A tractor with a more powerful winch was
more efficient but the telephone calls only
increased. The problem was that the contract
was almost always past its sell-by date and the
main contractor – now off to more lucrative
woodlands – had left a considerable number
of trees to fell, sned out and deliver to the
roadside.
Working mainly for a major forestry
management company Steve appreciates
that complying with training and certification
issues is his responsibility. He did not have
the common complaint that Wainwright
Forestry pays for training and sees operatives
leave almost immediately to work for his
competitors. He would, however, like to see a
little more cross-compliance with certification
between different industries.
Starting in construction, he is qualified to
operate an excavator and hold the boom aloft
while a worker with a shovel locates a water
main or an electricity cable below him... and
bricklayers and electricians pass to the left
and right. Is a specific forestry qualification
necessary to remove stumps and roots from a
clearfell site where he will stop work when he
sees anyone approaching far beyond the ‘risk
zone’ warning visible on the boom? It is just a
question he asks to concentrate the forestry
The Kubota L3200
4WD tractor has
proven to be a very
versatile workhorse
for Wainwright
Forestry. The range
of attachments it can
carry and tow have
seen it extremely
active on many
forest management
contracts.industry’s collective minds.
Steve’s wife Anita is a key player in the
team, fielding enquiries and messages both
on the landline and the computer. Whether the
communication be concerning a back-gardentree pruning, a major woodland establishment
or a timber harvesting contract, a prompt
reply from a competent operative makes all
the difference. Voice-to-voice contact is the
key.