By MIKE MATHER in Rotorua
Central North Island forestry workers fearing for their futures are quitting New Zealand in favour of better conditions and increased job security in Australia.
The exodus is a direct result of the downturn that has gripped the industry over the last two years, leading to hundreds of contracted forestry and timber workers abandoning the industry - and in many cases the country - in search of a more reliable and stable way of earning a living.
One is Rotorua's Chris Jensen, a forestry contractor who has set up a new logging business in Western Australia with his daughter Sarah and business partner Matthew Leo.
With him Mr Jensen is taking nine forestry workers from Rotorua, Taupo, Rerewhakaaitu, Papamoa and Wanganui and their families - a total of 23 people.
He has secured a five-year contract to harvest bluegum and eucalyptus trees near Albany, south of Perth. The trees are chipped and sent to Japan, where they are used in pulp and paper factories.
The deal comes with a two-year right of renewal, which he said was a much better deal than the few initiatives available in this country.
Mr Jensen knows more about the pain being experienced by forestry workers than most.
He was among the first wave of redundancies that swept through the industry in mid-2003 - after 22 years service with Fletcher Challenge Forests.
That company, now known as Tenon, sold its forest estate to the Kiwi Forests Group in February and has all but moved out of the business of growing and harvesting trees.
"It's not hard to be bitter about Fletcher Challenge Forests who were overcutting the forests something terrible," Mr Jensen said.
"Twenty-two years and you get a bullet just like that.
"You can't blame them solely though. Things like the change of ownerships and the effect of the exchange rate have had a big part in it as well.
"We knew the Government would not do much to help out [when the downturn took effect]. Forestry is not seen in quite the same light as dairy, which is where the money is."
When he advertised for workers for his new venture he received 70 replies - an indication of how desperate people were to get away from forestry work in New Zealand.
"When I asked them the reasons why they wanted to get out the replies were pretty much the same. There's no job security here.
"The guys I am taking are all uplifting their families. It is a big deal.
"There's just so much potential in Australia and I have had a lot of calls from other contractors asking about opportunities over there. I know of one guy in Tokoroa who has secured a contract to harvest 127 tonnes [of lumber] a year in New South Wales."
Forest Industry Contractors Association president John Stulen said forestry workers quitting New Zealand for Australia was "perfectly understandable".
"There's clearly a big under capacity [of workers] in Australia and a more stable production scene. I can completely agree with any forestry worker doing what it takes to provide for their families.
"Australians also like Kiwis because they are good innovators ... [but] everyone heading over there needs to do their homework and find out precisely why they are hiring Kiwis instead of their own guys.
"You don't want to end up as the bottom feeders."
The manager of Kaingaroa Timberlands, Russell Dale, said in light of the present forestry industry downturn he was not surprised contractors were leaving New Zealand.
"We don't like to see skilled people leaving but they obviously need to go where the work is."
Mr Dale said he was confident the industry would pick up in the future "but whether that future is three months, six months ... it is hard to predict".
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