| 63 RURAL SERVICES » Clearwood Contracting Work on historic Maori site recognised The project to clear The Cross site took two weeks with strict conditions on how the trees were to be removed. Sue Russell Nik Bradnock, founder of Clearwood Contracting, based in Masterton in the Wairarapa, says the pattern of more extreme weather is something he’s definitely noticed. “There seems to be rain falling in greater volumes, really flooding and drenching the ground. This makes working with heavy machinery very challenging”. Nik established Clearwood Contracting in 2003, having completed forestry and silviculture qualifications after leaving school. He then worked a number of years in forestry until he decided it was time he stepped out on his own, and established his own forestry contracting company. When work slowed down, Nik took a deep breath and used the opportunity to grow the company in a new direction as a harvesting contractor. This meant the purchase of diggers and bulldozers; a massive step regarding engagement with the bank for some serious level borrowing, using the home as collateral. Now, all these years later, Nik has come out the other end, owning his gear outright. He also employs two workers and engages a sub-contractor as well. “Even one of my daughters occasionally does a bit of work here and there.” Based in Masterton, Nik sends the team to blocks over Wairarapa as far north as Pahiatua and south to Ocean Beach. The region is one of the top three areas for forestry harvesting. Actively on the tools himself, Nik makes a point of saying everyone in the team can do everything, creating a nimble effficient business model. “Actually I think you get more productivity out of a tight-knit smaller team. We have a bit of a niche business given our size. We can do the smaller, trickier kind of blocks that a lot of the bigger crews wouldn’t want to do. At this year’s SNIWC (Southern North Island Wood Council) Awards, the work Nik and the team did on a very special, archeological Maori site, inhabited back in the 14th century and known as The Cross Site, was recognised. The site is an area of huge historical significance to iwi and had been planted some years ago. It is the first known Maori settlement in New Zealand, and was occupied for 300 years. “The name, The Cross Site, comes from the settlements shape – a giant cross – and we were privileged to be asked to remove the trees growing over the site, to reveal the shape and unique sense of this whenua,” says Nik. The project, to clear 35 pine trees, took about two weeks to complete, given there were strict conditions imposed as to how the trees would be extracted. Special approval as to how the trees would be removed had to be obtained from Heritage NZ. A hut from The Cross site had years ago been re-located to Te Papa. Given the importance of the project and the way Nik and the team managed it, it wasn’t surprising that Clearwood Contracting won the award for ‘Health & Safety Champion’, after being nominated by FTF (Farman Turkington Forestry). “It’s a huge honour for me and the team to receive this award. The funny thing was that we had been told we’d been nominated for another award, which we didn’t receive, so when the special award was announced it was a complete surprise for us. Now the site has been cleared, the hollows and mounds have become visible, adding to the uniquely valuable status of the site. “Now that it’s been cleared it will be left as a virgin site by the owner which is wonderful. It was such a great project to be involved in.”
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