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Relax, Unwid, Look After Yourself - Napier Event 26-28 February 2025

Join Women in Forestry for our Relax, Unwind, Look After Yourself Event in the Hawkes Bay. Get away from the business, hear from our guest speakers on the topic of health, meet with like-minded women and relax and unwind. ...

PaySauce Payroll Offer for Contractors

Women in Forestry and FICA have been working on a payroll project to research the best payroll option for forestry contractors. PaySauce has come out on top and is offering a special joining deal for FICA and WIF members. After trialling 4 different payroll systems, PaySauce stands out as the best option aligned to the needs of forestry contractors. WIF General Manager Sarah Davis says “forestry contractors generally have different needs to standard / typical business, especially around the co...

Ladies Lunch with Laura McGoldrick

Women in Forestry came together for our long ladies lunch with Laura McGoldrick, hosted by Terra CAT in Rotorua. Laura spoke about her life, her amazing broadcasting career to date, life as a mum and the challenges she's faced along the way. Thank you to everyone who came along. See you at the next one! ...

Dale Digs In

When you meet Loggabull’s Dale Rutgers, you quickly appreciate her down to earth nature and ‘get on with it’ attitude.It’s easy to see why she and husband Brian have been successfully running their logging business Loggabull in the Taupo / Tokoroa area for the past eight years.The couple has been together for the past 22 years, meeting at a party as teenagers in 2002. Dale was 17, while Brian was 19 and working for his uncle Ron Thomassen at Thomassen Logging at the time. ...

FICA and Women in Forestry sign agreement to provide combined member value

FICA and Women in Forestry (WIF) have signed an agreement to work closer together, share resources and increase member value for forestry contractors.WIF is a grassroots network of women working in the New Zealand forestry industry, that focuses on supporting female business owners. Started informally in the 2010's, WIF has grown to offer more tailored, formalised support in recent years.As part of the agreement, FICA will provide baseline funding to WIF to work on complimentary projects fo...

Every Cent Counts

As we head into another volatile year it is important that we focus on the things that we can control. Year end is a good time to reflect on your financial position and take the time to dig a bit deeper on where you could make possible savings. Every penny counts....

Christchurch Event

Christchurch you didn’t disappoint! Massive thanks to Brand Logging who hosted us and showed us how it’s DONE, pulling out all the stops while showing around their impressive operation in the Ashley Forest. Thanks to Terra Cat for sponsoring our lunch and to everyone who made it along. Great to connect and see some new faces as well as some familiar ones. The information sharing is always valuable and your support is what keeps us going and coming back for more! Looking forward to seeing you...

CHEERS TO SOME BEERS - Forestry Contractor Gathering

Thanks to everyone who came along to our Cheers to Some Beers event in October. A massive thanks to Shaws for hosting us at Picknicka Tauranga - epic crew and an epic night. ...

ACC levy invoices – support if your circumstances have changed

If your business and financial circumstances have changed over the last year, you may have some questions around your ACC levy obligations.Women in Forestry has been working with ACC on options specifically for forestry contractors. ACC have advised us of several options to help reduce the financial impact:You can set up a payment plan of up to 10 months to spread payments across a longer period.You can request a reassessment of your invoice if your payroll is likely to be different in the 2023/...

Tauranga Catch Up A Success

Thanks to everyone who came along to our Tauranga event at Trinity Wharf. A big WIF shoutout to our amazing speakers Morgan Strong from UDC Finance, Jen McIvor from Creating Wealth and Nigel Airey from Whangamata Fire Brigade. A massive highlight was boarding a vessel at Port of Tauranga - it definitely had us all buzzing and made a few of the guys holding down the fort at home jealous! We're already working on the next event so watch this space. In the meantime, you can see ...

Upcoming Event - Tauranga Catch Up

Join us in Tauranga for a Women in Forestry catch up. The main day is Thursday 4 May but we'll also be there for plenty of catching up from the evening before for those who want to join us. Wednesday 3 May- OPTIONAL Drinks and Dinner from 5 pm (venue TBC in central Tauranga)Thursday 4 May- Port of Tauranga Tour- Seminar / roundtable / speakers session- OPTIONAL Thursday Night DinnerFriday 5 May - Homeward bound  Registration There is a ticket charge of $75pp for the Thur...

We’re highly skilled, safe and professional – let’s highlight it

Growing up on a diary farm and working as a registered nurse, Christine Axtens didn’t always picture a future in forestry. But after meeting partner Mike, who founded Mike Harris Earthmoving, one thing led to another and she’s been working in the business for the past 20 years. Christine is passionate about highlighting the talent and skill in the industry, and attracting more great people to the vocation. Read more in our latest blog.  From a South Auckland dairy farming family, Christ...

Taupo Gathering Coming Up - 3 November 2022

Women in Forestry is proud to be bringing you our last catch up for 2022. We have a great line up including planning for succession with forestry succession expert Garth Beker and all you need to know about forestry insurance with Nic Flowers. EVENT DETAILSDate: Thursday 3 November 2022Venue: Suncourt Hotel, TaupoTime: 10.30am - 3.00pm with optional drinks / dinner to followCost: User pays TBC SPEAKERS Succession and forestry accounting expert Garth Beker from BFAInsurance pro Nic Flowers from M...

Women in Forestry meet in Rotorua

Our Rotorua Roundup event was held on Thursday 12 May 2022. It was great to reconnect with so many women of forestry after all the disruptions Covid has brought. With a great line up of informative speakers, excellent catering, wonderful company and a stunning venue at the Pullman Hotel Rotorua, the event was a great success. Thank you to CAT for the caps and drink bottles, Shaws who subsidised the event with the WIF kickstarter funding, and everyone who came along. See y'all next time...

Regional Update - Juliette Allen

'We’re not having much pain at the moment, a lot of our wood is being directed to Kiwi lumber rather than export. I’ve noticed in the trucking yards a lot more trucks parked up so there mustn’t be as much wood going. We haven’t had quotas put on us yet but have heard of other crews parked up at the moment. ...

Regional Update - Sarah Wilson

'North Waikato/South Auckland regional update The latest industry downturn has impacted our region in different ways with reports of “business as usual” from contractors supplying Indian markets to contractors working at 70% with an extended Christmas break to crews being parked up indefinitely.  The other challenge our some of our contractors are facing is having to cross over the Auckland boundary requiring business travel documents and regular COVID testing to be able to work. There ...

Regional Update - Erika Herries

'As always with any kind of blip or downturn, Gisborne is 1st cab off the rank for what I'd call 'evasive manoeuvers'! At least 10 crews have been given notice (ours included). Some have been stopped for a few weeks now and others finishing dates are rapidly approaching. Some have been given 90 days but I'd like to think that when the upswing happens, they will be reinstated. There are no current available jobs in the area, though corporates are looking ahead and planning for the future. I'd lik...

Regional Update - Julie Yeoman

Central North Island - Like everyone else, we are watching closely the developments of the decline in industry demand and the direct impact this is having on our colleagues particularly on the East Coast and other regions in NZ. For the moment, we are ok but this looks like only a certainty up until Xmas. I understand that woodlot work has dried up, which is a usual first impact consequence of a downturn. Overlaying this is the recent arrival of Covid into our communities. Our own crew has had a...

Let’s Keep Working, Let’s Get Vaccinated Giveaway

Women in Forestry, Shaws and Life of a Bushman are working together to bring you this awesome giveaway. Get fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and go into our Women in Forestry Vaccination Draw. Prize includes a $500 Shaws Voucher OR a $500 Hunting + Fishing Voucher sponsored by Shaws, and a Life of a Bushman singlet. People who are already fully vaccinated are also eligible to enter. Terms and conditions apply – read more below....

Kristy Ready for the Challenge

Qualified Chartered Accountant and Northland Contractor Kristy Kewene has joined the Women in Forestry Board, bringing a raft of governance and finance experience underpinned by practical contracting knowledge to the role. In this blog, we get to know the understated but highly competent Kristy a little better....

Loving Logging

Growing up on a sheep and beef farm in the Wairarapa, Allen Logging’s Juliette Allen didn’t ever imagine she’d end up with a logging business. But when husband Mike had the opportunity to start a crew, it was too good to pass up....

Giving Back

Jonny Schick, owner of Shaw's in Cambridge, has a reputation for innovation and building strong relationships throughout the forestry industry. He recently pledged kick-starter funding to the Women in Forestry network and does heaps of good for forestry in general. In this blog post, we delve deeper into some of the awesome work Shaw's and Jonny do, as well as say a massive thanks for their support.  ...

Increase in sick leave entitlement

There have been some recent changes to employment law that you may not be aware of and will affect your business if you have staff members....

Appreciating Ange

Fast Harvesting’s Ange Alexander met her husband Smiley across the bar in Tirau Pub. Many years later, with 3 adult children, 6 logging crews and a bunch of good memories, she’s looking back on their journey and looking forward to taking a step sideways within the business to spend more time out in the bush appreciating the team....

Competenz Apprenticeship Boost

Apprenticeship Boost helps employers support new and existing apprentices in their first two years of training in a level 4 apprenticeship qualification with a wage subsidy. You could receive up to $16,000 per apprentice, across 20 months of their working and training....