Business Rural Winter 2021

66 | S outhern Wood Council is an industry grouping of companies sharing an inter- est in forestry based in Otago, Southland and South Canterbury. The current chair, Grant Dodson, believes it’s a great example of differ- ent arms of an industry working together for the common good. “It represents the industry where we have areas of commonality,” explains Grant. “An obvi- ous one is health and safety, and training, but also regional planning, roading access, policy, the environment and those sorts of things.” Member companies include major forest owners such as New Zealand owned City Forest Limited, of which Grant is also the current CEO, together with Rayonier Matariki, Wenita, Earnslaw One, and Port Blakely. Between them they own approximately 210,000 hectares of forestry south of the Waitaki growing predominantly Radiata Pine, with significant areas of Douglas Fir, and a smaller amount of Eucalypt, Macrocarpa and other exotic species. “All of the forestry companies have significant areas of native reserves under management but as corporate forestry companies our intention is to grow a commercial crop harvest,” says Grant. FORESTRY » Southern Wood Council Industry training a Wood processing companies include Mataura based Daiken MDF and Panpac Otago as well as many other smaller companies scattered through- out the lower South Island. “Forestry Management make up the rest with companies such as PF Olsen Ltd. and Venture Forestry to name just a couple,” says Grant. “We’ve been going since the early 2000’s and we serve our common interests but what’s really cool is our health and safety stuff and particularly the training.” It’s not surprising that these were at the top of Grant’s mind given their Industry Training Awards were due to be held in Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Sta- dium a few days later. It’s an annual event held to recognize and celebrate the industry at every level with framed certificates for all the achievers of industry National Certificates through Competenz, as well as a wide range of Industry Excellence Awards from the Modern Apprentice of the Year through to the Forestry Management Environmen- tal Excellence Award. All of the companies in the Southern Wood Council participate in training and its clear that this is an area of significant interest to the Coun- cil. “We present up to 350 National Certificates of Achievement to the trainees in front of their peers. It could be for an apprenticeship in harvesting or Virginia Wright Proud Supporters of the Southern Wood Council 123 Crawford Street, Dunedin P 03 467 7730 E dunedin@cityforests.co.nz Southern Wood Council Fulton Hogan 03 478 8200 Nic Sneddon 027 211 0149 Kevin Walter 027 290 6206 PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SWING YARDER & GROUND BASED OPERATIONS FIREWOOD SUPPLIES 19 Abbotts Hill Road, Abbotsford, DUNEDIN sjonesloggingltd@yahoo.co.nz | 027 858 4791 IS YOUR WOODLOT MATURE? NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO SELL! We are actively purchasing woodlots and marketing them in combination with log sales from our own forests. Contact us for an appraisal: Tony Livingston 027 434 1730 | Russell Kerr 027 447 7594 Cemetery Rd, Tapanui, West Otago • Radiata Pine, Douglas-Fir • West and South Otago, Eastern Southland areas • Forest Industry Safety Council certified crews • NESP and FSC environmental standards • Latest export prices combined with domestic sales • 30 years experience in harvesting and marketing • Local crews supporting local businesses • Log Cartage • Stock / Bulk • F ertiliser • Gravel • Contracting • ransporting T 0800 22 5899 www.dtking.co.nz 03 225 8356 Otautau 03 225 5899 Pukemaori 03 234 8120 Riverton SWC members at a Forestry Careers Open Day set up for local schools in March 2021 and members talking forestry careers options in Dunedin. Forestry Awards at the Forsyth Barr Stadium (below).