Friday Offcuts – 6 December 2024

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Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Offcuts.

New Zealand’s new rules on farm-to-forestry conversions have sparked debate, with concerns about their impact on climate action and industry growth. While carbon forest planting has increased, total forest estates are actually smaller than they were 20 years ago.

Across the Tasman, Australia’s forestry sector received a significant boost with a A$300 million investment from the Albanese Government. This funding supports innovation, sustainability, and enhanced softwood quality assessments, equipping growers and processors with better tools and data.

Opportunities are also opening for professionals and researchers. New Zealand’s segment of the prestigious ICFPA awards is accepting applications, while Forestry Australia opens applications for their 2025 mentoring program—ideal platforms to showcase expertise and connect with industry leaders.

Looking ahead, WoodTECH 2025 returns on 13–14 March 2025 in Rotorua, New Zealand, and 18–19 March 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. With new details on international exhibitors and venues nearing capacity, early registration offers significant savings, especially for groups. This premier technology series promises invaluable insights for the wood processing sector.

Read these and more in another packed edition of Friday Offcuts. Enjoy.

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Forest owners persecuted for climate change action

New rules limiting farm to forestry conversions under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are set to have dire consequences for forest growers in New Zealand and the country’s ability to meet its climate change targets.

Announced this week by Forestry Minister Hon Todd McClay, the new rules will see a moratorium placed on exotic forestry registrations for Land Use Classifications (LUC) 1 – 5 and an annual cap set at 15,000 hectares (ha) for exotic forestry registrations on LUC 6 farmland.

New Zealand Forest Owners Association (FOA) chief executive, Dr Elizabeth Heeg, says the rules are hurting forest owners who are making some of the biggest contributions to improving New Zealand’s climate outcomes.

“A moratorium on forests able to be planted on LUCs 1 – 5 severely limits the number of forests that can participate in the ETS,” Elizabeth says. “By pushing the establishment of new forests to marginal or less productive agricultural land, we are not only limiting our country’s capacity to enhance carbon sequestration efforts but also undermining a vital industry that supports thousands of jobs.”

With planting restrictions imposed on LUC 6 too, Elizabeth says the new rules could significantly reduce the land available for establishing the forests needed to meet the 2050 climate target.

“Planting of trees, be that for production purposes, diversification of land, or for carbon sequestration, is arguably the only real tool at New Zealand’s disposal to mitigate emissions besides gross emissions reductions,” Elizabeth says. “These land use restrictions are shortsighted and will only serve to disincentivise forest owners’ participation in the ETS – ultimately leading to reduced planting rates and poor outcomes for our sector and the climate.”

While there has been an increase in the planting of carbon forests in recent years, the total forest estate remains smaller than what it was 20 years ago.

“The misconception that we need to limit farm to forestry conversions to ensure food production is misguided and hurting our forest growers who are an equally important component of New Zealand’s food and fibre network,” Elizabeth says.Small scale woodlot owners and farm foresters stand to be most affected, with the new rules limiting the tools available to diversify their land and offset agricultural emissions. 

“Landowners, including farmers having the right to diversify their land through the planting of more trees,” Elizabeth says. “Today’s announcement essentially devalues farms in that land use will become limited to farming only. Only allowing 25 percent of the farm to be planted also appears to be an arbitrary threshold that may not be appropriate for all farmers.”

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Source: NZFOA


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Labor Government to invest A$300 in forest industry

The Albanese Labor Government is continuing to deliver for the forest and wood products sector with the industry coming together in Hobart. Minister Collins joined the Forestry Industry Roundtable, hosted by the Strategic Forest and Renewable Materials Partnership, to inform the development of the Timber Fibre Strategy.

The Roundtable included representatives from the forestry sector, unions, and states and territories. The Timber Fibre Strategy will be an industry-led long-term plan for the future of the forest and wood products sectors.

The aim of the Strategy is to build a sustainable, world-leading forestry and wood processing sector that can help Australia achieve net zero and supply products that are in demand domestically and internationally.

This roundtable gives the forest and wood product industries the opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities and have a say on policy solutions in the Timber Fibre Strategy.

“As a Tasmanian, I understand just how important Australia’s timber industry is to our economy and our environment, and I want to see it not only thrive, but continue to adhere to our high standards of sustainable forest management and production," said the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP.

“Timber is a sustainable, renewable product that embeds carbon in products we need. I want to see our Australian timber play a bigger role in our domestic market, and strengthen our exports as well," said the Minister.

The Albanese Labor Government is investing A$300 million in the future of the forestry industry, which includes:
  • Over A$100 million for transformative research, development and innovation for the timber industry through Australian Forest and Wood Innovations
  • Over A$100 million to support the medium and long-term sustainability of our wood processing sector through the Accelerate Adoption of Wood Processing Innovation program
  • Over A$73 million to expand Australia’s future wood supply through the Support Plantation Establishment program, and A$10 million in the industry’s training needs through the Forestry Workforce Training Program
Source: Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry


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WoodTECH 2025 – is back & better than ever!

WoodTECH is returning in March 2025! WoodTECH 2025 is the Australasia’s premier event for wood processing and manufacturers, and has been run by FIEA for over 25 years. The last in-person event, WoodTECH 2019, drew a record attendance. Then COVID hit. WoodTECH then ran as an online only event over the pandemic, post-COVID building boom and supply disruptions. This is no longer an issue and WoodTECH is back in-person!

WoodTECH 2025 will be held 13-14 March 2025 in Rotorua, New Zealand and 18-19 March 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. This event provides an essential and independent platform for local companies to discuss the issues of today, future directions, and evaluate the very latest innovations, technologies and operating practices to grow your wood processing and manufacturing businesses.

Attracting industry leaders, mill managers, production teams, and technology specialists in sawmilling and wood processing, WoodTECH will showcase cutting-edge innovations in wood scanning, drying, processing, mill optimisation, AI, robotics and automation.

WoodTECH 2025 partners, sponsors, and exhibitors include: USNR, MiCROTEC, ScanMeg, Leitz Tooling Systems, Arxada, HewSaw, KeyKnife/Braford Industries, Holtec Timber Technologies, AE Gibson & Sons, Tui Technology, Springer (Inc. Linck & EWD), AddWrap Packaging, IWT-Moldrup, Automation & Electronics (A&E), Comact, Nicholson Manufacturing, Acora (Inc. Gilbert, DO2, Carbotech Group), JKL, Wolftek, ILS, Engineering Computer Services (ECS), Lakeland Steel, Scion and FWPA.

Registrations are open, with super early bird rates ending on Friday, 20 December. Group rates are also available.


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Improving wood quality assessment for Australia’s softwoods

Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) is pleased to share innovative research, which has significantly improved the accessibility and accuracy of wood quality information, providing softwood growers and processors across Australia with critical data to enhance their operations. The research utilises Resi technology for early selection of harvest-age density and modulus of elasticity (MoE), allowing for precise predictions of wood properties and yield.

The Resi technology, as discussed in the research, refers to a resistance drilling method used to assess wood properties, particularly in softwood plantations. It rapidly measures the resistance encountered when a drill bit penetrates the wood, which correlates with the wood’s density and stiffness of trees, logs and forest plots. The Resi tool is noted for its efficiency, being three times faster than other methods like the ST300 acoustic velocity measures, and it has been standardised for operational use across the industry to improve the accuracy and reliability of wood quality assessments.

This project has underpinned a transformation in the easy access to information about wood quality for softwood growers and processors. Resi data from pre-harvest assessments has accurately predicted mill site- mean board stiffness in sawing studies across multiple sites in Australia. It’s now a routine tool for many companies. The project is strongly aligned with the FWPA Strategic Plan and the focus on improving the resource base, as well as increasing productivity and utilisation along the value chain.

I’m proud to have led a project that directly connects field-based log quality with the experiences of processors, delivering tangible benefits to the forest industry.” said  Associate Professor David Lee from the University of the Sunshine Coast.

The research showed that simulated mid-rotation Resi measurements can reliably estimate harvest age quality, aiding in informed decisions regarding rotation lengths. The study also addressed various sources of error between Resi instruments and techniques, establishing that these variances are negligible at a commercial scale, thereby fostering confidence in the consistency of Resi measurements.

This research can help us enhance our operations and planning. With improved predictive modelling, we can make informed decisions about longer term resource planning and better understand timber production outputs.” said Rebecca Cherry, Wood Quality Engineer at Hyne Timber.

The key benefits for the industry include:
  • Successful predictions of mill site-mean board stiffness across multiple locations, has improved wood flow between growers and processors and has the potential to inform favourable log pricing structures.
  • Enhanced decision-making capabilities regarding rotation lengths, stocking, breeding objectives, and overall wood quality through predictive modelling.
  • Adoption of over thirty Resi instruments by growers and processors for routine inventory and log supply management.
  • Integration of wood quality predictions with yield estimates in YTGen software and enhancements to the Resi Processor software for better prediction of stiffness and density.
Key findings from the project include:
  • A confirmed relationship between pre-harvest measurements and mill production quality, demonstrating that Resi data can predict mill output at a compartment level.
  • Enhanced understanding of radial and longitudinal variation in wood quality, allowing for tailored silvicultural practices.
  • Development of improved algorithms incorporated into the new version of the Resi web trace processor, ensuring ongoing access to cutting-edge predictive models.
Looking ahead, the project recommends that Resi technology be further utilised to strengthen grower-processor communication, optimising wood flow and enhancing the value of plantations. A deeper understanding of how site, climate, management, and genetics affect MoE and structural grade percentages will be pursued using extensive, estate-wide datasets.

For more information and download the project report, please click here.

Source & image credit: FWPA


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Researchers turn tree bark into high-performance coating

Researchers at Stockholm University have unveiled a fully bio-based wood coating system that could transform the construction industry by providing a sustainable alternative to fossil-based synthetic coatings. Inspired by the protective functions of tree bark, this innovative solution utilises components sourced from birch and spruce bark.

The research, published in the journal Materials Horizons, aligns with Europe's commitment to improving resource efficiency in the bio-based sector. The new coating combines suberinic acids from birch bark and polyphenols from spruce bark, forming a waterborne suspension that is both safe and easy to apply to wood surfaces.

Polyphenols play a dual role in stabilising water-insoluble suberinic acids while also acting as nanofillers to enhance the coating’s mechanical properties. When applied to spruce wood panels, the bio-based coating exhibited impressive water resistance, outperforming conventional synthetic coatings even after prolonged water exposure", explains Fengyang Wang, the publication´s first author.

Mika Sipponen, the project supervisor, highlights that tree bark, often burned for energy, can instead be a valuable resource for wood protection. This innovation addresses a crucial need in the construction sector, where traditional wood coatings frequently contain hazardous compounds and rely on fossil-derived chemicals. The new coating provides an eco-friendly alternative without sacrificing performance.

Our approach not only reduces the carbon footprint of construction materials but also creates a circular, sustainable solution in wood processing," Sipponen explains.

Collaboration for a greener future

Although the materials' chemistry was developed at Stockholm University, the research team collaborated across the entire value chain – from bark supply to processing and performance testing. "While the bark is locally available in large quantities, it’s crucial to work with various experts", emphasises researcher Ievgen Pylypchuk. 

The breakthrough supports the growing demand for renewable and sustainable materials in modern building practices, positioning wood as a more environmentally responsible construction material, reducing the environmental impact of protective coatings.

Source & image credit: CIVIS



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Deadline to apply for NZ's segment of international awards

The Forest Owners Association, the New Zealand member of the ICFPA, is excited to invite applications for two awards for the New Zealand segment of the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA). Both awards celebrate the innovative work of researchers and young professionals who are passionate about climate positive forestry and forest products, clean manufacturing and forest bioeconomy.

We will put forward two candidates to progress to the international competition where they will have the chance to showcase their work on a global stage.

1. Blue Sky Young Researchers Innovation Awards

Open to students and researchers aged 30 or younger, this global competition highlights innovative projects relevant to forest-based science, products using forest-based raw materials, process improvements or other innovations throughout the forest sector value chain.

Applicants must be engaged in research and innovation projects relevant to forestry, forest products and/or forest products processing technologies. Applicants must also have links to academia, public or private research centers and/or corporate research and innovation departments.

Theme: Time for the forest-based sector to showcase its innovative solutions for conservation, forest management, restoration and wood bioindustry.

Examples of eligible topics include:
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Resource efficiency improvements
  • Faster restoration techniques
  • Bioproducts and wood chemistry
  • Mass timber and sustainable construction
We will be selecting two New Zealand candidates to advance to the international competition where they will have a chance to win the opportunity to present their work at the ICFPA CEO Global Roundtable in New York City in May 2025.

2. Blue Sky PRO Young Professionals Innovation Awards

This is a new award launched this year to recognise the skills of early-career professionals aged 35 or younger. This award celebrates successful and disruptive projects that have been implemented in the public marketplace and connects winners with key industry decision-makers.

This award is open to professionals working on impactful projects in forestry, forest products or related innovations, with links to the private research centers and/or corporate research and innovation departments.

Theme: Time for forest-based sector showcase its innovative solutions for forest products, wood bioindustry, and forest conservation, management, and restoration.

We will select two New Zealand candidates who will progress to the international competition. Three international winners will have the opportunity to present their projects at the ICFPA CEO Global Roundtable in New York City in May 2025, offering an invaluable opportunity to connect with industry leaders.

Deadline to apply is 9 December 2024.

More >>

Source: NZFOA


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PF Olsen NZ Log Market Report – November 2024

Market Summary

November AWG prices for export sawlogs were an average $3 higher per JASm3 than October pricing. Market prices had stabilized in China, so the AWG increases were due to the NZD weakening against the USD. AWG prices for pruned logs increased $10 per JASm3, as demand remains high for pruned logs. Prices for sawlogs have dropped 3 USD in the last week of November though.

Domestic log prices are flat as the pricing is set for Quarter 4. Sawmills in New Zealand are often having to compete in price wars to sell sawn timber, as demand continues to drop in the construction market. 

The PF Olsen Log Price Index increased $2 in November to $122. The Index is now $3 above the two-year average, and $1 above the five-year average.


Domestic Log Market

Some mills in New Zealand are taking a longer than usual production break over the Christmas/New Year period. This means if forest owners don’t time their log production to stop at the same time, then these logs will end up in the export market.

Many sawmill managers comment this is the worst they have seen the sawmilling industry in their career. Forest owners have been dealt another blow with a major buyer of pulp logs in the central North Island announcing its proposal to shut down its paper line. Oji Fibre Solutions is consulting on a plan to permanently shut its Kinleith Mill paper machine and focus on manufacturing pulp.

I have frequently commented about the drop in demand for structural sawn timber. Demand is now also down for pallets, so the lower grade products that would be used to manufacture pallets, are now being exported, generally to Asia.

Export Log Markets - China

China softwood log inventory dropped slightly to 2.4m m3 due to lower supply as log demand has remained steady at 55-60k mper day. The CFR price range for A grade is currently 125 USD per JASmfor A grade.

After talking to some Chinese sawmill owners, I estimate about half of China’s mills will take a longer than usual break over the Chinese New Year Holiday period that starts 28th January 2025. This is due to a lack of demand for their product, and they don’t want to be left holding high inventory levels. If New Zealand forest owners take a longer break from harvest production over our Christmas/New Year period, then this drop in supply will match the drop in demand. If New Zealand forest owners overproduce logs at the start of the year, then this will most likely lead to significant increases in inventory levels in China during February.

The China Caixin Manufacturing PMI increased in October to 52.0 from 50.3 in September. (Any number above 50 signals manufacturing growth). This surpassed all market expectations. There was a solid rise in export orders and an increase in new business for the first time in four months. Market sentiment has been buoyed by the Government’s latest stimulation package, although previous stimulus packages have not created any real lift in log demand.

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Source: Scott Downs, PF Olsen



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Forestry Australia is calling for 2025 mentoring applications

A mentoring relationship is a powerful development experience that can deliver personal and professional benefits for both mentors and mentees. 

Forestry Australia’s mentoring program runs for 9 months and is designed to establish connections within the forestry sector by pairing experienced forestry professionals with those who are seeking professional development, opportunities for knowledge sharing and career growth. The program has been developed around a framework and tool kit of resources which will support participants to ensure effective and sustainable knowledge transfer, skill acquisition and maintaining momentum for all participants.

Forest Australia are seeking people who are:
  • Passionate about forest science, forestry, and forest management
  • Thinking about the future of your forestry career and career planning
  • Looking to improve your time management skills
  • Interested in developing goals and strategies with an experienced professional who has been where you are now
  • Want to improve your networking skills and expand your professional connections
  • A forester or forestry leader looking to share your knowledge, invest in the future of the sector and help others by becoming a mentor
Some of the Key Themes explored each month are:
  • Establishing Goals
  • Time Management for Life
  • Building Networks and Professional Connections
  • Values and Ethics in Business
  • and much more…
Mentors and Mentees are encouraged to invest one hour a month at minimum to meet. It is also recommended that mentees additionally dedicate approximately 8 hours per month to prepare for each meeting – including goal setting, pre-reading, planning & pursuing development opportunities, and reflection activities.

Applications close: 3 February 2025

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Source & image credit: Forestry Australia


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Alternative fatigue management scheme - NZ case study

The alternative fatigue management scheme (AFMS), is a risk management scheme that, once approved by the NZ Transport Agency, allows commercial transport operators greater flexibility in their operations. The AFMS was developed after consultation with industry and sleep management experts.

In an AFMS each operator develops systems and processes that manage work and rest time limits for their drivers while ensuring that fatigue is proactively managed. An AFMS may be approved to permit variations to allowable rest breaks or an extension of a cumulative work day.

Martinborough Transport 2024 as successfully integrated the new system.


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Source: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi


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Prof John Ralph wins Marcus Wallenberg Prize

The world’s highest award in forestry, the Marcus Wallenberg Prize, has been awarded to US-based New Zealander, Professor John Ralph and his collaborator, Belgian Professor Wout Boerjan.

Their extensive collaboration over several decades has delivered groundbreaking insights on lignin (the glue in wood fibre) biosynthesis and structural diversity. Their work has revealed some of the secrets of wood and opened the door for new commercial applications using plants. The potential rewards of commercialisation are huge, both in terms of the impact on the green transition globally and on a commercial basis.

The Marcus Wallenberg Prize is often described as the Nobel Prize for Forestry. The Prize is to recognise, encourage and stimulate path-finding scientific achievements contributing to broader knowledge and technical development within fields of importance to forestry and forest industries. Professors Ralph and Boerjan received the prize from His Majesty the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustav in Stockholm on 11 November.

Professors Ralph and Boerjan spoke passionately about their work at the Marcus Wallenberg Symposium on 12 November 2024. Marcus Wallenberg, grandson of the industrialist the prize is named after, and one of Sweden’s leading business figures, hosted the prize ceremony and the symposium. In opening the symposium, he described tree fibre use as the key question for the next phase of the forestry industry.

Professor Boerjan noted that lignin is currently removed from wood and often used as a fuel. His research had shown that by manipulating lignin levels, higher wood productivity can be achieved. Higher yields from planted forests would reduce pressure to harvest native forest. Professor Ralph took this theme further by asking “how shortsighted had we been to neglect to use what nature has so beautifully engineered for us”. Natural lignin could produce much needed products without using fossil fuels and chemicals and using simpler processes. An example was the production of Tylenol pain relief medicine from woody biomass rather than a fossil base. The economic returns from use of lignin were potentially huge.

Other speakers at the symposium highlighted that the technology exists today to use lignin, and it is already feasible to produce a range of products using this material. One speaker estimated total annual lignin waste globally as being about 700 million tonnes, with wood representing about 180 million tonnes of that total (rice, wheat, corn, bagasse and soybeans were other sources).

Some extracted lignin is being used already to make fragrances, coatings, materials and resins. Graphene, a new material made from lignin was recognised with a 2010 Nobel prize. It is 200 times stronger than steel and a superconductor, with potential to revolutionise the manufacturing of a wide range of products when it can be mass-produced. Several start-up company representatives and students at the symposium highlighted a wide range of lignin applications and research under way.

Senior company representatives and academics at the events were optimistic about the prospects for lignin use in a range of areas. The challenge was to raise awareness and produce the forms of lignin required to scale.

More >>

Source: NZ Foreign Affairs & Trade

Innovatek are launching a new event, Forest Bioeconomy 2025, which will focus on the latest advancements and opportunities in sustainable bioproducts and forest-based materials. Forest Bioeconomy 2025 is running on 20-21 May 2025 in Rotorua, New Zealand.



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Vale Les Schultz 1925-2024

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, Les Schultz (“The Baron”) was the senior APM executive responsible as General Manager for Forests and Wood Products Australia wide, then Australia’s largest private forest grower.

Previous company roles included 1968-69 convenor of the committee to review APM’s profitability and future prospects, late 1850’s-1960’s Mill manager Petrie paper Mill, Logging engineer in charge of wood handling in Gippsland and road construction and maintenance as key responsibilities. APM changed its name to AMCOR in 1986.

Oliver Raymond (retired Chief Fire Control Officer and Harvesting Development Officer APMF) in a vale to Les Schultz describes working with Les Schultz.

Anyone who has worked with Les over a period will well remember the way he looked at you with those eyes. Which one was actually looking at you?

I really enjoyed him – because he didn’t put up with bulldust. He would grill you, but after he was convinced you knew what you were talking about his back up was great. I remember having spent a couple of years trying to get the Windsor Tree Harvesters to work, I finally said to him: “Les, they are not the answer to mechanisation of harvesting radiata”.

“OK” he said. “What is the answer?” So I told him about a Swedish machine called a Logma that I had read about in an overseas magazine. I explained the reasons it would work in radiata where a Windsor wouldn’t. He thought about what I had said, asked a few more questions and then said: “Well, you’d better go and look at it”. 

To cut a long story short, I did, and the Logma was a success in radiata harvesting.

Another story about Les.

Two Forest Department workers lost their lives in a wildfire in the Western District. Les and I contacted the local District Forester and flew over to meet him in a helicopter, the day after the event. The two men had been fighting a wildfire on a dozer and unfortunately had decided to try to get away from the fire by going up a hill. The fire had travelled faster than they could and it overtook them.

The engine on the dozer was still going when they were found after the fire had swept over them. The operator had stood up and fallen off the machine. His off sider was found in front of the dozer’s blade. Both had apparently died by breathing superheated air from the fire. They certainly were not badly burnt.

The dozer was still in the position it had been found in the previous day. There was some low vegetation within five meters of the machine. The shrubbery had been scorched, but not burnt. As I said, the engine of the machine was still going when the two men were found, so lack of oxygen was obviously not a problem.

It was a solemn trip back in the chopper, while we chewed over what we had seen. The lesson we had learnt was spread through the Company’s workforce. “Do not try to outrun a fire travelling up hill. Remember that fire doubles its rate of travel for every 10 degrees of uphill slope”.

And all our fire tankers were equipped with full face masks that had been tested in dense smoke, and one could not even smell the smoke through them.

Vale Les. A long life, but you left behind a lot of benefits to your workers!

Source: Oliver Raymond


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Cutting-Edge Wagner Logstackers delivered to NZ and Tasmania

Quality Marshalling has sold and delivered four Wagner New Generation Logstackers in the region since August 2023, with two L90 Logstackers being delivered to Forico in Tasmania, one L100 Logstacker delivered to Pedersen Group in Kinleith, New Zealand, and one L130F Logstacker delivered to Rotorua Forest Haulage in Kaingaroa, New Zealand.

These four machines are all “New Generation” Wagner Logstackers, manufactured by Allied Systems Company, in Sherwood, Oregon. Allied Systems Company is the parent company for Wagner products. Wagner Logstackers have been manufactured for over 60 years, and have a well-earned reputation for longevity, with some 30 year old machines still working as front-line equipment. These New Generation machines build on that legacy, with many customer-requested improvements, including faster hydraulic speeds, ground level service bays, greater fuel efficiency, and lighted stairways for easy ingress and egress. With operating capacities from 60,000 pounds to 160,000 pounds in both 2WD and 4WD, there is a Wagner Logstacker correctly sized for every log yard and mill yard application.

Quality Marshalling (QM) is the New Zealand and Australia distributor for Allied Systems’ Wagner products. QM is a 100% owned subsidiary of Port of Tauranga, New Zealand, and took over the distribution of the Wagner product line in November 2020. QM has a long history of dealing with Wagner products as an owner and operator of Wagner Logstackers, previously undertaking export log and sawmill operations. QM operates a large 24-hour workshop and parts division at the Tauranga Container Terminal, Port of Tauranga, and service a large fleet of straddles, container handlers, port tractors and Wagner products. QM have several skilled technicians that have up to 30 years of experience with Wagner products and who have had on-site training at Allied Systems in Sherwood, Oregon.

“QM's expertise and experience with Wagner products and the local industry make them a terrific fit to represent our products, and their immediate success is a testament to that," said Hitesh Patel, Allied Systems Company’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Rotorua Forest Haulage operates the L130F Wagner at Kaingaroa Processing Plant, owned by Timberlands Limited. The plant handles approximately 1.6 million tonnes per annum and logs from the forest are transported on private forest roads carrying full tree stems, with a net pay load of 60+ tonnes. The L130F is the perfect machine to unload the stem trucks with a single lift, ensuring efficient truck turnaround, no damage to the stems before going through the processing plant, and having the capability to service both waiting trucks and the supply to the processing plant.

The L130F is the largest mobile specialized forestry machine in the Southern Hemisphere, and Allied Wagner have had a long relationship with Rotorua Forest Haulage. The new L130F is the third machine that the Sargison family-owned business has purchased over the last 25 years.

Pedersen’s operates the Kinleith export yard for Manulife. They have a mixture of equipment, including a L90 Wagner for the Log Yard operations. The L100 New Generation machine is the first Wagner purchased for 20 years, and going to the L100 model provided the additional single lift load requirements to handle off highway log trucks coming to the yard. This was a big change for the operator of the new L100, with noticeable increase in hydraulic speed for quicker lifts, new cab layout and features, and easier access for maintenance for servicing.

The two New Generation L90s were delivered to Forico in northern Tasmania, with two owned and operated chipping mill sites, one at Long Reach, Bell Bay and the other at Surrey Hills not far from Burnie. Previously, Forico was operating machines purchased in 2015, with over 26,000 operating hours.

“The Wagners are also considerably more fuel efficient and have lower overall maintenance costs compared to front end loader machines used over the same operating period,” said Tim Duncombe, Manager at Forico’s Long Reach Mill.

Shayne Jenkins, General Manager for QM adds “There have been challenges in the supply chain, with significant delays in major componentry during the build phase, so it is great to have the new machines commissioned and running at each site and the customers experiencing the improvements in design changes and ensuring these are the optimum machines for productivity, safety and best cost of life basis at their respective operations.”

Source & image credit: Quality Marshalling



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Expressions of interest for world class timber sample library

A world class timber sample library needs a new home. It’s TRADA’s collection of timber samples from around the world gathered over the decades. And it's available if there are any takers. If any universities or research establishments, or other worthy homes would like to have the samples (all of them - not a selection), BMTrada are open to offers.

The BMTrada timber consultancy is closing at Christmas, and they no longer need them. But we don’t want them to go to waste (and what a waste that would be!). The successful bid will need to collect them from the High Wycombe laboratories in the UK.

Expressions of interest should be sent to timberadvice@bmtrada.com by 20th December 2024.



Source: Nick Clifford via LinkedIn


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Jobs



Buy and Sell



... and one to end the week on... a book about PIES

Stuck for a Christmas gift idea? Here’s a book every Kiwi/Aussie would love — Paua pie, beef rendang pie and lamb shank pie are some of the 38 gourmet pies celebrated in a new book by photographer and pie fan Derek Morrison. The idea for the book was conceived around a smoky campfire one summer's evening on the West Coast, as a group of mates discussed their dream coffee-table book.

To listen to Derek explain how the book came about, listen to this podcast.

If you want to jump ahead and just BUY IT check this link.



Source: RNZ



And on that note, enjoy your weekend. Cheers.

Ken Wilson
Editor, Friday Offcuts
Web page: www.fridayoffcuts.com


This week's extended issue, along with back issues, can be viewed at www.fridayoffcuts.com

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