The Canterbury West Coast Wood Council is pleased to announce the return of Economist and Financial Commentator Cameron Bagrie.

Bagrie gave a comprehensive review of the current issues facing the global economy in his last talk. We look forward to hearing what is his take is on 2024. 

Bagrie will be presenting on the 8th May 2024, 4pm at The Commodore Hotel in Christchurch. This is a free event to CWCWC members. A cash bar will be available and nibbles provided.

A warm welcome the following companies as new members to the Canterbury West Coast Wood Council:

Forme Forest Consultants - Forme has experience in all areas of forest consultancy, from harvest planning and engineering to forest valuation and more. They pride themselves in providing independent, knowledgeable and practical advice to their clients. Forme work throughout every facet of the forest industry value chain providing advice and services to small forest owners, corporate forest companies, Iwi organisations, territorial authorities and government agencies. 

Forever Forests - Aim to enhance and grow native forests in New Zealand, providing a simple solution for businesses and landowners to make a change. Read on in the Members Profile to find out more about Forever Forests.

Forest360 - Offer full forest advisory and management services. Over the past 30 years they have built up an industry-leading network of contractors, mills, ports and marketing experts, all working together to ensure value is added at every stage of the process, from planning to post-harvest sales. Forest360 has recently bought Trans Tasman Forestry, who are existing CWCWC members. Canterbury staff include Hayden and Jeynelle Bishop, and Alan Erceg. 

Transcontinental Forest Products Ltd - A Trading and Sales agency Timber company based in Christchurch. They are exporting Macrocarpa logs from Canterbury and other regions but also specialise in Plantations species of Pine, Eucalyptus, Teak and Macrocarpa (Cypress) in Central and South America. All of TFP sales are in Asia (India, China and Vietnam mainly ). To find out more you can contact business owner Gordon Coles. 

Q What Made You Start?
A I always had an interest in working with wood. I couldn’t get a carpentry apprenticeship, but got offered a job working in the yard at McAlpine’s which I took up. I was 16 years of age and never looked back.

Q What are your greatest achievements?
A Work:
Work: Working with other South Island Sawmillers to develop a market in Australia to sell Treated NZ Pine. This was very successful and cumulated in a significant volume of product sold to Australia over a number of years. One of the first NZ Sawmillers to visit China, Taiwan, Vietnam and other Asian countries to establish and set up markets in those countries for NZ Pine. First NZ Sawmiller to sell Kiln Dried Treated Pine in the Phillipines and are still selling there currently.
Instrumental in establishing markets for Treated NZ Pine in a number of Pacific Island countries. Past board member NZ Timber Preservation council. Past board member NZ Timber Industry Federation.

Life: Family time, a bit of fishing when time allows.

Q What is your role now?
A Semi-retired. Director and Shareholder.

Q How do you see your business fit into the local forestry community? 
A McAlpine’s assist various organisations within our community, and provides employment opportunities outside our group.

We’re a New Zealand grown business with a goal to grow native forests across the motu - doing our bit to help solve climate change. 

Forever Forests were born in 2020 by two friends from the forestry industry having a chat about their passion for native forest, a gap they saw in the industry, an overheard conversation questioning how people can make a difference in climate change, and an idea that sparked an endless bound of optimism and energy to get it off the ground.

Realising that achieving environmental good and making it financially sustainable is no easy feat, we had to make it good. But that gap we mentioned earlier? It got the creativity flowing, and we came up with a plan that benefits both landowners, businesses and this planet we call home.

Since then, we’ve grown into a small team of passionate and purpose-driven people doing big things. Our team have over 100 years of experience between them within the forestry industry, have forests of our own, and have a vested interest in some of the reforestation projects we manage.

At the root of it, our vision is to enhance the growth of native forests in New Zealand by giving businesses a platform to offset their carbon and connect them with local landowners running regeneration projects.
So with a depth of forestry expertise, a platform to make a change, and connections with the right people we’re working on restoring our land, one tree at a time.

Recently, members of the group came together in Christchurch for their first visit to the South Island. 

The team from Brand Logging gave a tour of their operations and hosted a lunch. There were plenty of opportunities to share information and make valuable connections.

Women in Forestry are there to offer support to female forestry business owners. 

The Canterbury West Coast Wood Council are seeking support from members to attend local careers days or school education programmes. Please check out the schedule below and let us know if you have any keen people in your team that might like to help out and inspire the next generation.

Christchurch Girls High Careers Expo - 7 May

St Andrews Careers Expo - 8 May

NZ Careers Expo in Christchurch - May 9 and 10

Careers Talk Christchurch Girls High School - 13 May

St Bedes Careers Expo - September

Wed 8 May, 4pm – Economic Update with Cameron Bagrie

Fri 2 August 2024, 5pm - CWCWC Forestry Awards Night