Moving Mountains - Tony Davies Colley, TDC Sawmills
Tony Davies-Colley didn’t set out to become a sawmiller, but his destiny was, to some extent, preordained. After completing an agricultural science degree he raised much of the finance for a farm (at Purua in New Zealand’s Far North) by cutting wood on contract with a portable sawmill. And he and wife Clare quickly set about planting trees - lots of them.
The development of high-quality, long-rotation plantations is an unattractive investment, especially in New Zealand, although there are deep-seated problems in both administrations, particularly existing tax regimes.
When times are tough most wood processing companies respond by chopping the training budget. But not at Findlater Sawmilling in Winton - winner of the Inwood-sponsored FITEC Solid Wood Processing National Training Company of the Year Award for 2005.
The majority of forest growers and wood processors see wood as the most environmentally friendly structural and solid material. Indeed, speaking for farm foresters, many of us grow trees largely because of the environmental benefits.
Charles Trevor, managing director of one of the world’s biggest and most successful wood promotion campaigns, will be a highlight at the Global Vision conference in Rotorua on 8 March next year.
In the ever-changing world of New Zealand pine plantation ownership, Matariki Forests is now the country’s third largest owner. This follows completion of its purchase of 94,300 ha of Carter Holt Harvey forests on 3 October.
If it wasn’t obvious before, it is now crystal clear that the forests of developing nations in the Asia-Pacific region are vital to Australia’s long-term national interest.According to David Kaimowitz, director general of the Indonesia-headquartered Center for International Forestry Research, the economics associated with forest industries are important to Australia’s neigbours and to the overall stability of the region.
When Abraham Furniture voluntarily closed the doors at its Waimate factory in August, there were expressions of sympathy from throughout the New Zealand business community.
