Logging industry gather in New Zealand

As anticipated, the two-yearly logging event in New Zealand, HarvestTECH 2017 that ran on 20-21 June 2017 was again a SELL-OUT. It was without doubt, the wood harvesting event of the year for Australasia. Like the 2015 event run by the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA), the 2017 event SOLD out 4-5 weeks before the event ran.

HarvestTECH 2017 was the largest gathering yet seen in New Zealand. Around 450 logging contractors, forestry managers, forest owners, harvest planners along with all of the major equipment suppliers to the logging industry in this part of the world met in Rotorua. In addition to having most logging contractors from throughout New Zealand attending, the FIEA event drew in a large contingent of contractors and forest managers from throughout Australia, as well as attracting key equipment suppliers, researchers, forestry companies and international contractors from Europe, the US, Canada, Papua New Guinea and Asia.

As well as the two-day conference and over 40 displays, two one-day field tours ran for HarvestTECH 2017 delegates. The Forest Growers Research Tour visited a local logging contractor to demonstrate innovative products and equipment that had been developed by equipment manufacturers in conjunction with FGR and logging contractors. The AB Equipment Harvesting Tour was the second to be run and visited two logging sites in the Tokoroa region in the central North Island.

HarvestTECH 2017 has been the largest gathering of wood harvesting operations in New Zealand seen over the last two years. As the feedback has told us, it’s been a unique opportunity for all logging contractors and key technology and equipment providers. It gets them away from their work places, it enables some of the best industry networking opportunities and provides a place to learn from some truly innovative operators and suppliers.

• Recent innovations in steep slope and winch assist harvesting – NZ, US and European
• Getting the best out of existing hauler operations
• Harvest planning – new systems really making a difference
• Effective use of collected data from your harvesting operation
• Options for eliminating log sorts and reducing landing sizes
• Tools for harvesting greater volumes from smaller woodlots
• LiDAR and other remote sensing technologies for harvest planning and operations
• Meeting new environmental and water quality requirements
• Satellite solutions for improving in-forest communications
• Increased automation and mechanisation – new R&D
• Remote control, robotics, virtual reality and automation in the bush
• Filling the skills gap in harvesting
• Innovative harvesting operations – underwater and helicopter logging

New Zealand’s most dangerous industry, forestry, is turning to technology to help speed up production while also saving lives [TVNZ]