Queenstown Agricultural Redeployment expo attracts hundreds

The future is looking a little brighter for some of those in Queenstown affected by Covid-19 job losses.

About 200 people attended the Southern Institute of Technology's Agricultural Redeployment Expo in Queenstown on Wednesday, an event aiming to connect people with jobs and courses in the agricultural and forestry sectors.

Queenstown man Buster Taylor, who was made redundant from AJ Hackett Bungy, said forestry had grabbed his interest.

"I never knew there was this much potential for forestry and the agricultural industries.

"Just looking at the potential career developments that comes with the job, looks pretty awesome to me."

His former AJ Hackett colleague, Soul Tipu, who was also made redundant, said a forestry tractor simulator gave him a good feel for what work in the industry would be like.

"You can have a look at what it's about and have a go on the tractors without damaging real product."

Josh Hurring, from Mike Hurring Logging and Contracting, said his company had come from Balclutha to showcase the kind of work his father's forestry business does.

Josh Hurring, of Mike Hurring Logging and Contracting, helps Emiliano Heguaburu on a forestry simulator. Photo / Hugh Collins

"We're always looking for new people... a lot of people had no idea what there was to do in forestry and how many different things you can do.

"We've had a lot of people sign in for us to contact them."

SIT chief executive Penny Simmonds said she was inspired to run the event after realising during lockdown it was going to be difficult for farmers to get workers now migrants were not able to get into the country.

"It became very clear very quickly that we had a group of employers that were going to be short of workers and we had a whole lot of workers being made redundant."

Covid-19 had highlighted the value of the agricultural and forestry sectors to the New Zealand economy, she said.