Shayne rewarded for his professionalism in Northland awards
A MAN WHO LEADS BY EXAMPLE WAS CROWNED THE Northland Forestry Skilled Professional of the Year before nearly 500 of his peers at the annual awards.
Shayne Maxwell was awarded the prestigious and much sought-after trophy by Forestry Minister, Louise Upston, at last month’s ceremony.
He was nominated for three categories – Health & Safety, Felling and Harvesting, and, en route to the supreme award, took out the Individual Harvesting Excellence Award, and was joint winner of the Outstanding Health and Safety Management award.
Shayne works as a health and safety manager and company trainer for Kohurau Contracting, but still keeps his hand in as a faller, breaker out and hauler driver.
He grew up in the central North Island, starting his forestry career in ground base and hauler logging before moving his family to Northland.
Shayne is known for his integrity, morals, character and values, which he integrates into his work days.
Not one to sit on his laurels, Shayne is part way through a bachelor’s degree in psychology, which he is already putting to good use out in the forests. He works on mindfulness and other platforms to motivate people to maintain safe practice.
His employers say he brings mana to their company and as an expert hauler driver and faller, can truly walk in the shoes of others he works with.
Shayne developed the health and safety systems, with a particular focus on falling and breaking out, for Kohurau Contracting. He pioneered the use of video and photographs for the company, recording faller behaviour and techniques and using them to teach crews.
He has also helped develop the company’s use of scanning technology and smart phones to record and share vital information. His peers say the much-improved safety record of the company is a huge credit to Shayne.
Judge, Jacqui Coyne-Apiata, says Shayne was a stand-out winner among a very competitive field.
“Shayne has shown he has the qualities to become a legend of our industry,” says Ms Coyne-Apiata, who judged alongside Brett Jobe and Mike Goodison.
“He is someone we felt could stand before the industry and be celebrated. He has a high level of discipline and wisdom and is continually developing himself so he has more to offer.”
Two new categories were introduced to this year’s awards – the Faller Excellence Award and the Breaker Out Excellence Award – and both were very well supported with an extremely high calibre of entrants. The Harvesting Excellence Award had a number who could have “stood on the stage and owned it”.
The Faller Excellence category, sponsored by Hancock Forest Management, saw safety campaigners, Wiremu in Marsella Edmonds, present a trophy carved by Wiremu in memory of their son, Robert, who was killed in a forestry accident in 2013.
This is the second Northland Forestry Awards, and organisers are very pleased with the increased number of entries and support they
received from the wider industry and sponsors.
“These awards are showing in this second year, how important they are for the industry in Northland because it is a chance to role model the professionals we have and continue the development of our safety culture within the region,” says Andrew Widdowson, chair of the awards organising committee and spokesman for the Northland Wood Council.
Northland Forestry Awards
Training Excellence
• Trainee of the Year: Michelle Harrison, Wise on Wood • Training Company/Contractor: Northpine.
Skilled Professionals
• Forestry Excellence: Jonathan Tukaki, Silviculture Contractors • Roading Excellence: Bill Ringrose, JSB Construction • Harvesting Excellence: Shayne Maxwell, Kohurau Contracting • Distribution Excellence: Frances Leslie, C3
• Wood Processing Excellence: Nathan Jacoby, Northpine • Breaker Out Excellence: Dwaine Chaise, Skipps Logging • Faller Excellence: Buck Reihana, Kohurau Contracting.
Industry Development Awards
• Forestry Family of the Year: Charles Logging
• Contractor of the Year: Stokes Logging
• Outstanding H&S Management: (joint winners) Rosewarne Cable Loggers & Shayne Maxwell/Kohurau Contracting
• Outstanding Environmental: Rosewarne Cable Loggers
• Northland Forestry Skilled Professional of the Year 2017: Shayne Maxwell, Kohurau Contracting.
NZL