Amid all the uncertainty of events in the COVID-19 environment, the Forest Industry Engineering Association’s ForestTECH 2021 in November is on November 23-24. However, the format for the annual technology series run in both Australia and New Zealand has been modified. Source: Timberbiz
The new format is going to enable planning with some degree of certainty for ForestTECH 2021 delegates, presenters and exhibitors.
This year, like 2020, the conference, workshops and exhibitions, will be run physically in one location, Rotorua, New Zealand.
Live links from the New Zealand event are being set up for those unable to travel into Rotorua. With the uncertainty still surrounding international travel and whether borders will be open later in the year, the live virtual linkage will ensure that international delegates can still actively be involved. Last year, a record number of international delegates from over 20 countries were able to pick up this option.
Two distinct themes will be covered. This was trialled last year for the first time. Overwhelmingly the written feedback from delegates and exhibitors said that this same focus should be applied for 2021. In addition to the usual technology updates on remote sensing, data collection and forest inventory management, a second day will focus on mechanised or automated operations for planting and silviculture.
The economics are starting to stack up and the technology addresses the growing issue of labour shortages that are being faced over the planting season. Mechanised or machine planting is already successfully being used across Scandinavia and in South America. Research, trials and now commercial operations have successfully been undertaken in the central North Island of New Zealand last planting season. More extensive plantings using the mechanical planting systems are planned for this year in both the CNI and in northern NSW (with both pine and eucalypts).
In addition to New Zealand presenters, key technology presenters and forest companies from Canada, Finland, Germany, South Africa, Chile and Australia will also be presenting this year. Three additional half-day pre-conference workshops for those delegates attending Rotorua have also been set up for delegates.
Workshops on Imagery & Remote Sensing with ArcGIS, changes to the Forestry Emissions Trading Scheme, updates on National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry and a half-day Remote Sensing Cluster Group meeting to cover recent research on tree inventory and detection with an update on the “Tools for Foresters” initiative have been organised the day before the conference.
Full details can be found on the event website, www.foresttech.events/ft21
