New technology to reduce forestry debris to be used during Marsden Valley harvest

Nelson City Council’s contractor, PF Olsen, has begun preparation work for the upcoming forestry harvest in the Marsden Valley, with plans to use a new felling machine that will reduce the amount of forestry debris left behind.

The Timberpro TL 775D allows for greater control of trees as they are cut down. Traditional felling heads can only control the direction of a tree’s fall. This results in trees falling to the ground at a high speed, usually causing a portion of the tree to break off. These broken portions are left behind as debris, or slash, that later needs to be cleared.

With the new machine, trees are cut, lifted, and slowly lowered to the ground. At this slower speed, trees aren’t at risk of breaking when they fall, which makes for a much cleaner harvest with less slash left behind. Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis says the new machine will assist Council in fulfilling its commitment to responsible forestry.

The Timberpro is able to cut and place trees with complete control.

The new felling machine allows for a much cleaner harvest with less debris left behind.

“Reducing the amount of slash created by the harvest is important for us as responsible custodians of this land. While Council looks into the future of forestry in Nelson through its Right Tree, Right Place Taskforce, it’s vital that we continue to reduce the impact of forestry on our environment.”

Harvesting is expected to begin mid-May and will be conducted in phases:
The first phase begins this week, with crews building access roads in the reserve and undertaking maintenance work on Glider Road to ensure it is suitable for logging trucks. They will also be removing slash from the previous harvest at this time. 

The Barnicoat Walkway will remain open (weekdays and weekends) to the public during most of this work, although occasional closures may be necessary. Contractors will attempt to keep Glider Road open at weekends; however, this will depend on the hazards associated with work underway at the time and will be assessed weekly. 

When closed, the road will be blocked, and signs will be in place. Please respect this closure, for your safety and the safety of truck drivers. 

Starting mid-May, crews will do an initial month-long bout of work in the Marsden Valley Reserve while they finish constructing the new forestry roads.

They will then move to harvest a separate forestry block in the Roding Forest, which is expected to take two to three months to complete. 

Crews are expected to return to the Marsden Valley Reserve around August or September to finish harvesting operations, although this timeline may change. 

Any slash that is caused by the harvest will be hauled to a skid side where it will be carted away by Azwood Energy to turn into biofuels and landscaping products. 

Once harvested, the area will be sewn with grass seed to reduce the risk of erosion in the area until Council decides how to move forward with its forestry assets, a decision which is currently being reviewed by the Right Tree, Right Place Taskforce.