Forest Corp starts tomorrow

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 41, 31 March 1987, Page 1

Forest Corp starts tomorrow

Wednesday 1 April sees some major changes to the way the Karioi Forests are run with the advent of the Forest Corporation. The most dramatic changes are in staffing levels. All 32 wage workers will leave. Some are retiring, some are starting new businesses and some are leaving the area. The work previously done by the workers in the forest will be taken over by a contract gang that will be made up of six people. The only planting to be done from Karioi will be replanting of logged areas, and silviculture work will be reduced. As the work load increases in the future more contract labour may be taken on. The salaried staff at Karioi has been reduced from 1 3 to five. That staff is made up of Forest superintendant Dennis Brown, Forest Technical Supervisor Brian Morrisey, Weigh Bridge Supervisor Neville Clarke, Logging Supervisor John McQuarrie, and Logging Supervisor Keith Wood. The public will be affected by the office staff cuts when they wish to obtain hunting and firewood permits from the forestry, as the office may be unattended for long periods of time. Permits will be issued by mail in future. The Forest Corporation will have to train a new crew

of firefighters as a result of the staff cuts. All 32 of the wage workers were trained to deal with forest fires. The corporation plans to train the contract loggers working in Karioi Forest as firefighters. Department of Conservation will be responsible for fire fighting control on lands that they have taken over from the Forest Service. This land includes Rangataua Forest and Erua Forest. Karioi Forest will come under the control of a new district office based at Turangi, with the district becoming part of the Rotorua Region. The region will be run as a separate entity to the other regions in the corporation, with decisions made within the regional forestry structure. This means that Karioi forest staff will now deal direct with Turangi. Previously administration matters were dealt with by the Wanganui office, the Palmerston North office and then Wellington. The Forest Corporation will be closing the forestry camp in Clyde Street, Ohakune in three months. All residents of the camp were offered free accommodation there for three months, with six people taking up the offer. The camp may be sold after three months, or alternately offered for rent. The camp accommodates 19 people in separate units.