Forestry awards for those 'on the ground'

SKILLED PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: Hikurangi Forest Farms’ Hoot Knowles (right) took the top award at the Eastland Wood Council Forestry Awards last night. He is pictured receiving the Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year award from council chairman Iain McInness. Picture by Stephen Jones Photography

HOOT Knowles has the reputation for working more than just a little magic in his job, so it was fitting the 36-year veteran of the forestry industry walked off with two big prizes at the seventh annual Eastland Wood Council Forestry Awards last night.

More than 520 people packed the Showgrounds Park Events Centre to honour and applaud the many involved in the industry.

Hikurangi Forest Farms’ William ‘Hoot’ Knowles received the big one of the night — the Eastland Wood Council Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year — as well as the Eastland Port Roading Excellence Award.

He started his career in 1980, graduating to his own forest roading business in 1994 before joining Hikurangi Forest Farms in 2011.

Those around him have nothing but praise for the man they say believes in never rushing a job, is dedicated and determined to provide a top-quality product, is generous to workmates and fellow contractors, and has been known to weave a little magic around a job to preserve his roads.

Eastland Wood Council Forestry Awards chief judge Julian Kohn praised the efforts of all who kept the industry ticking along.

“These awards are all about those who are out there doing the work . . . it is not about senior management or the corporates, but the contractors and the people who service the industry — the men and women on the ground,” he said.

Mr Kohn and fellow judges Mark Preece and Sheldon Drummond were impressed by the quality of entries for the 2016 awards.

A key driver behind the awards is to encourage forestry workers to continually upskill themselves.

“There is a new generation of forestry professional coming through now. The younger ones are upskilling far quicker — they are faster to learn and understand what is needed,” he said.

“People outside think it is just about growing and cutting trees. Well, it is a whole lot more than that.”

Three new categories were added for 2016, honouring excellence in breaker- out, extraction and skid work, and faller.

Tom Wehi from Blackstump Logging won the McInnes Driver Training Breaker-Out Excellence Award, Kasimea Afu from Flavell Logging the Ernslaw One Faller Excellence Award and Stephen Harris from Speirs Logging the Bain and Sheppard Chartered Accountants Extraction and Skidwork Excellence Award.

Awards organiser and chief executive of the EWC, Prue Younger, already has plans to improve the event next year.

“We recognise the everyone is busy, and in an effort to get more consistent information to the judges and encourage more to enter, we will have a mentor on hand to help put entries together,” she said.

Expressions of interest will be called later this year and expect to see a change in the excellence categories too. Interest and support of the awards continued to grow, she said.

“We’re definitely not seeing any waning of interest in the awards,” Ms Younger said.

“That we have 520 at the dinner is a clear reflection of that. Things are gaining momentum.

“The loyalty of our sponsors is amazing and that area of the awards continues to grow. When we first introduced these awards, we wanted to unite the industry, upskill the workers and profile success — we’ve achieved all that and more.”

The industry continued to attract new contractors to the market, which in turn meant more nominees in the future, she said.

Former All Black Buck Shelford was MC and guest speaker for the evening.

ResultsSkilled Forestry Professional of the Year: William (Hoot) Knowles, Hikurangi Forest Farms.

Contractor of the Year: Steve Dewes, Dewes Contractors Ltd.

Outstanding Health and Safety Management Award: Eastland Port.

Outstanding Environmental Management Award: Liam Watson, Ernslaw One Ltd.

Outstanding Regional Service Performance Award: Rural Fuel Ltd.

Forestry Excellence Award: Amohau Maxwell, Juken NZ.

Roading Excellence Award: William (Hoot) Knowles.

Harvesting Excellence Award: Eru Rickard, X Men Logging.

Distribution Excellence Award: Rob Lewis, C3.

Wood Processing Excellence Award: Glen McCulloch, Double J Smallwoods Ltd.

Breaker-Out Excellence Award: Tom Wehi, Blackstump Logging.

Faller Excellence Award: Kasimea Afu, Flavell Logging.

Extraction and Skidwork Excellence Award: Stephen Harris, Spiers Logging.

NZ Apprentice of the Year: Jasmine Kuru, Kuru Contracting.

Trainee of the Year: Rob Clarke, Kimberly Contractors.

Training Company/Contractor of the Year: Diack Contractors, Ian and Marcella Diack.