Communities that rely on forestry jobs are hoping for a move down to Alert Level 3 this afternoon to kickstart their local economies.
Wood processing and forestry harvesting can only operate again in Alert Level 3, with last week's lockdown decision meaning tools down at skid sites across the motu.
Forestry contractors on the East Coast of the North Island are hoping for some relief as many forestry workers are eager to get back out into the back blocks after being cooped up at home.
Robert Stubbs from Stubbs Contracting employs dozens in the Gisborne region and says the wage subsidy has helped top up some of his staff's wages.
With many workers he employs from households that live week to week, a longer Level 4 lockdown will start to bite if it continues into September.
He says some firms won't be able to hold onto staff if they are to survive and lay offs in the industry could be possible.
He also believes forestry should be allowed to operate in Level 4 like agriculture and horticulture with distancing easy to maintain on large forestry blocks and systems mechanised.
The Forestry Industry Contractors Association (FICA) wants to see a review of what industries are deemed “essential” and instead assess workplaces on their ability to operate under safe protocols.
FICA Chief Executive Prue Younger says forestry has spent a lot of money on mechanisation, reducing the men and women on slopes with many operating from inside a solo cab of a machine all day.
“Ports are empty, logs are sitting on the skids, it takes two people in very distant vehicles, loader and truck driver to at least move that stock to ports to keep ships loading.”
She says the industry would like to be better prepared for the next lockdown "with Government supporting forestry as an essential industry that can work within safe protocols for our workers and others to keep business above water and the NZ economy buoyant".
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