| 97 Excellence in forestry 2022 Women in Forestry Award winners & finalists (L to R): Anne Bridger, Venture Forestry (Award Sponsor), Brittney Kircher, Cable Logging Geraldine (Finalist), Hannah Lawson, Rayonier Matariki Forests (Joint Winner), Emma Diack, D & K Contracting (Joint Winner), Tegan Anderson, Roxburgh Contracting (Finalist), Xshikarna Harvey-Ryder, Mike Hurring Logging (Finalist). Russell Fredric The 2022 Awards saw yet again another outstanding turnout by local forestry companies and contractors from throughout the lower South Island. The function was New Zealand’s 2022 Southern Wood Council Forestry Awards run in conjunction with the country’s industry training organisation, Competenz/Te Pukenga. In addition to profiling the contribution forestry and those working within the industry make to the economic and social well-being of the region, the night was really designed to celebrate the success FORESTRY » Southern Wood Council operation while weathering the storms. The industry as a whole was seeing the effects of these challenges across the supply chain, Chris said. “Some sectors within the supply chain are doing very well, others have found it extremely tough to the point the have closed down.” Consolidation and cost mitigation would be a key focus for all going forward. SML’s primary work is primarily carting logs from the forests to the sawmills or to Lyttelton Port for export. Six trucks are high capacity tip units that service the local sawmills, taking wood chip to the Daiken MDF plant in Sefton for New Zealand Pine Processors. In the Canterbury region, the bulk of the logs go to local sawmills with around a third of the total exposure going to export. Although the company had not seen growth locally, it was always looking at opportunities within its core business of Transport and Logistics, Chris said. It was recently awarded dispatch logistics contract for Matariki Forest in Southland that started November 1 this year. Chris joined the business 28 years ago when there were just six truck units and has helped steer the business through significant growth and the implementation of the company’s systems. The fleet of 45 vehicles, including 36 logging truck and trailer units, six bulk units, two self loading units, a transporter, hook bin unit, bandit chipper, two excavators, three wheel loaders, continued to grow organically. HPMV units (High Productivity Motor Vehicles), which make up 86 per cent of the company fleet and can carry 50 to 58 tonnes gross, had not been as effective as first thought, Chris said. The industry introduced them to increase productivity, carting more weight with less vehicles and distributing the weight evenly over a longer axle group, reducing impact on the roads. But SML found the higher running cost and wear and tear on plant over a shorter life span had increased replacement cycle times. The company continued to make improvements where it could across the business, Chris said. “(We are) always looking at all areas within our business for improvement with technology. Our suppliers provide us with the latest options available.” • from page 96 of those that had achieved formal training qualifications over the year. Through a series of nine major awards, the event also recognised the forest industry’s top performers from across Southland, Otago and South Canterbury. After Covid related travel and meeting restrictions had postponed previous planned dates for the annual awards evening, the industry certainly rallied on the night. Around 350 forest managers, forestry contractors, wood processing and transport operators and product and service suppliers to the industry attended the awards evening at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium. “The turnout by forestry workers, their families and supporters on the night continues to reflect the momentum that’s been building with training and safety in this region” says Grant Dodson, Chairman of the Southern Wood Council. “In addition to increased on-site training, two training courses in the region are now well established and continue to provide a regular stream of trained workers to the industry”. As well as eight well established annual awards that have been celebrated now for eight years, this year marked the first time that a Women in Forestry Excellence Award was awarded and recognised by the wider industry. Some outstanding nominations were received and it was only fitting that for the first time, two joint winners were announced on the night, representing women working in forest management and wood harvesting operations in the South. Hannah Lawson, Rayonier Matariki Forests and Emma Diack, D and K Contracting were announced as joint winners of the inaugural Women in Forestry Excellence Award. Hannah Lawson began working for Rayonier Matariki Forests (RMF) as a Harvesting Operations Coordinator in 2018 having started as a forester with another Southland based forestry operation, Southwood Export in 2012. \ She has committed to forestry training having graduated with a Bachelor of Forestry Science (with Honours) from the University of Canterbury in 2012. Since then, she’s achieved the National Certificate in Forest Harvesting for Quality Control and a number of other industry unit standards. Emma Diack, also working in Southland, was recognised at the awards evening as a determined young woman who’s quickly making a mark for herself in the male-dominated harvesting industry. Like Hannah, she has trained extensively. She began her apprenticeship at the start of 2021 with the Mike Hurring Forestry School in conjunction with working in her father, Daryl Diack’s logging crew (D and K Contracting). Both Hannah and Emma stood out as successfully managing to do all of this work at a high quality while achieving a healthy balance between their work and family life. Both have bright futures ahead of them and have already made their mark within the southern forest industry. Over 300 National Training Certificates had been achieved in Forestry & Wood Processing across the region in the last 12 months and 200 plus framed certificates were awarded to top local contractors and forestry and wood processing employees on the night. Twenty harvesting apprentices that have been involved in the Mike Hurring Logging Balclutha training school were also recognised at the awards ceremony. BUILDING A STRONG RELATIONSHIP FOR FUTURE GROWTH At BDO, the more we get to know our clients and their business the more passionate we get about them. We are proud to support Steve Murphy Limited. PHILLIP ROTH phillip.roth@bdo.co.nz 027 227 8918 WWW.BDO.NZ ADVISORY TAX AUDIT Proud Supporters of the Southern Wood Council 123 Crawford Street, Dunedin P 03 467 7730 E dunedin@cityforests.co.nz Southern Wood Council PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH Fulton Hogan 03 478 8200 Tony Williamson 027 211 0149 Kevin Walter 027 290 6206 SWING YARDER & GROUND BASED OPERATIONS FIREWOOD SUPPLIES 19 Abbotts Hill Road, Abbotsford, DUNEDIN sjonesloggingltd@yahoo.co.nz | 027 858 4791
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