Tawera Nikau speaks at Northland forestry seminar

Former rugby league player, and now a forestry worker, Tawera Nikau tells a Whangārei forestry seminar that good communication and teamwork are needed to make both a success. Photo / John Stone

A seminar aimed at working out ways to reduce deaths and injuries in the forestry sector attracted more than 300 forest workers and their managers.

Towards Zero was organised by the Northland Forestry Health and Safety Group which roped in rugby league legend Tawera Nikau to talk to forestry crews and their managers about how they could work better through more efficient communication, teamwork and other such tools.

The first seminar, in Dargaville on Wednesday, attracted 85 forestry workers and managers while about 150 attended in Whangārei the same day. Attendance at the last seminar in Awanui was 100.

Nikau has been chosen by the forestry sector to share his success stories in league, especially at the Melbourne Storm, and what it took to foster a winning culture in a team.

Nine forestry workers died in New Zealand last year, including one in Northland.
Sydney Hobson, 32, from Awanui was fatally crushed by a tree while working on a block off Mataraua Rd, Kaikohe, in May 2017. His death was referred to the coroner.

Nikau said he hoped to get forestry workers and managers to understand that the basic concepts of teamwork, leadership, and attitude were just as important in their jobs as in the sports environment.

"At the end of the day, they should be able to go home safely to their families. Over the years, there's been a lot of investment in training and equipment and hopefully they can improve things they are currently doing," Nikau said.

Andrew Widdowson, northern area manager for Hancock Forest Management, said forest managers and contractors needed to keep putting the message out that workers have a right to work safely and go home safely at the end of the day.

"As an industry, we need to improve our work environment and also be better at communicating changes around mechanisation and working conditions."