Waipa’s 50-year-old campus is opening its doors to the public to celebrate the anniversary and contribution it has made to the region’s forestry and wood processing industries. Source: Rotorua Daily Post
“Waipa Campus has been the leading industry trainer for 50 years,” said John Kelly, head of engineering, technologies and construction at Waiariki Institute of Technology.
In the 24 years he’s been involved he’s seen numerous changes, having been a student, tutor and manager at the campus.
“It was pretty much the original sawmill and buildings back in the day. Everything was very manual and the machine, which had an oldstyle digital counter would have been the most modern,” he said.
“In the ’90s there was a limited range of computer equipment available whereas this era is more computer controlled.”
The Waipa Campus was set up by the New Zealand Forest Service and the timber processing industry for radiata pine and is now part of Waiariki’s National Centre of Excellence for the Forest and Wood Industry.
Recent additions to the campus include new timber drying kilns, the installation of a high tech gasification plant to provide the energy required for timber drying and the creation of a timber construction and a manufacturing laboratory.
“If you are going to do sawmill work, especially in radiata pine this is it – Waipa Campus has been the best place to learn for 50 years, and it will be for another 50 as well.”
