70 international forest engineers confirmed for NZ conference

NEXT MONTH’S FOREST ENGINEERS CONFERENCE 2018 IS shaping up to be a major international event, with more than 70 overseas experts heading to Rotorua.

“Interest from both overseas and local forest engineers has been building in recent weeks and we are expecting to host a very high quality conference,” says Prof Rien Visser, from the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, who heads the organising committee.

The conference is held every four years in different countries around the world and this will be the first time it has been hosted in New Zealand, running from April 16-19.

Among the high profile international guests is Court Stanley, President of Forestry at Port Blakely, who will be discussing steep terrain harvesting experiences in the Pacific North West, which has very robust management systems as well as expectations for meeting very high standards, especially around waterway protection

One of the conference sponsors, Brazilian forestry pulp manufacturing company, Fibria, with a turnover of $5 Billion is sending Development Manager, Angelo Moura, from its aptly named ‘Operational Intelligence’ section, to provide an update on the industry in South America, including innovation and research highlights.

Another high-profile speaker will be Prof Karl Stampfer from Austria, who will highlight the new winch-assist technology from central Europe.

Local speakers will include Brendan Slui, from Rayonier, who will open the conference by providing an insight into what it takes to be successful in our current forestry environment, Pat Kirk from the Port of Tauranga will speak to what forest operations can learn from port operations and Keith Raymond from FGR will provide an overview of NZ research.

The Workshops are being supported by a number of local companies, for example attendees can choose from eight options that include spending a day reviewing machine design and production at Waratah or EMS. Other options include advanced roading operations with the experts at PF Oslen, or visiting the Timberlands Kaingaroa Processing Plant (KPP). The field trip will travel to the Port of Tauranga via the Kajavala log making yard at Kawarau, as well as both a ground-based and cable logging operation.

The event is spread over four days to make the long trip worthwhile for those coming from overseas.

John Deere has joined with fellow conference sponsor, Fibria, to enable New Zealand and Australian tertiary students to attend for minimal cost.

For more information visit www.foresteng.canterbury.ac.nz/ FEC2018.shtml or contact Prof Visser at rien.visser@canterbury. ac.nz.

NZL