of a never-ending hunger for more wood in the country, reductions in shipments from previously significant trading partners, and an oversupply of …

Historically there is little love lost between the mining industry and green groups. However, the two may now have some common ground in the pursuit of better EV technology and a broader rollout across Australia. Australia’s resource industry is well positioned to benefit from the EV revolution, having a wealth of nickel, copper, lithium and other elements required to power …

Volvo Construction Equipment says it is the first company in the world to trial a remote-controlled high-lift wheel loader over a 5G network in a complex forestry application – in a bid to develop safer, more productive timber processes and explore its potential as an enabler for automation. The Remote Timber research project is a collaboration between Volvo CE and …

On 10 November Pacific Forest Products Ltd (PFP) completed the loading of the largest log vessel ever to load from Australasia. The Conrad Oldendorff was chartered by PFP’s subsidiary South Pacific Shipping Ltd (SPS) from Oldendorff Carriers with the aim of creating new economies of scale through the port of Tauranga. The Post Panamax vessels have no ships cranes and …

A dramatic drop in global log prices has impacted on operations in the East Coast region of New Zealand and some forestry crews face a lean Christmas until prices lift again and full production hopefully resumes. Eastland Wood Council (EWC) chief executive Philip Hope said global economic factors could have major repercussions for the forestry industry while a prominent contractor …

Dr Glen Murphy was presented with the International Forest Engineering Achievement Award at the 2021 Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) Conference held in September in Corvallis, Oregon. The award recognizes and honours significant achievements in forest engineering by individuals for outstanding service and sustained contributions to the profession through education, extension, research, development, or administration. Thirty-five International Forest Engineering Awards …

With its brand-new design, the Komatsu X164E has been specially developed to efficiently harvest eucalyptus. When developing this head, Komatsu Forest’s engineering team put aside all existing head designs for softwood trees and instead focused solely on the needs and conditions of eucalyptus harvesting. “To minimise losses in production time, we established strict requirements for the debarking function. With the …

In a world full of cords, cables and wires, life without them is still mainly a vision. That, however, shouldn’t stop us from moving in the wireless direction. The fact is that if there isn’t even a cable to begin with, then obviously the risk for entanglement or breakdown is eliminated. The Dasa Wireless 1 is one vital step towards …

If you need a clear demonstration of how safety conscious harvesting contractors have become in the past decade, the sale of the 150th Falcon Winch-Assist machine provides convincing evidence. It took just seven years to reach that milestone and manufacturer, Nelson-based DC Equipment, says demand is currently at an all-time high. The shift to mechanised tree falling on steep slopes …

The log carrier Noble Island, with a LOA of 199.9 metres and summer DWT of 61,115 tons made calls to Tasmania’s Burnie and Hobart ports in early October. The arrival of the Ultramax vessel was the culmination of the work of Braemar ACM who successfully brokered the charter between Wood Based Products (WBP) and the Pacific Basin Shipping Limited. A …

Two European pension funds, APG Asset Management (APG) on behalf of its Dutch pension fund client ABP, and UK’s Pension Protection Fund (PPF), have agreed to purchase Sinotrans New Zealand Limited’s (Sinotrans NZ) shareholding in Wenita Forest Products Limited (Wenita). Wenita is the largest producer of timber in Otago, New Zealand, across almost 30,000 hectares of sustainably managed forests. With …

Major changes are looming for the New Zealand forestry sector as the deluge of raw log exports fades amid dwindling supplies and demands increase from the building industry and other users. An industry report by investment house Forsyth Barr suggests the mainstay of the industry, log exports, will peak and then drop by more than a third within a decade. …

The Australian Forest Contractors Association’s (AFCA) Forestry Haulage Gap Analysis System will receive key funding through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), supported by the Federal Government. The Forestry Haulage Gap Analysis System will allow for industry participants to effectively understand their relative transport risks resulting from the industry-endorsed Forestry Log Haulage Registered Code of …

Iknow Machinery, Nippon Paper Industries and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha have conducted a cargo handling trial of the world’s first automatic crane operation system, which was developed for wood-chip carriers by Iknow Machinery. The trial was performed at Tomakomai port (Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan) in late August and enabled the three companies to confirm the effect of the system to reduce …

The Vienne Test System, followed by the use of simulators, results in productive operators being selected and their subsequent learning curve being quicker with less machine damage. Researchers used people with no simulator or logging machine experience to test whether applicable aptitude tests, such as the Vienne Test System, could successfully select operators that would be productive machine operators. The …

Larry Bolduc has been a truck driver for more than 25 years and is now the head of the family business Transport Raoul Bolduc in Girardville, Que., in the Saguenay/Lac-St-Jean region of Canada. He also launched another business in parallel, called Électrocamion. The business plan is to convert forestry or mining trucks into hybrid diesel-electric vehicles, whether they are new …

The Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) has announced that General Manager (GM) Stacey Gardiner had tendered her resignation on Friday of last week after six and half years in the role and a range of achievements. Adan Taylor, AFCA Chair, said, “Stacey has made a significant contribution to AFCA during her time as GM, and she has led the organisation …

Logging of native forests in Western Australia’s South West will be banned from 2024 thanks to a state government decision lauded by environmentalist groups. But the forestry industry lobby claims the sector has been blindsided by the move, which it claimed came without consultation and would impact jobs despite a proposed AU$50 million transition fund from the government. Premier Mark …

A deal has been finalised that will soon see the largest vessel to ever call at New Zealand for the loading of logs. The deal between South Pacific Shipping (SPS) and Oldendorff Carriers was brokered by Braemar ACM’s Bruce McFarlane, a Mount Maunganui local. Braemar also negotiated the deal with ISO Stevedoring that delivered the mobile cranes from the manufacturer …

It is no secret that electrification is the future. Over just a few years, electrification moved from being a concept to being a reality. And we’re not talking about cars anymore, we’re talking heavy-duty trucks used in the energy, mining, and forestry sectors. Since technology for full electrification of these heavy trucks isn’t yet ready to meet contemporary operational requirements …

For New Zealand and Australia, it’s been over 8 years since a wood residues programme has been run by FIEA showcasing new innovations around harvesting, bio-fuel handling and transport technologies. Because of the huge interest being shown right now by forest owners and wood harvesting contractors in extracting wood bio-fuels to supply the ever-increasing demand from large industrial scale heat …

There are massive pay offs when you think outside of the box! By adding PolyCom Stabilising Aid, TPMS cut the metal requirements by a massive 54.2% over their standard pavement design, decreasing the build costs of this 3.2km by 15.9% and saving three days of standard construction time. Last year (May 2020), TAML Forestry of Hawera, South Taranaki approached Total …

CEAC warns that use of trucks with biodiesel will cause far more damage to environment than using electric trucks, overseas studies have found that production of biofuels for use in diesel truck engines will speed up the climate change, not slow it down as is depicted here from University of Waikato Troy Baisden, Professor (Environmental Sciences), University of Waikato. Growing, …

A total ban on methyl bromide fumigation aboard ships in New Zealand is part of a comprehensive suite of new rules imposed by a Decision-making Committee of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Methyl bromide is a toxic and ozone-depleting substance, which India and China require to be used on logs they receive from New Zealand. It is a biosecurity tool, …

Hyzon Motors has signed a vehicle supply agreement with Australian industrial gases company Coregas to deliver two hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The Hyzon Hymax-450 prime movers should be delivered in the first half of 2022 and are expected to be the first hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles to operate in Australia. The vehicles plan to be immediately deployed upon arrival from Hyzon’s …

A father and son duo from Southland have shown there’s value in getting back to the books, even after four decades in the game. Bobby Baird and his 65-year-old father Robert completed their Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Forest Harvesting with Competenz together in May. All employees went through the forestry training together alongside the Bairds and received their …

Forestry researcher Trevor Best has written a summary of research he was involved in at Canterbury University on the impact of stress on the wellbeing of forestry workers, and how it affects productivity and business profitability. For the past 18 months, I have been asking machine operators in harvesting crews to tell me about the conditions or situations that result …

As part of #EVWeekinCanada, a $1.7-million investment in FPInnovations was announced to develop and demonstrate hybrid diesel-electric forestry harvesting trucks and help green transportation in Canada’s forestry sector. FPInnovations will retrofit two conventional forestry tractor-trailers into electric-hybrid tractor-trailers. This will be achieved by equipping two forestry trailers with electric drive axles that will assist the diesel-powered trucks, resulting in reduced …

COVID19 Lockdowns across New Zealand are expected to create further pressure on an already heavily disrupted shipping logistics. ContainerCo managing director Ken Harris said exporters and importers continue to take the brunt of global shipping disruptions and the latest level 4 lockdown in New Zealand will have an impact on the availability of shipping containers. “There is already a tight …

Komatsu New Zealand’s new South Island Hub facility in Christchurch officially opened on 27 July 2021. The state-of-the-art facility, which was commissioned late mid-2020, offers greatly enhanced service and support capabilities for Komatsu customers throughout the South Island. It was officially opened by Christchurch Deputy Mayor Andrew Turner in a ceremony attended by key Komatsu customers and suppliers from throughout …

The 17,000th PONSSE forest machine has rolled off the production line in Vieremä. The milestone machine, a PONSSE Elk built in mid-August, will start its career in the sure hands of Kuusmoto Oy.   “It is a special privilege to hand over the 17,000th PONSSE machine to the Finnish Kuusmoto Oy. I wish to thank Kuusmoto for their trust and …

A new era in highway safety regulation begins in Canada as electronic logging devices that track a driver’s hours behind the wheel become mandatory in semi-trucks traveling between provinces. The electronic logging devices (ELDs) replace the use of paper log books and effective June 12 are a requirement under a federal regulation aimed at preventing fatigue in commercial drivers. The …

A new digital radio system from Motorola Solutions and communications partner Central Radio Services (CRS) is helping New Zealand’s City Forests to work more safely and efficiently while complying with COVID-19 work requirements. Initially deployed to replace an outdated analogue radio network, the system delivers many additional benefits. Among them are contact-free communication and social distancing in the field, replacing …

Leading European commercial vehicle manufacturers have signed a non-binding agreement to install and operate a public charging network for battery electric, heavy-duty, long-haul trucks and coaches across Europe. The agreement lays the foundation of a future joint venture (JV) – equally owned by the three parties; the Traton Group with its brands Scania and MAN, as well as Daimler Truck …

In the latest episode of FWPA’s WoodChat podcast series, listeners will hear about a research project that took an in-depth look at the various elements of Australia’s log and woodchip export supply chain, and how it can most effectively be managed. The team behind the comprehensive FWPA-supported study reviewed optimum conditions for logs during storage, haulage and at ports. Their …

(WorkSafe) Health and Safety Paramount On Forestry Sites. A tragic forestry fatality on the East Coast could have been avoided if industry guidance had simply been followed, says New Zealand’s WorkSafe. Businesses are being reminded once again to make sure work is being done correctly, safely and to higher industry standards or risk seeing their workers injured or killed. Two …

School of Forestry staff members Rien Visser and Campbell Harvey recently gave a presentation on “Forest Roads in NZ” to an international audience. The presentation includes an overview, details current construction practices, as well as highlights issues and research of forest roading. It was part of a Webinar series on ‘Forest Roads around the World’ coordinated by IUFRO (International Union …

WorkSafe New Zealand are reminding people that they are obligated to comply with WorkSafe inspectors exercising their compliance powers under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. If people fail to comply with WorkSafe inspectors, they run the risk of facing legal enforcement action.  The reminder comes after a 2019 incident where Scott Larsen, obstructed WorkSafe inspectors from carrying …

C3 Limited, part of LINX Cargo Care Group, has officially opened its new checkpoint facility at Port Nelson in New Zealand’s South Island. The new facility is a complete upgrade of the site’s original facility that had been used for more than 25 years and was no longer fit for purpose. The new facility spans more than 1,000 square metres …

Waratah Forestry Equipment has just announced the new H425, H425HD and H425X – a trio of rugged harvester heads built for tough jobs. With a powerful control valve and four roller feed arm geometry, each high-performance head is productive on wheeled or tracked carriers. “These models are built for durability and performance,” said Brent Fisher, product marketing manager for Waratah. …

Did you know that a forwarder operator spends as much as 70% of their working day operating the crane? This means there is much to be gained by finding ways to optimise crane operation. The most ergonomic work environment possible is also key to ensuring high and constant production throughout the working day. Komatsu Forest is now introducing Komatsu Smart …

Native forest barriers will be planted on New Zealand’s East Coast in a game-changing initiative to protect waterways against forestry slash and silt in future storms. East Coast landowner Aratu Forests has signed a 90-year agreement that gives environmental land use business eLandNZ the right to plant and manage areas that are no longer suitable for production forestry. It follows …

The Australian Forest Contractors Association wants Federal and State governments to assist contracting businesses on New South Wales’ South West Slopes. AFCA general manager Stacey Gardiner said that the forest industry recently celebrated the last load of fire salvaged wood hauled to a mill in the South West Slopes. But for forest contracting businesses and their workers, this symbolised a …

New web service shows real-world scenarios for fleet operators to consider commercial EVs – Critchlow Geospatial has launched SwitchMyFleet, a free-to-air website for fleet operators who are considering switching to electric vans and trucks and could be the catalyst to give New Zealand businesses the confidence to switch to EV fleets and reduce New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. Most New …

C3 New Zealand, part of LINX Cargo Care Group, has won the prestigious Best Collaboration Between PCBUs Award at the 2021 New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards. Announced at a gala dinner in Auckland, hosted by Safeguard Magazine and supported by WorkSafe New Zealand and ACC New Zealand, C3 New Zealand beat an impressive collection of finalists to claim …

Northport is to invest NZ$8m in infrastructure needed to support the growth of container traffic through the port. It is buying container-handling equipment and a simulator module to train staff in its operation, expanding its container storage area and upgrading its lighting to enhance safety during 24-hour operations. The NZ company is forecasting a 15 percent year-on-year increase in the …

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is set to launch an Australian and New Zealand validation programme for an Actros that can help steer itself. The active drive assist technology will be showcased at the upcoming Brisbane Truck Show. It enables SAE Level 2 partially automated driving capability which is a first for New Zealand heavy trucks The Mercedes-Benz Trucks validation programme will consist …

Authorities in Chile’s southern province of Arauco have intercepted a string of trucks carrying massive loads of stolen pine wood, revealing just how common it for timber traffickers to pilfer wood from legal plantations in the heart of the country’s logging industry. In mid-May, police revealed they had seized seven trucks loaded with 161 meters of stolen pine wood, worth …

Robotic Research, a global leader in Automated Driving Systems (ADS), and FPInnovations, a Canadian private non-profit research and development centre have announced their collaboration to develop an off-road truck platooning system for the forest industry. This project will combine Robotic Research’s proven expertise as a global leader in self-driving technology with FPInnovations’ knowledge in forestry and transportation to adapt the …

Japanese equipment maker Komatsu hopes to generate 140 billion yen ($1.27 billion) in revenue from forest machinery after four years, which would mark a 40% increase, due to robust housing and material demand. Komatsu intends to fulfil its goal by offering a stronger lineup of equipment such as feller bunchers and forwarders for the North American market. The U.S. has …

A third of New Zealand’s plantation forest estate is in the hands of woodlot owners. Harvesting can be a stressful time for some woodlot owners with little knowledge and experience of this phase of the woodlot management cycle. The 15-video series, “How to market and harvest your woodlot for profit”, attempts to provide woodlot owners with sufficient information to help …

Mosaic Forest Management is announcing its partnership with local Vancouver Island service provider, EcoWest Driven, to introduce several Tesla semi-trucks into log hauling. There are currently no commercially available electric log truck solutions appropriate for the terrain on Vancouver Island. The BC forest sector has a significant role to play in addressing climate change. The working forest captures carbon as …

Waking up to the news that the local mill is not accepting wood for the next three weeks can throw an operations manager’s morning into chaos. Suddenly, the manager must redirect the wood that was being collected on the dozens of active harvest units in the area to alternative mills. Can the transport contractors cope with the new requirements? Will …

The last log truck carrying salvaged, burnt logs from the 2019/20 bushfires was waved into the Hyne Tumbarumba Mill on Tuesday. The unprecedented, 15 months of salvage harvesting has seen over 1.6 million burnt plantation pine logs processed at the Hyne Mill alone. 75.5 million linear metres of timber has been processed from salvaged logs which would almost wrap around …

Ponsse is launching a new debarking PONSSE H7 HD Euca harvester head alongside the previously released H8 HD Euca. The new powerful harvester head further strengthens Ponsse’s strategy to be the leading global manufacturer of harvester heads. “This new harvester head has been developed together with our customers, based on their feedback. We wanted to introduce an even more powerful …

Pedersen Group, part of LINX Cargo Care Group, has welcomed an impressive piece of new machinery with the Sennebogen 875E – the first in Australia – already delivering improved safety and productivity outcomes. Following an intensive and extended design consultation between Sennebogen, Pacific Materials Handling and Pedersen Group, the new purpose-built material handler arrived onsite at Maryvale, Victoria from Germany …

For the past decade, Nelson businessman Dale Ewers’ goal has been to get workers in the logging industry out of harm’s way. In 2010 Ewers, the chief executive of Moutere Logging Ltd and DC Equipment, set a 20-year plan for his company to reduce work accidents to zero – in an industry where logging crews on steep slopes faced challenging …

Oberon-based Mangan Logging & Haulage has reached a major milestone with the Australian-owned business marking 60 years of operation and welcoming its fourth generation into the family-run business. Established in 1961 by Bert and Monica Mangan, the business has grown from one trucking unit to 25, along with numerous harvesting units, two mechanic workshops, a 24-hour breakdown service and a …

Russia has been one of the largest roundwood traders globally for many years by exporting roughly 15-20 million m3 per year between 2010-2020. The main importers of the Russian roundwood are traditionally China and Finland, importing around 90% of the total Russian export volumes. Based on the announcement of President Vladimir Putin last year, instructing the country’s government to ban …

In line with the focus this week on log transport as part of the just completed HarvestTECH 2021 event, below is a new trucking induction video developed by New Zealand’s WorkSafe. The trucking induction video gives an overview of things to consider when route planning, cab safety, on-site traffic management and loading and unloading. Whether you are a trucking operator; …

Further enhancing the machine operation in demanding forestry applications, John Deere adds its Smooth Boom Control (SBC) technology to its M-Series Tracked Feller Bunchers and MH-Series Tracked Harvesters. Developed in global collaboration between the John Deere Wheeled Cut-to-Length and Full-Tree Forestry teams, the SBC system instantaneously responds to operator input while smoothing out the acceleration and deceleration of hydraulic functions …

The current pandemic made clear, once again, that digital transformation is one of the most relevant matters in the industry, and the forestry industry is not free of this challenge. In the last few years, the leading companies in the forestry industry have incorporated technologies into their supply chain, specifically in their wood fibre measurement processes. One of the pioneering …

Asia Pacific freight giants VISA Global Logistics and Mondiale Freight Services have announced they will be merging to form a significant international transport and logistics entity. The merged company will have a combined annual revenue of A$1.2 billion, with operations across Australia, New Zealand, North Asia, South East Asia, Indian Sub-Continent, and Europe. Both companies have made large investments in …

The advancement of forestry equipment has typically focused on generating more powerful machines. Now, John Deere has launched a new tech-driven initiative that will marry strength with intelligence. Through the Precision Forestry initiative, Deere will reorganize its technology portfolio and increase its efforts in delivering solutions designed to increase efficiency and productivity in the woods. “It’s not about getting bigger …

An Australian mining group has advanced the future of mobility (in mining at least) with the deployment of a fleet of fully-autonomous Ford Rangers at one of its mines. Fortescue Metals Group has retrofitted four Rangers at its Christmas Creek mine in Western Australia with autonomous systems created by the company’s Technology and Automation team, to remove the need for …

Sprinklers have been activated at the dam on its Macgill property where KIPT plans to store more than 100,000 tonnes of pine. The pine logs, harvested from the fire-damaged Gosse West plantation will be preserved in preparation as the company awaits approval and construction of the Smith Bay export facility. KIPT plans further storage facilities on other properties it owns …

The no-compromise 875E logger introduces several new features, including an updated operator station, two undercarriage options, and various grapple configurations to tailor the machine to your specific needs.The 875E logger is a multi-purpose carrier with two boom options for loading or processing applications. The machine can be equipped with the Tigercat FPT N67 Non-certified, Tier 4f or Stage V engine, …

Leaders of New South Wales (NSW) forest contracting businesses came together last week for the launch sessions of the ForestFit training program pilot (training pilot) in Tumut (16 March) and Grafton (18 March). Ms Stacey Gardiner, General Manager, Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) said “The training pilot is designed specifically to meet the needs of leaders of small and medium-sized …

A pilot project that we reported on recently aiming to address a severe shortage of logging truck drivers through telemetric wizardry may lead to new jobs being created, not their elimination, the proponents say. When the $700,000 project by Marathon-based Nawiinginokiima Forest Management Corporation (NFMC) and Ottawa-based Provectus Robotics Solutions became known, some assumed truck drivers would no longer be …

Bridges traditionally sit above the water at all times, providing continuous access even in severe weather. But the potential for flash flooding in two streams in the Kopua Forest in Maraetaha, Gisborne, meant an innovative solution was required to allow Aratu Forests Limited to carry out its harvest operations. Existing fords across both streams did little to provide reliable day-to-day …

Anyone who knows machinery understands the value of proper hydraulic servicing – especially now. It is a fast moving and demanding field of expertise, currently evolving ever faster and in terms of machinery sophistication that might astound its founding fathers, starting with the child prodigy, mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal. Pascal (for whom KPA is named) gave us in his …

PhD student in forest engineering, Campbell Harvey, is this year’s New Zealand nomination for the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations Blue Sky Award. Campbell has been using drones and flight control programmes to capture imagery of landing slash piles – followed by image processing and then overlaying outputs with engineering survey software to automate volume/shape calculation. He is …

A forestry company has had a NZ$2.89 million debt set aside by the NZ High Court after failing to harvest on deadline for a contract written on bad advice from the Marlborough District Council. Zindia Limited signed the contract in 2016, to harvest pine trees on Arapaoa Island, previously known as Arapawa Island, between Tory Channel/Kura Te Au and Cook …

With a couple of exhibition spaces becoming available, two new exhibitors have just been added to the record turnout that’s expected in Rotorua in a few months as part of this year’ s major log transport and wood harvesting event, HarvestTECH 2021. It runs in Rotorua, New Zealand on 13-14 April 2021. Full details can be found on the event …

Ponsse has announced that it’s responding to the need for the development of training by modernising its simulator product range. The new PONSSE Full Simulator is a full-range training system. Its realistic forest environment and detailed graphics create a perfect platform for professional training. The upgraded simulators offer a modern learning environment for harvester, forwarder and PONSSE Opti information system …

Robot trucks are coming to Northwestern Ontario in 2021 Nawiinginokiima Forest Management Corporation says it plans to use a pair autonomous logging trucks, led by an experienced driver in a third vehicle, on logging roads, to bring felled trees to nearby mills in the Pic and White River Forests, in partnership with Provectus Robotics Solutions Inc. Testing is expected to …

John Deere introduces the new six-wheel 768L-II Bogie Skidder, a true woodland warrior designed to conquer wet conditions and steep slope terrain. Incorporating the proven, durable features found on the John Deere L-II skidder lineup, the new 768L-II maximizes productivity, performance, and comfort when carrying hefty loads over long distances in challenging conditions. “Profitability and productivity are critical in the …