Hikurangi Forest Farms Ltd.

Transcription

1 1 Stakeholder Newsletter October 2017 Edition 23 Level 2, 77 Peel St, Gisborne, PO Box 242, Gisborne, Welcome to the latest edition of Hikurangi Forest Farms stakeholder newsletter. Changes at HFF It has been an interesting past six months for HFF in terms of changes. Earlier in the year two long standing managers left Hikurangi Forest Farms. Our General Manager Paul Ainsworth decided to retire after a long and successful career in Forestry including over 20 years with HFF. Paul had been GM here since HFF first started. Harvesting Manager Dan Fraser resigned from HFF after 15 years as the HFF Harvesting Manager. Dan has taken up an opportunity with a Forest Investment company that he felt was too good an opportunity to turn down. HFF thank them for the valued time and input into making HFF what it is today and wish them all the best in their retirement/future endeavours. Two senior Managers leaving opened up some great opportunities here at HFF and both these roles have recently been filled. HFF will soon be welcoming two new senior staff members to the team. General Manager HFF are pleased to announce that Mr Ian Brown has accepted the role of General Manager, Hikurangi Forest Farms Limited. Ian will start work at HFF on the 2nd October, Ian has extensive experience in the forest industry and is coming to us from the Forestry Corporation of New South Wales, where he was General Manager, Softwood Plantations Division. Prior to this, he was General Manager K&S Freighters, providing him with significant logistics experience. Previously, Ian spent significant time in a few roles within the Fletcher Challenge and Tenon organisations. Harvesting Manager HFF have appointed Andy Costello as the new Harvesting Manager and he will start on the 6th November. Andy has a B.Sc. Forestry from Canterbury University. He spent 10 years in Gisborne with Juken New Zealand undertaking various roles from working as part of a harvesting crew to silviculture crew management through to Harvesting Manager for Juken s contract harvesting crews. For the last three years Andy has been with the Forestry Corporation of NSW where he started as a planner/roading supervisor through to managing hauling contractors, sales and distribution and lastly production and sales manager. Andy has strong leadership, mentoring & negotiation skills with a focused mind-set on health and safety.

2 HFF Stakeholder Newsletter No.23 Page 2 Optilog NZ Ltd Optilog NZ Ltd has been operational for six months on a two shift, five day operation. Although the plant has not ramped up to its required optimum rate, the plant has improved month on month. The operators and engineers play a big part in operating the plant and keeping it going. This has been a huge and steep learning curve for them all. Optilog NZ Ltd Management is looking forward to a positive outcome that will benefit all. Health and Safety Report Safety is our Focus HFF are well motivated to improving the industry Safety record. Zero Harm is our goal and our drivers need to center on achieving that, with everything we see, arrange and do. Can HFF do better? Yes, there is no end point to Health and Safety. Can accidents be avoided? Yes there are also no boundaries to improving Health and Safety. We are free to make whatever reasonable choices we want, but we are not free from the consequences of those choices. Who is responsible for Health and Safety? - Everyone. Then consider this; - In New Zealand 5 forestry workers have had a work related fatality in the past 3 months - In New Zealand, forestry has had over 30 fatalities since in 5 NZ workers say they have experienced a serious harm or potential for serious harm incident in the past 12 months Where to from here? - Consider consequence carefully every action has a reaction - Inaction with a serious reaction is the hardest pill to swallow - Take the lead - look with eyes wide open at what can be improved and speak up - Look at yourself and what you can do to make a difference Stand in the Gap - Concentrate on Critical Risks - PPE is not the best solution - Policies and procedures must be meaningful - Let s act safe, be safe and help ensure others are safe

3 HFF Stakeholder Newsletter No.23 Page 3 EWC Forestry Awards 2017 The annual Eastland Wood Council Forestry awards were held in May. These awards once again proved to be a very successful event for HFF, with HFF taking out 10 of the awards on offer, including the major award for the evening with Brian Deam of BBL being awarded the Skilled Professional of the Year. The 2017 winners are: Skilled Professional of the Year: Brian Deam BBL Ltd Roading Excellence Award: Brian Deam BBL Ltd Harvesting Excellence Award: Matt Mackintosh - BBL Ltd Breaker-Out of the Year: Tom Wehi - Blackstump Logging Ltd Tree Faller of the Year: Steven Maynard - Blackstump Logging Ltd Extraction & Skid work Excellence Award: Phil Cosgrove Raywood Contracting Ltd Contractor of the Year Award: Blackstump Logging Ltd Modern Apprentice of the Year: Angus Fraser Blackstump Logging Ltd Training Company / Contractor of the Year: Diack Contracting Ltd Outstanding Environmental Management Award: Patrick Bethel & Wayne Trafford, HFF Congratulations to all nominees and winners. Outstanding Environmental Award Winners Pat Bethel and Wayne Trafford

4 Page 4 HFF Stakeholder Newsletter No.23 Ne Share the Road Program HFF have once again got on board with the share the road program. This program is run jointly by Eastland Wood Council, Tairawhiti Roads, PHL and Williams and Wilshier. The program involves a presentation from program organizer Dave Pardoe of Williams and Wilshier, and an interactive section around truck safety involving a loaded logging truck. The program is designed to improve safety around trucks and give kids a greater understanding of trucks including blind spots, stopping distances, turning circles, how trucks create a wind tunnel effect and the sheer size of the rigs. School kids are also invited to climb into the cab. HFF was the forest company representative at the Maukauri School Share the Road presentation. Safety Presentation with Dave Pardoe HFF, PHL & W&W staff explain truck safety Ne Stream Monitoring In the last six months HFF has been monitoring a stream that drains out of the Waipare Block of Te Marunga into the Hikuwai River. To date the stream has had one round of electric fishing and a set of seven fish traps that were set out overnight. In November another round of electric fishing will take place. The purpose of all this monitoring is to better understand the different types of fish or eels that inhabit the stream and their behaviour over the year. The information gathered will give HFF the best timeframe for using a consented temporary open ford and the construction of two consented open bottom culvert crossings. HFF has also committed to removing two historical culverts on a smaller stream that drains out of the Waipare block. The removal of these culverts may give native galaxiids species easier access to the smaller streams.

5 HFF Stakeholder Newsletter No.23 Page 5 What is happening in our Forests? HFF will inform stakeholders via the HFF website and/or the bi-annual newsletter of current and upcoming operations at a forest level. If you have any comments or queries relating to operations in your area you can do this via the contact or feedback tab on the HFF website: The below table lists operations occurring or commencing by forest for the period: October 2017 to December Road Pruning & Planting & Land Forest Harvesting Construction thinning Spot Preparation Findlays Y Y Y Y Huanui Y Y Y Y Y Kopua or Hineroa Y Y Mangarara Y Y Te Marunga Y Y Y Y Y Wakaroa Y Y Y Y Wairangi Y Waimanu Y Y Y Y Whareongaonga HFF currently do not plan to move into any forests not listed in the table in the next 18 months. Y Hikurangi Forest Farms Ltd aims to produce a sustainable supply of top quality logs from its plantation forest estate to facilitate the manufacture of high quality forest products. HFF is an equal opportunity employer that operates an active health and safety management system including a Health and Safety Management Plan and Emergency Plan. It has an active and ongoing commitment to a drug and alcohol policy to keep its workplaces productive and drug and alcohol free. Additionally, HFF also recognises the value and importance of environmental responsibilities. To this end HFF is committed to maintaining Forest Stewardship Council Certification for all HFF owned or managed lands. When Hikurangi Forest Farms Ltd prints this newsletter it uses FSC certified paper (FSC C014719). A member of TreeOne (NZ) Ltd. Level 2, 77 Peel St, Gisborne 4010 PO Box 242, Gisborne 4040 New Zealand Phone: Fax: newsletter@hff.co.nz Website: