Forestry News

Forest fatalities spark call for enquiry

12 May 2013

A Rotorua family, whose son was killed in a forestry accident, supports calls for tougher workplace safety measures and an inquiry into forestry safety.

On Thursday, Labour MP and Health and Safety spokeswoman Darien Fenton presented a petition to Parliament asking the government to conduct an inquiry into forestry safety.

Rotorua man Lee Edmonds, whose 23-year-old son Robert Epapara was killed instantly after being struck by a falling tree in a forestry block near Lake Rotoiti in March, said he supported the petition and a full safety review of the industry.

"As long as it looks at everything from the man on the ground right up to the government who make the laws."

For the last three years Mr Edmonds has worked alongside ACC and forestry companies to deliver health and safety messages to forestry workers. He said there was too much pressure placed on crews to get their work done as quickly as possible, which lead to preventable accidents.

"This is not just a fault of the government - workers' attitudes to safety need to be addressed as well. But, the pressure on them to perform comes from the top down from the government to the owner to the contractor to the supervisor to the man on the ground."

Mr Edmonds said there should also be more support for worker participation, including for those who raise health and safety matters.

The call for a forest sector safety review comes hard on the heels of an Independent Taskforce on Health and Safety report released at the end of April which said poor workplace health and safety regulations caused around 1000 premature deaths each year.

Forestry, agriculture, fishing, construction and manufacturing were responsible for more than half of all workplace injury claims.

Taskforce chairman Rob Jager said the current system was "not fit for purpose".

"We play rugby, we go hunting in the weekends, we do have this culture where I think we seem to be more accepting of risk," he said.

By Matthew Martin of the Rotorua Daily Post. To read the full story, click here.

Charles and Sandi Wiffen began planting trees at their sheep and beef farm Inverness, straddling State Highway 1 just north of Parnassus township, in 1994.

 

Established plantations of pine, macrocarpa and Douglas-fir over 40 hectares now co-exist with carefully positioned ornamental trees on the long and narrow property running 16 kilometres from the highway to the sea.
Often circling the plantations are lusitanicus and cypress that will remain standing when timber trees are harvested.
Another 30 ha of native bush is protected by QE11 covenant and the couple have fenced from stock about 100 ha in gullies for their personal pleasure.
Charles Wiffen said the trees had been planted at the 1400 ha farm as much for providing a pleasant working landscape as for shelter and shade for stock. He said they had made a point of planting oaks, poplars and cypress for variety.
The Wiffens, who also run a Blenheim vineyard and manage the Charles Wiffen label, have been at Inverness for 48 years with Charles' father first running the farm. Elms, maples and "every oak you could think of" now line the property.
Farm Forestry Association award judge Neil Cullen, Balclutha, said the trees were an example of good land use.
Many of the "awkward" corners and gullies had been planted in small tree blocks, shelter belts and ornamental trees to provide shade and shelter appreciated by stock this dry summer, he said.
"I was impressed with the way they have managed the property as far as land use goes. It's a long, stretched out property 16km to the ocean and although there is only 40 ha of tree blocks in 1400 ha a lot of the property isn't suitable for forestry because of access problems."
Wiffen said he was a farmer first and a forester second, but he had always appreciated trees for the qualities they brought to a farm.
Story by Tim Cronshaw, © Fairfax NZ News. To read the full story, click here.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/8657703/Farm-collects-big-forestry-award
Charles and Sandi Wiffen began planting trees at their sheep and beef farm Inverness, straddling State Highway 1 just north of Parnassus township, in 1994.

Established plantations of pine, macrocarpa and Douglas-fir over 40 hectares now co-exist with carefully positioned ornamental trees on the long and narrow property running 16 kilometres from the highway to the sea.

Often circling the plantations are lusitanicus and cypress that will remain standing when timber trees are harvested.

Another 30 ha of native bush is protected by QE11 covenant and the couple have fenced from stock about 100 ha in gullies for their personal pleasure.

Charles Wiffen said the trees had been planted at the 1400 ha farm as much for providing a pleasant working landscape as for shelter and shade for stock. He said they had made a point of planting oaks, poplars and cypress for variety.

The Wiffens, who also run a Blenheim vineyard and manage the Charles Wiffen label, have been at Inverness for 48 years with Charles' father first running the farm. Elms, maples and "every oak you could think of" now line the property.

Farm Forestry Association award judge Neil Cullen, Balclutha, said the trees were an example of good land use.

Many of the "awkward" corners and gullies had been planted in small tree blocks, shelter belts and ornamental trees to provide shade and shelter appreciated by stock this dry summer, he said.

"I was impressed with the way they have managed the property as far as land use goes. It's a long, stretched out property 16km to the ocean and although there is only 40 ha of tree blocks in 1400 ha a lot of the property isn't suitable for forestry because of access problems."

Wiffen said he was a farmer first and a forester second, but he had always appreciated trees for the qualities they brought to a farm.

Story by Tim Cronshaw, © Fairfax NZ News. To read the full story, click here.